Fantasy Football ADP Battles: This TE or that TE

Tight ends often end up as the most frustrating part of a fantasy football roster. You have to have one, but usually the viable options for elite fantasy points don’t match the number of teams in a fantasy league. Tight ends, especially in the early rounds, are about opportunity cost. If I draft Brock Bowers in the second round, what skill player am I leaving on the table when selecting an early-round tight end based on ADP?

But what about two tight ends who are right next to each other in fantasy football ADP? When you finally decide it’s time to take a tight end for your fantasy football roster, how do you decide when two tight ends are so close in projections and in ADP? This piece will look at four tight end ADP battles for players who are going close to one another.

Fantasy Football ADP Tight End Battles

Battle I – Trey McBride vs. George Kittle

All of the ADP data is from August 15 and will be based on the Half-PPR Consensus ADP tool from fantasypros.com.

Trey McBride (TE2), ADP 27

By the end of 2024, the whole discourse of Trey McBride was “why doesn’t this guy have a touchdown?” The Arizona Cardinals finally got him one (he finished with two), but it almost masked his brilliant season. McBride finished with 147 targets, 111 receptions, and 1,146 yards. He was number one at the position in target share and two in air yards. He is likely still the number one option in the Arizona passing game, but there are plenty of people who believe Marvin Harrison Jr. will take a massive step forward and demand 26%-28% of the targets in 2025.

George Kittle (TE3), ADP 35

With all of the injuries to the 49ers’ offense last season, George Kittle was the most dependable pass-catcher for Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan. He led all qualified tight ends with 14.2 yards per reception and led in 30+ yard receptions. He was second in yards after contact. Injury questions are already popping up again. Brandon Aiyuk (missing the first six weeks) and Christian McCaffrey are coming off injuries, and Jauan Jennings is dealing with a calf injury. Brock Purdy trusts Kittle, and that’s why he was getting the majority of the deep and red-zone targets.

Verdict: In a half-PPR format, I’m actually going to go with George Kittle here. The competition for targets is literally falling down injured next to him, and he has become an awesome weapon in the red zone. Add in an easy schedule for the 49ers this year, and I think the opportunity cost of taking McBride at the 2-3 turn is too high.

Battle II – T.J. Hockenson vs. Travis Kelce

T.J. Hockenson (TE5), ADP 64

T.J. Hockenson missed seven of 17 games in 2024 due to injury, and he clearly wasn’t himself in the 10 games he did play. He finished his truncated season with 455 yards and zero touchdowns. However, beneath the hood, there were some encouraging signs. Hockenson was 12th in target share, third in yards per route run, and 10th in yards per reception. Now fully healthy and with no Jordan Addison for three weeks, Hockenson should start the year off with a bang.

Travis Kelce (TE6), ADP 65

Travis Kelce finished sixth in total tight end fantasy points last season, but boy, was it a roller coaster getting there. Kelce had eight games with five or fewer half-PPR fantasy points (including the game he sat in Week 18). He also had five games with more than 12 fantasy points. He was certainly better when Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice were injured, but in 2025, the Chiefs will start the season with both players active after Rice’s NFL disciplinary hearing was set for September 30.

Verdict: So much of this debate centers around the Rashee Rice mystery. Will he play much after Week 4? How many games does he miss? I love the potential for Travis Kelce without Rice in the offense, but with at least a month of the season gone before we know the answer to that question, I am giving the slight edge to T.J. Hockenson and the pass-happy Minnesota Vikings offense.

Battle III – Evan Engram vs. David Njoku

Evan Engram (TE8), ADP 84

Before his injury last season, Engram was third among tight ends in target share (25.1%), and he also had a 17% target share in the red zone (but just one touchdown). He was 13th at the position in air yards share and in the top 12 in fantasy points per game with 10 per contest. It was all a natural progression after he broke out with 143 targets and 114 receptions in 2023.

Last year, the Broncos’ top tight ends were Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull. It’s no wonder they only threw to tight ends 72 times. Now with a legitimate weapon at the position, I would expect Engram to get 90-100 targets just on his own in 2025.

David Njoku (TE9), ADP 88

If he doesn’t already, David Njoku needs to have the label of “quarterback proof” stuck onto his name. In just 11 games, Njoku put up 505 yards and five touchdowns. He was targeted 97 times in those games, otherwise known as more targets than George Kittle got in 16 contests. He was sixth in total targets at the position despite missing six games! We all hope Joe Flacco starts for fantasy purposes, but Njoku has shown he can thrive with almost anyone.

Verdict: At tight end, I want the guy who scores touchdowns. Too many times, this position becomes a touchdown-or-bust spot on our fantasy football rosters. And while I don’t believe that’s what Evan Engram and David Njoku are, Njoku has shown to be a much more featured part of his current offense. Engram may get the yards, but Njoku should get the touchdowns.

Battle IV – Tyler Warren vs. Colston Loveland

Tyler Warren (TE11), ADP 111

It’s the battle of the highly-touted, first-round rookies who are currently right next to each other in tight end rankings and ADP. Tyler Warren gets (probably) the worst quarterback situation of the two, as he is either catching passes from inaccurate Anthony Richardson or erratic Daniel Jones. But reports out of camp have been absolutely glowing for Warren. He has been the focal point of the pass-catchers and is grabbing everything in sight. He seems to already be a major part of the Colts’ offensive game plan.

Colston Loveland (TE12), ADP 116

Colston Loveland has two things working against him, despite being the 10th overall pick by the Chicago Bears in April’s draft. First, Loveland dealt with a shoulder injury in much of mini-camp and OTAs. It lingered into training camp, and he has just recently come back to practice (and performed well). Second, his target competition is much stiffer. Even with Keenan Allen gone, the Bears have D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and D’Andre Swift to feed. I do think Caleb Williams is the better quarterback than anything the Colts can offer, but he is also going to have to prove it on the field this year.

Verdict: I will gladly take either of these tight ends at their ADP if I wait past pick 100, but I am taking Tyler Warren 10 times out of 10 between the two. With the college pedigree at Penn State, and lack of elite competition, and the show he has been putting up in camp, he is the pick for me.

For more great fantasy football rankings and analysis, make sure to check out the 2025 FantraxHQ Fantasy Football Draft Kit!