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2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends for Week 2

Heath ranks the safety blankets for Week 2 of fantasy football.

By Heath Capps
Denver Broncos v Seattle Seahawks Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images

We’ve said it before but a little reminder doesn’t hurt—always assume half-PPR formats when perusing fantasy football rankings here at Fake Teams dot com.

This week, guys like Noah Fant, Cole Kmet, and Pharaoh Brown get a boost, but monitor Brown’s practice status ahead of the weekend.

I’m actually holding somewhat steady on Mike Gesicki given that he took on more of a blocking role last week. With the Dolphins offensive line getting healthier, he should take on more of his usual role in Week 2.

I’m afraid Jonnu Smith/Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper/David Njoku are all going to be heavily dependent upon scoring, which is always a dicey proposition. But all are viable currently if chasing TE2 scoring upside.

Blake Jarwin and Juwan Johnson are guys who should see their roles continue to grow, and James O’Shaughnessy (JAC) could be a decent rental in PPR formats after his Week 1 volume.

Who are YOU being forced to trust at tight end in Week 2?

Top 30 TEs for Week 2

Rank Player Name Team Opponent Notes
Rank Player Name Team Opponent Notes
1 Travis Kelce KC @ BAL Shootout potential for fantasy's top tight end.
2 Darren Waller LV @ PIT After a whopping 19 targets last week, it's tough not to bump him ahead of Kittle.
3 George Kittle SF @ PHI A modest 4-78 output on 5 targets last week, but YAC ability keeps him in the top three convo.
4 Mark Andrews BAL vs KC He's the red zone threat on this team, and BAL should be chasing KC. Only a 17.2% target share last week, but hopefully that was an anomaly.
5 TJ Hockenson DET @ GB He's a target-hog in this offense.
6 Kyle Pitts ATL @ TB He was tied for third among all TEs with 8 targets last week.
7 Noah Fant DEN @ JAC With Jerry Jeudy out, his target share could rise, and he already led the team in target share in Week 1 (22.9%).
8 Rob Gronkowski TB vs ATL A pair of scores last week and a juicy matchup on tap? Sign me up for the rebirth of Gronk.
9 Tyler Higbee LAR @ IND Six targets last week (5-48) is solid volume, but disappointing given he played 100% of snaps.
10 Dallas Goedert PHI vs SF Ertz is nursing a hamstring injury...I'm at least considering Goedert a low-end TE1.
11 Logan Thomas WAS vs NYG This one should be a defensive struggle on TNF, plus Fitzmagic is out.
12 Jared Cook LAC vs DAL Tied for third among all TEs with eight targets in Week 1. Shootout potential in Week 2. Dig it.
13 Robert Tonyan GB vs DET I'll go back to the proverbial well here with the Pack rebounding against a shoddy Lions unit on MNF.
14 Mike Gesicki MIA vs BUF Was used to block more in Week 1 due to the absence of LT Austin Jackson. Expect a bounce-back this week.
15 Cole Kmet CHI vs CIN Had a healthy 7 targets (5-42) last week and saw 74% of snaps compared to Jimmy Graham's 20%.
16 Jonnu Smith NE @ NYJ He caught all five targets last week (5-42) and this is an easier matchup for the NE offense. Split snaps nearly evenly with Hunter Henry (55-54).
17 Gerald Everett SEA vs TEN Will Dissly (3-37) was involved in Week 1, but Everett caught the score (2-20-1). Timeshare.
18 Zach Ertz PHI vs SF Hammy injury last week, rested on Wednesday, on track to play but this is a tricky injury.
19 Hunter Henry NE @ NYJ Saw 54 snaps to Jonnu's 55. The Pats used 12 personnel nearly half the time in Week 1, more than any game last year.
20 Austin Hooper CLE vs HOU Njoku (5) had more targets than Hooper (3) last week. Even with OBJ out, this looks like a TE rotation.
21 Dawson Knox BUF @ MIA His 4-41 from Week 1 is meh, but played 48 snaps to backup Tommy Sweeney's 2, and three of his catches went for first downs. If Buffalo's trust in him grows, he could be sneaky moving forward.
22 Pharaoh Brown HOU @ CLE Saw 76% of offensive snaps, compared to Jordan Akins' 60%, He was removed from Week 1 due to an upper body injury.
23 Blake Jarwin DAL @ LAC Is best utilized as a "big slot" and red zone weapon. His role show grow as he gets healthier, especially with Gallup slated to miss 3-5 weeks.
24 Juwan Johnson NO @ CAR He went 3-21-2 in a super debut in Week 1.
25 James O'Shaughnessy JAC vs DEN Caught six of eight balls against Houston last week, has to be on TE2 radar with that volume.
26 David Njoku CLE vs HOU The Browns were heaving it to him down the field last week. He's a TE2 streamer until we see something different.
27 Tyler Conklin MIN @ ARI Played 59 snaps for MIN, far surpassing new arrival Chris Herndon.
28 Anthony Firkser TEN @ SEA Managed 3-19 on 4 targets in Week 1, currently limited by a knee injury. He's the main TE for TEN, but this could be a week to shy away.
29 Eric Ebron PIT vs LV Only two targets in Week 1, and he is splitting time with the rookie Freiermuth.
30 Pat Freiermuth PIT vs LV He and Ebron canceled each other out in Week 1 with one catch apiece. He's merely a dart throw, but one to monitor if his role increases moving forward.

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