2025 TE1 Fantasy Football: Top Picks & Predictions
The years of Travis Kelce dominating the fantasy football tight end landscape have finally ended. Kelce has not finished as the TE1 since 2022, leaving room for other players around the league to take the top spot. In 2023, Sam LaPorta took the league by storm in his rookie season. He shocked the world and became the No. 1 fantasy football tight end over Kelce.
Last season, another rookie, Brock Bowers, accomplished the same feat. With rookies finishing as the number one fantasy football tight end in back-to-back years, the tight end position has never been up for grabs.
So now the question is, who will be the No. 1 fantasy football tight end in the NFL 2025 season?
What Does the Consensus Say?
Looking back at the fantasy football community, three tight ends consistently show up in the top three of expert rankings.
The top 3 consensus tight ends are:
- Brock Bowers (TE1 in 2024)
- Trey McBride (TE2 in 2024)
- George Kittle (TE3 in 2024)
It is clear from the consensus top 3 that experts don’t expect the ranking to change much. Honestly, there is not much to argue about those players. The three players who finished behind them in 2024 are Jonnu Smith, Travis Kelce, and Mark Andrews.
Smith was traded away from the Miami Dolphins, where he was targeted 111 times. Now a Pittsburgh Steeler, it is expected that Smith will be targeted less in an offense that is expected to establish the run with an aging quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.
Kelce is turning 36 in October. It was evident that Father Time was catching up to Kelce last season, and the emergence of Xavier Worthy has already taken away some of his target share.
Mark Andrews scored 11 touchdowns in 2024, but his reception numbers were limited due to the emergence of another Ravens tight end, Isaiah Likely. Likely had 58 targets in the 2024 season, only 11 less than Andrews.
Who Outside the Top 3 Is Missing?
A drafter must pay up to get a top 3 tight end in the NFL draft picks. Bowers and McBride consistently go in the second round of drafts, while Kittle is in the third or fourth round. There is one tight end on my radar I plan to target later in drafts with TE1 overall upside, and that is Tyler Warren.
Warren is a rookie tight end out of Penn State. The Colts took a shot at him in the first round of April’s NFL Draft. Warren had 1,233 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns in his final season at Penn State. His yardage total dominated last year’s TE1 Bowers college numbers, as his best season at Georgia was a 942-yard season.
Warren comes into a situation similar to Bowers’s out of college. Indianapolis has significant question marks at the quarterback position, a weak wide receiver core, and limited returning talent at the tight end position. If we look back at the 2024 Raiders, those facts were actual. With rookies finishing as the TE1 in back-to-back seasons, Warren is the shot to take if a drafter misses out on the top 3 tight ends.
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FAQs
Who is projected to be the TE1 in fantasy football 2025?
Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, and George Kittle are the consensus top 3-ranked tight ends for 2025, with Bowers being the favorite after finishing as TE1 in 2024.
Is Travis Kelce still a top fantasy tight end?
Kelce remains a strong option, but at 36 years old and with target competition from Xavier Worthy, most experts no longer project him as TE1.
Who are the biggest sleeper tight ends for 2025?
Rookie Tyler Warren (Colts) is the top sleeper candidate with true TE1 upside. His college production and favorable situation mirror the paths of rookies like Bowers and LaPorta, who both finished as TE1 in their first year.
Which tight ends should I avoid in 2025 fantasy drafts?
Jonnu Smith may struggle after moving to the Steelers’ run-heavy offense with Aaron Rodgers. Likewise, Mark Andrews could see fewer targets due to Isaiah Likely’s growing role in Baltimore.
Why are rookies suddenly dominating the tight end position?
The last two seasons saw rookies Sam LaPorta (2023) and Brock Bowers (2024) finish as TE1. Offensive schemes are leaning heavily on athletic rookie tight ends, making them immediate contributors.
