The Tight End position in fantasy football is one of the more fickle things in life. It’s generally top-heavy with lots of turnover and can, most seasons, be described as a hellscape. However, 2023 was one of the best years of all time for the position. In contrast to previous years, the earlier drafted TEs were disappointing and value could be found everywhere in 2023. Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Kyle Pitts and Darren Waller broke our hearts. On the other hand, Trey McBride, Dalton Kincaid, Sam LaPorta, and David Njoku were some of the best tight ends in fantasy. Now that the fantasy season is over, let’s give out some superlatives to this year’s standouts at the tight end position.
Biggest Surprise: Sam LaPorta
To say Sam LaPorta was a surprise would be an understatement. I was pretty high on the rookie tight end going into the year because of his attachment to the Lions offense, but I could never have predicted he’d finish as THE TE1. The Lions second-round pick may not have had 1,000 yards like Kyle Pitts did in his rookie season, but LaPorta did lead all TEs in TDs with nine and was the TE3 on a PPG basis.
Did the #Lions have the best 2023 draft class?
Jahmyr Gibbs – 1,261 yards, 5.2 YPC, 11 TDs
Jack Campbell – 95 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 PD
Sam LaPorta – 86 catches, 893 yards, 10 TDs
Brian Branch – 74 tackles, 13 PD, 7 TFL, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 1 TD pic.twitter.com/UHBvffLhXF
— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) January 21, 2024
LaPorta also was top-eight in the NFL in key metrics: targets, receptions, Target Share, receiving yards, Red Zone Targets, Routes Run, Contested Catch Rate and EPA. What a year from the Rookie TE and the now clear Dynasty TE1!
Biggest Disappointment: Kyle Pitts
I’m not mad at Kyle Pitts, I’m just disappointed. After fading Pitts in 2022, I became heavily invested at his Year Three price point. I truly felt as though the stars were aligning for him to have a breakout season. With the arrival of Bijan Robinson and Drake London entering Year Two, I felt defenses just simply would not be able to defend Pitts. Turns out it was a Falcons TE that would not be covered by defenses. It just happened to be Jonnu Smith. Smith finished 2023 with only 20 less points than Pitts (TE18 vs TE14). To further remind fellow Pitts Stans just how embarrassing his 2023 campaign was, he only had one game over 15 points, and 12 games under 10 points.
There may be some hope for Pitts in 2024, as some of the blame can surely be placed on Arthur Smith. Pitts still found himself among the top of the NFL in some key metrics. He finished the year top-five in Air Yards, Average Depth of Target, Deep Targets, Unrealized Air Yards, Slot Snaps, Yards Per Reception and Catch Rate.
Most Impressive Performance: Sam LaPorta
It’s a bit of a cop out to say Sam LaPorta was the Biggest Surprise and the Most Impressive, but it’s the truth. There is rarely objectivity in fantasy football, but LaPorta having an ELITE 2023 season is simply fact. All the above metrics made his 2023 season great, but we have yet to mention the situation. He had all those monster numbers in an offense with multiple mouths to feed. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams, Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond all finished with more than 40 targets this year. LaPorta still managed 81 receptions for 834 yards and nine TDs. He also finished as a top-five weekly option seven times! Yet again, we have to give a round of applause to LaPorta.
Most Likely to Improve in Year Two: Michael Mayer
Another disappointment from 2023 was Michael Mayer. Going into the NFL Draft, Mayer was touted as one of the best college tight ends of all-time. He was a can’t-miss prospect. Mayer had a 95th-percentile College Dominator Rating with over 1,600 yards and 16 TDs in his final two years at Notre Dame. And then somehow, he ended up being the third TE drafted into the NFL and in a poor situation in Vegas. He finished the year as the TE31 with 27 receptions for 301 yards and two TDs. It’s a fine year, but not overly impressive.
However, there are lots of signs pointing to a Year Two breakout for Mayer! 1.) there’s the potential that Davante Adams gets traded, vacating a massive 167 targets. 2.) the Raiders are in the 2024 QB market. Improving QB play would be huge for Mayer. 3.) Mayer finished the year No. 1 in Contested Catch Rate and No. 9 in Yards Per Target. Those are both key indicators for tight ends. Look for Mayer to break out next season.
Tight End You Most Likely Forgot About: Jelani Woods
Being in on Kyle Pitts this season may have been an L, but an even bigger L was how much I believed in Jelani Woods. Unfortunately, injury recovery did not go his way and he did not end up playing a single game. However, I will not give up hope! Woods is incredibly athletic with a massive frame and tons of potential. He’s 6-7, 250-pounds, and ALL his workout metrics are 89th-percentile or higher. Woods has solid draft capital, drafted in the third round in 2022.
Woods’ 2022 stats weren’t bad either. He was actually fairly impressive. In Week 3, he had a two-TD performance against the Chiefs. One of those TDs was the game winner, showing Woods has the clutch factor. In Week 12, he had an eight-reception, 98-yard game against the Steelers, showing he can handle volume. He also finished his rookie season among the top of the league in a few key metrics: No. 5 in Contested Catch Rate, No. 8 in Yards Per Reception and No. 4 in Average Depth of Target.
All that being said, Woods will still be incredibly cheap to acquire in 2024 and could potentially go undrafted in most leagues. Colts TEs Will Mallory, Mo Alie-Cox and Andrew Ogletree ever really established themselves, but they were all targeted fairly heavily and used frequently in Shane Steichen’s scheme. Look for Woods to break out in Year Three.
