If you're in your fantasy football championship game, you almost certainly have a good tight end. It's possible you made it this far by playing the matchups and streaming every week, but when you're strong at a notoriously thin position, it gives you a major advantage over your opponents. Whether you have an every-week stud, you're a veteran sleeper-hunter, or you're new to the streaming game because you just lost T.J. Hockenson, our Week 17 fantasy TE PPR rankings can help you maximize your potential in your final must-win matchup of the season.
This week's rankings are fairly deep for this time of year thanks to only a handful of key injuries and some favorable matchups for several high-upside sleepers. It's not all good news, though, as a few usual starters are in bad situations, but that doesn't necessarily make them off-limits this week.
We're here to break it all down, so without further ado, let's get to it and check out our Week 17 TE rankings.
Who are the best fantasy TEs in Week 17?
It should come as no surprise that Travis Kelce (vs. Bengals in Week 17) is atop our rankings in a matchup against the league's second-most generous TE defense. David Njoku (vs. Jets), Trey McBride (@ Bears), and Cole Kmet (vs. Falcons) are close behind with favorable matchups of their own, though Kmet will need to be monitored in practice, as he's dealing with a knee injury. Sam LaPorta (@ Cowboys) rounds out our top five despite a tough matchup, but he's proven to be virtually matchup-proof.
WEEK 17 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | D/STs | Kickers
Jake Ferguson (vs. Lions), George Kittle (@ Commanders), and Darren Waller (vs. Rams) probably qualify as "must-starts" for most owners. Ferguson and Waller both face defenses that entered last week in the top eight in fantasy points allowed to TEs, and Kittle faces the league's second-worst pass defense, giving him a sky-high ceiling.
WEEK 17 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Who are the best fantasy TE sleepers, pickups, & streamers in Week 17?
Kyle Pitts (@ Bears) is far from a "must-start," but he faces a bottom-five TE defense this week. While it's tough to trust him in an all-or-nothing scenario, he should have a higher ceiling than usual, especially after last week's solid performance.
Cade Otton (vs. Saints) and Gerald Everett (@ Broncos) are the top streaming options. Everett has the best possible matchup for a TE, and he saw a whopping eight targets last week. Otton's matchup, while still favorable, isn't quite as good, but the Bucs are really humming offensively right now. He's come through in favorable spots more often than not this season, and he has a good chance of doing so again this week.
For those in deeper leagues, Juwan Johnson (@ Buccaneers) is a solid option in a top-seven matchup, and you could also try Jonnu Smith (@ Bears) or Chig Okonkwo (@ Texans), both of whom have top-12 matchups. The floor for the latter two is near zero, so they're probably too risky to rely on in championship matchups. If you're looking for a decent floor and possibly decent ceiling, you could try Josh Oliver (vs. Packers), who should see a decent number of targets filling in for T.J. Hockenson.
WEEK 17 DFS:
Main slate DK/FD lineups | DET-DAL lineup | Best values
Who are the biggest potential fantasy TE busts in Week 17?
These guys aren't completely "off limits," but Isaiah Likely (vs. Panthers), Evan Engram (vs. Panthers), and Dallas Goedert (vs. Cardinals) all have tough matchups. Fortunately, they see a steady number of targets, so they have higher floors in PPR leagues, but it's fair to weigh your options if you're worried about their ceilings. The same goes for Dalton Kincaid (vs. Patriots), who's done next to nothing since Dawson Knox returned three weeks ago.
Pat Freiermuth (@ Seahawks), Taysom Hill (@ Buccaneers), and Hunter Henry (@ Bills), if he plays, have all been popular plays in the past few weeks, but none are worth starting with a championship on the line. Not only do they have difficult matchups, but you also can't count on them for significant targets.
WEEK 17 FANTASY ADVICE:
Start 'em, sit 'em | Sleepers | Busts | Projections
What are the biggest TE injuries in Week 17?
Greg Dulcich (hamstring, foot) and Luke Musgrave (kidney) are both eligible to return at any time, and after ramping up their practice regimens last week, it wouldn't be a shock to see one or both on the field this week. Dulcich (vs. Chargers) would return to a favorable matchup, but he's not a legit fantasy option at this point. The same goes for Musgrave, who would be splitting time with Tucker Kraft (@ Vikings).
Michael Mayer (toe) and Hunter Henry (knee) missed last week and figure to be questionable heading into Week 17. Neither player, nor their backups, are worth starting this week.
T.J. Hockenson (knee) and Cole Kmet (knee) both exited last week early. Based on initial reports, Hockenson is unlikely to play against the Packers, but Kmet is still up in the air for Chicago's game against Atlanta.
We'll be updating these TE PPR rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.
Fantasy TE PPR Rankings Week 17: Who to start, sit at tight end
Rankings based on full-point PPR formats
Rank Player
1 Travis Kelce, Chiefs vs. Bengals
2 David Njoku, Browns vs. Jets
3 Trey McBride, Cardinals @ Eagles
4 Cole Kmet, Bears vs. Falcons
5 Sam LaPorta, Lions @ Cowboys
6 Jake Ferguson, Cowboys vs. Lions
7 George Kittle, 49ers @ Commanders
8 Darren Waller, Giants vs. Rams
9 Evan Engram, Jaguars vs. Panthers
10 Isaiah Likely, Ravens vs. Dolphins
11 Kyle Pitts, Falcons @ Bears
12 Gerald Everett, Chargers @ Broncos
13 Dallas Goedert, Eagles vs. Cardinals
14 Cade Otton, Buccaneers vs. Saints
15 Dalton Schultz, Texans vs. Titans
16 Juwan Johnson, Saints @ Buccaneers
17 Jonnu Smith, Falcons @ Bears
18 Dalton Kincaid, Bills vs. Patriots
20 Josh Oliver, Vikings vs. Packers
19 Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans @ Texans
21 Austin Hooper, Raiders @ Colts
22 Hunter Henry, Patriots @ Bills
23 Tucker Kraft, Packers @ Vikings
24 Logan Thomas, Commanders vs. 49ers
25 Taysom Hill, Saints @ Buccaneers
26 Pat Freiermuth, Steelers @ Seahawks
27 Lucas Krull, Broncos vs. Chargers
28 Tyler Higbee, Rams @ Giants
29 Tyler Conklin, Jets @ Browns
30 Tommy Tremble, Panthers @ Jaguars
31 Tanner Hudson, Bengals @ Chiefs
32 Dawson Knox, Bills vs. Patriots
33 Noah Fant, Seahawks vs. Steelers
34 Mike Gesicki, Patriots @ Bills