Week 3 Tight End Rankings for Fantasy Football (Saturday Update!)

Tight end continues to be a headache-inducing position for fantasy football managers. While elite options made a little noise in Week 2, there were still a lot of dud performances. The position also had some surprise appearances, with Elijah Higgins, Brenton Strange, and Darnell Washington finishing in TE1 territory in half-PPR formats. As we turn to the Week 3 tight end rankings, I’d like to ease your mind and provide you with some sure-fire options. But I’m not a fortune teller, and that’s not how this works. Instead, I’ll highlight tight ends with opportunity and exploitable matchups this week. So with that in mind, let’s get to the Week 3 tight end rankings and notes.

Injury Notes for Week 3

• George Kittle is doubtful for Week 3 due to a tight hamstring. Eric Saubert is expected to be the team’s starter but can be ignored for fantasy purposes.
• Evan Engram is week-to-week after suffering a hamstring injury during warmups in Week 2. Brenton Strange filled in nicely, playing 68.3% of snaps and running a route on 72.2% of pass plays. He also tied for the team lead with seven targets. Strange could be a viable tight end if Engram misses more time. UPDATE: Engram is likely doubtful for Week 3.
• David Njoku is questionable with an ankle injury he suffered in Week 1. Jordan Akin started in Week 2 but isn’t a recommended starter. UPDATE: Njoku is officially OUT for Week 3.
• Jake Ferguson suffered an MCL sprain in Week 1 and is questionable for Week 2. If he gets the nod this week, Ferguson will slot back into TE1 territory.

Tight End Notes

• Brock Bowers is shaping up to be one of the more consistent tight ends this season. He’s seen at least eight targets in each of the season’s first two games and leads the position with 156 receiving yards. Further, Bowers’ 23.9% target share ranks third at the position. Bowers should continue to soak up the looks in Week 3. The Panthers’ defense has ceded the second-most passing touchdowns in 2024 (5), with two of those scores going to tight ends. Consistency is key at a volatile position, pushing Bowers up to TE2 in my Week 3 tight end rankings.
• Hunter Henry hauled in 8-of-12 targets for 109 yards in Week 2. He didn’t find the end zone, but his 83.8% snap share and 87.5% route rate are what you want to see from your tight end. Additionally, Hunter racked up a whopping 47.6% target share last week. Up next is a favorable matchup against a Jets defense that allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends last season. They also ceded eight touchdowns to the position, tied for second-most. Henry should keep rolling this week and ranks as TE10 in the Week 3 tight end rankings.
• Zach Ertz could surprise this week. He gets a soft matchup against a Bengals unit that coughed up the most receptions to tight ends in 2023. They also surrendered the second-most fantasy points and receiving yards to the position. Ertz has four targets in each of the season’s first two games. While that’s not an eye-popping total, he’s getting looks, and those eight targets rank as second-most for the Commanders this year. Washington could be playing catch-up in this one, and Ertz could benefit. He’s a low-range TE1 for me in Week 3.
• I’m conflicted about Mike Gesicki this week. On the one hand, Gesicki leads the Bengals with 13 targets and a 20% target share through two weeks. On the other hand, he’s part of a three-man tight end committee, and his route rate is just under 50% for the season. Blech. It’s clear Gesicki has a connection with Joe Burrow. But how long will those target rates hold up with a heavy tight end rotation and a Tee Higgins return looming? Gesicki ranks as TE14 in my Week 3 tight end rankings. But he could produce TE1 numbers if Higgins remains sidelined this week.

Check out all of our Week 3 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex

Week 3 Tight End Rankings

Note: Ranks are based on half-PPR scoring

Make sure to check out all of our Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!