Though it may be the NFL offseason, it is never too early to begin thinking about the upcoming fantasy football season. With the new league year officially here as of March 12, players have begun to switch teams this offseason, which means it’s time to get a jump start on the 2025 fantasy football season.
At the tight end position, rookie Brock Bowers climbed the ladder in his inaugural season to lead the league. Even with a mess at quarterback, Bowers set all-time NFL records for tight ends, as he racked up 112 receptions and 1,194 receiving yards, history for both metrics.
Let’s jump into this position and see what ClutchPoints’ 2025 way-too-early outlook for the TE position predicts. Will Bowers cement himself as the standard for the league once again, will a veteran option jump into the top spot, or will a youngster make it two seasons in a row as the position leader this upcoming season?
1. Brock Bowers
2024 Rank: TE1
It remains to be seen that anyone can unseat Bowers from the top spot, especially with how atrocious his quarterback play was. Dealing with Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell, and Desmond Ridder is not an easy task for any receiver, but Bowers made it seem super easy in his rookie campaign.
Noah Fant was targeted 64 times, leading a group of tight ends that were targeted 114 times by Geno Smith last year. With Smith joining Pete Carroll with the Las Vegas Raiders, look for Bowers to produce another 100+ target season, especially since he is the best pass catcher on the roster.
2. Trey McBride
TE2
It was the year of chasing touchdowns for Trey McBride, as the Arizona Cardinals tight end didn’t find paydirt until Week 17 last year. Having finished as the TE2 last season, McBride was still able to rack up his second top-10 finish at TE in his career, even with his lack of TDs.
The Cardinals would be smart to get McBride more involved in the offense as they look to build around the duo of McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. as pass catchers. Unless AZ selects a receiver in one of the first three rounds, look for McBride to earn another strong target share from Kyler Murray in 2025.
3. Tucker Kraft
TE10
After putting up his first top-10 finish at TE last season, Tucker Kraft takes another monster jump into the top-3 in our fantasy football TE outlook. With the Green Bay Packers not willing to make big improvements to their WR room, Kraft took on a larger role last year, fully cementing himself as the top TE for the green and gold.
Look for Kraft to continue to establish himself as a part of the next crop of young TE prospects as he enters his third season with high hopes. With Christian Watson likely missing the start of next season after his ACL injury, Kraft is first in line to soak up some of those vacated targets.
4. George Kittle
TE3
With Deebo Samuel traded to the Washington Commanders and Brandon Aiyuk recovering from his ACL injury, tight end George Kittle is in a great position to be a top option in fantasy football this upcoming season. Fresh off a TE3 finish, Kittle continues his stretch of strong play, as last season was his fourth consecutive finish as a TE1.
The San Francisco 49ers will likely need to rely on Kittle early on in the year, which is where he can provide an immediate return on your investment from your drafts.
5. Sam LaPorta
TE8
The 2024-25 NFL season was a step backward for Sam LaPorta, who went from a TE1 finish as a rookie to being on the fringe of being a TE1 for the position. After a slow start to the year that saw LaPorta rack up four games of three-plus receptions in the first 10 weeks, he came on strong, finishing the regular season with seven consecutive performances of at least three receptions.
The Detroit Lions offense will look different this year with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson now in Chicago, so new OC John Morton will be tasked with keeping the train moving. But LaPorta is too good to be kept quiet, so expecting him to get back on track is a fair bet.
6. David Njoku
TE11
QB issues notwithstanding, David Njoku is poised to put last season’s TE11 finish behind him. The past three seasons have been fringe TE1 finishes for Njoku, who topped out as the TE6 overall in 2023.
The Cleveland Browns offense is not seen as a strong unit heading into next season, but Njoku as the QB’s safety valve is exactly what keeps him relevant in fantasy football. Whether catching passes from a veteran (Kenny Pickett, Kirk Cousins) or a rookie (Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders), look for Njoku to still be a solid, late-round target in fantasy football drafts.
7. TJ Hockenson
TE34
With the Minnesota Vikings likely having J.J. McCarthy take over at quarterback, the passing offense might take a step back next season. While that could mean a step back for Justin Jefferson, a tight end is usually the best friend of a young starting QB, putting TJ Hockenson in a great position.
Having missed the first seven games of last season due to recovering from an ACL injury, Hockenson will have a full offseason at full speed with work with McCarthy and the offense. Hockenson should be a late-round TE target for you, which should easily return on your low-cost investment.
8. Isaiah Likely
TE16
It’s a bit of a hot take to have Isaiah Likely in this 2025 tight end preview, but Isaiah Likely proved last season that he can be a relevant factor for your fantasy football teams. While contending with Mark Andrews, Likely still finished as the TE16 last season, as he recorded career highs in receptions (42), receiving yards (477), and touchdowns (6).
Rumors of the Baltimore Ravens moving on from Andrews have been circulating this offseason, which would help elevate Likely’s chances of being a TE1. But even when Andrews and Likely shared the field last season, Likely still played a big role in the offense, so it’s safe to say his role will continue to expand moving forward.
9. Tyler Warren
Rookie
This upcoming rookie class of tight ends doesn’t have a Bowers-level player in it, but it is much deeper than last year’s class. Penn State rookie Tyler Warren is fighting with Michigan’s Colston Loveland for the first TE drafted in April, and odds point to Warren being favored by a lot of teams.
For Warren, his collegiate production came in the rushing and receiving games, as he was a multi-dimensional weapon for the Nittany Lions. With a lot of teams looking to find their own Bowers, signs are pointing towards Warren being a first-round selection, which would help position him to be a TE1 in his rookie campaign.
10. Jonnu Smith
TE4
The final player in this fantasy football outlook for the TEs is Jonnu Smith, who was a pleasant surprise for the Miami Dolphins on his way to finishing as the overall TE4. Smith weathered the QB storm that the Dolphins dealt with again last season, as he was the most consistent weapon for Miami in fantasy football.
Smith easily cleared his previous career marks last year, as he racked up 884 receiving yards and 8 TDs. Entering the second year of his two-year deal with MIA, look for Smith to reclaim his spot near the top of his positional group, albeit a few spots lower than last season.
The post 2025 Way-Too-Early Fantasy Football Outlook: Tight Ends appeared first on ClutchPoints.
