The 2021 NFL season is finally here and I couldn’t be more excited! With the preseason behind us and football drafts wrapping up, it’s now time to turn our attention toward setting our Week 1 fantasy football lineups. In order to help you make the best lineup decisions this week, I present to you my Week 1 tight end rankings, along with some player notes to help you get your lineups set. (Note: All rankings are based on Half-PPR scoring.)
The tight end position can be a headache for many fantasy managers. If you didn’t invest in one of the top-six options at the position, the talent pool dries up pretty quickly. If that’s the case, you’re looking to exploit favorable matchups each week, and crossing your fingers for volume and/or a touchdown. Week 1 is no exception. Usage will get clearer as the weeks go on, but for now, we want to look for those favorable matchups.
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Week 1 Tight End Notes
- All eyes will be on Kyle Pitts this week in Atlanta. He has a favorable matchup and we’ll start to see how he will be used in the Falcons’ game plan.
- Mike Gesicki could see more targets in Week 1 with Will Fuller out. The matchup is tougher than not, but if Tua Tagovailoa continues to be as pass-happy as he was in the preseason, Gesicki could be a sneaky option this week.
- The Patriots should use a healthy dose of 12 personnel this season. Both Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry are serviceable options this week, although I prefer Smith a little more.
- It’s not yet clear how the targets will shake out between Dallas Goedert and Zach Ertz in Philadelphia. Be wary of both in Week 1, especially until we can get a better gauge on Jalen Hurts’ passing abilities.
- Cole Kmet could surprise this week. The Bears will face the Rams and will likely be playing from behind. Kmet could be a nice safety valve for Andy Dalton.
- If you want to take a shot at volume, Eric Ebron could be worth a flier. The Steelers could be playing catch-up in Buffalo, and last season Ebron received five or more targets in 12-out-of-15 games played.
Week 1 Tight End Rankings
| Rnk | Player | Team | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travis Kelce | KC | CLE |
| 2 | Darren Waller | LV | BAL |
| 3 | George Kittle | SF | @DET |
| 4 | Mark Andrews | BAL | @LV |
| 5 | Kyle Pitts | ATL | PHI |
| 6 | T.J. Hockenson | DET | SF |
| 7 | Logan Thomas | WAS | LAC |
| 8 | Noah Fant | DEN | @NYG |
| 9 | Tyler Higbee | LAR | CHI |
| 10 | Robert Tonyan | GB | @NO |
| 11 | Jonnu Smith | NE | MIA |
| 12 | Mike Gesicki | MIA | @NE |
| 13 | Rob Gronkowski | TB | DAL |
| 14 | Dallas Goedert | PHI | @ATL |
| 15 | Austin Hooper | CLE | @KC |
| 16 | Hunter Henry | NE | MIA |
| 17 | Gerald Everett | SEA | @IND |
| 18 | Cole Kmet | CHI | @LAR |
| 19 | Blake Jarwin | DAL | @TB |
| 20 | Jared Cook | LAC | @WAS |
| 21 | Anthony Firkser | TEN | ARI |
| 22 | Eric Ebron | PIT | @BUF |
| 23 | Jordan Akins | HOU | JAX |
| 24 | Kyle Rudolph | NYG | DEN |
| 25 | Zach Ertz | PHI | @ATL |
| 26 | Hayden Hurst | ATL | PHI |
| 27 | Dan Arnold | CAR | NYJ |
| 28 | Dawson Knox | BUF | PIT |
| 29 | Adam Trautman | NO | GB |
| 30 | Tyler Conklin | MIN | @CIN |
If you liked Lauren’s Week 1 Tight End Rankings, be sure to check out the rest of our Week 1 Rankings and Analysis!
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