2026 Fantasy Football Tight End Tiers - Brock Bowers in RD2?!?

JJ Zachariason projects Brock Bowers at 135+ targets (potentially north of 150), tied with Trey McBride as the highest-targeted tight end in 2026. Zachariason argues Bowers finished 2025 as a top-four tight end in PPR points per game despite worst-case scenario circumstances (Gino Smith interception leader, Chip Kelly fired, knee injury), suggesting significant upside in a best-case scenario with improved QB play and Clint Kubak's offensive coordination. Zachariason would project Bowers higher if he ran the Roto Wire projections himself, citing Bowers as arguably the single best tight end in the league with minimal relevant target competition despite Michael Mayer's presence. Bowers is among the top three tight ends in average target depth at 7.5 yards, supporting tier-one classification.

JJ Zachariason believes in Caleb Williams despite his 2024 completion rate concerns; notes he averaged nearly 70% completion at USC and is not an outlier like Josh Allen (who never averaged 60% in college). Williams' low NFL completion rate is attributed to his tendency to throw the ball away while avoiding sacks and making highlight-reel plays, which are harder to replicate year-over-year but should improve as he enters year three.

Cole Kmet's early exit in the Bengals game during the Bears' final four-game stretch prevented him from being a larger factor in Loveland's target opportunities. Zachariason notes that Kmet 'was a decent part in preventing Lovelin from breaking out sooner in this year,' suggesting his injury/absence opened the door for Loveland's late-season target surge. Cole Kmet's presence on the Bears, particularly early in the season including the Bengals game where he left early, delayed Coulson Lovelin's breakout and limited his target volume opportunity.

JJ Zachariason ranks Colston Loveland as tight end two and strongly prefers drafting him over Trey McBride due to cost advantage; Loveland typically goes in round four while McBride goes in round two or three. Zachariason states he is 'not in the minority' in preferring Loveland to McBride and describes the scoring potential between them as 'a coin flip'—indicating Loveland has comparable upside to McBride despite being ranked second at tight end. Zachariason's ranking is designed to communicate his desire to draft Loveland early at his lower cost.

Zachariason uses Sutton as a positional comparison point when evaluating tight end value. He would prefer to take Sutton (a wide receiver) in the mid-rounds rather than reach for tight ends like Craft in the top eight rounds, illustrating his preference for positional flexibility in early drafts.

JJ Zachariason expresses concern about Daniel Jones coming off a torn Achilles injury affecting the Colts offense; he worries Jones' reduced arm strength and potential hobbled state will limit the passing game despite Tyler Warren's role security. Zachariason notes Jones had only one truly good year in his career (2023 with the Giants) and a great 10-week stretch in Indianapolis before regressing, projecting him as a reduced-arm-strength version post-Achilles tear in a "not good at all range" for 2026.

Evan Engram is one of six rookie tight ends in the past decade to post top-12 PPR points-per-game numbers, achieving this in 2017; cited as historical precedent for elite rookie tight end performance alongside Sam Laaporta (2023), Kyle Pitts (2021), Harold Fannon (2024), Tyler Warren (2024), and Brock Bowers (2024).

JJ Zachariason ranks George Kittle as tight end 12 in his 2026 tight end tier list. Kittle is the only player in the last 10 years to achieve a top-three tight end season with an average target depth under 6.5 yards (6.1 ADOT in 2019), making him a historical outlier and the exception that proves Zachariason's rule about the necessity of deeper target depth for tier-one upside. Brock Bowers finished 2025 tied with Kittle in PPR points per game among tight ends, positioning both as top-tier performers despite Bowers' worst-case scenario circumstances.

JJ Zachariason ranks Harold Fannon as TE8 and highlights that Dave Njoku and Harold Fannon have combined for four top-8 seasons since 2022 under Kevin Stefanski and Tommy Reese in Cleveland, demonstrating the system's ability to produce elite tight end production. Fannon is one of just six rookie tight ends in the past decade to post top-12 PPR points-per-game numbers, achieving this in 2024 alongside Tyler Warren and Brock Bowers.

Harold Fanning led all tight ends in tackles avoided last season and has Tom Monk as his new offensive coordinator (who developed Ravens tight ends in Baltimore), but his 6.0 average target depth is well below the 6.5-yard threshold that Zachariason's 10-year study shows is necessary for tier-one tight end upside. Despite elite tackle-avoidance metrics and a favorable coaching situation, Fanning ranks in the tight end 9-16 tier, not tier one, and should not be assumed to suddenly be used more downfield without evidence of a usage shift.

JJ Zachariason views Isaiah Likely as a late-round tight end value play with significant upside; he secured a 40M+ contract (one of only six tight ends at that tier), faces minimal competition with Malik Neighbors avoiding the PUP list and Darno Mooney/Malachi Fields not posing major threats, and has explicit backing from head coach John Harbaugh. Likely will put up bigger numbers now that he's no longer surrounded by Mark Andrews and Charlie Kohler, and despite never having a true full-time role, his contract upgrade and lack of competition justify expecting one now. He excels at getting open on scramble drills, which aligns perfectly with Jackson Dart's best skill—running around and making something out of nothing.

JJ Zachariason expresses preference for Josh Downs but acknowledges Tyler Warren was fed more often than Downs each week last season; Downs' target share is at risk if the Colts sign a veteran wide receiver (Stefon Diggs, Kieran Allen, or Debo Samuel), as he would be pushed out of two-receiver sets to a meaningful degree, making Warren the safer focal point.

JJ Zachariason ranks Kyle Pitts as TE5 and notes he is fully healthy after a strong 2025 (166 yards, 3 TDs in week 15; ranked TE2 in total season points). Key insight: splits show 2.56 yards per route run (TE2) without Drake London on field but dropped to 35th and 33rd with London on field, indicating Pitts thrives in underneath looks. Zachariason expects Pitts to be TE2 or TE3 with 90–100 targets alongside Bejian Robinson, and notes the healthier, more traditional version of Pitts in 2025 is a positive sign after injury-plagued years 2–4. Pitts has a better chance of racking up more targets than Sam Laaporta and Tucker Craft due to less target competition.

JJ Zachariason ranks Mark Andrews as tight end 9 and projects him as the number two target earner behind only Z Flowers for Lamar Jackson. Despite career-low receiving yards and yards per target last season, Zachariason cites strong underlying metrics: second-fastest top speed of any tight end last season (only Brock Bowers faster), tight end 6 average separation score, and tight end 1 ESPN open score per route. With Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kohler departing and minimal new target competition (Elijah Sra, Kobe Lane), Andrews should return to an every-down role. Zachariason is "feeling pretty good" about Andrews as a late-round tight end target if he falls outside the top 9-10 rounds.

JJ Zachariason states he 'freaking loves' Michael Mayer in Dynasty and acknowledges he is arguably bigger target competition than Trey Tucker, Jaylen Naylor, and Jack BH for Brock Bowers. However, Zachariason does not view Mayer as relevant target competition for Bowers given Bowers' elite status as arguably the single best tight end in the league.

JJ Zachariason projects Sam Laaporta as tight end six and notes he had offseason back surgery but avoided the PUP list, so week-one availability is not a concern. However, Laaporta faces significant target competition from Jameson Williams, Zachariah Branch, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and running backs Gibbs and Bejian Robinson, making him less likely than Kyle Pitts to rack up targets in the 90–100 range. Zachariason acknowledges a bullish case but expresses concern about reaching for him over higher-tier players; realistic scenario has Laaporta as #4 pass-game option in a top-4 Vegas-ranked offense.

JJ Zachariason ranks Sam Leaporta as TE6 and notes he had offseason back surgery but avoided the PUP list, so week-one availability is not a concern. However, Leaporta faces significant target competition from Jameson Williams, Zachariah Branch, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and running backs Gibbs and Bejian Robinson, making him less likely than Kyle Pitts to rack up targets in the 90–100 range.

JJ Zachariason self-identifies as 'freaking sick in the head' for drafting Terrence Ferguson, a late-round tight end prospect who 'probably shouldn't be being drafted,' suggesting Ferguson is a contrarian pick with significant bust risk despite Zachariason's willingness to take the flier.

JJ Zachariason ranks Kelce as tight end 13 in his 2026 tight end tier list. Historically, Kelce had a couple of strong seasons with ADOT under 7 yards, but the broader pattern shows a stronger correlation between the highest-scoring tight end seasons and average target depth being at least moderately deep rather than shallow; this supports the tier-one threshold analysis that deeper target depth is preferable for elite tight end production.

JJ Zachariason projects Trey McBride at 140 targets, the highest among all tight ends in 2026, positioning him as a tier-one tight end alongside Brock Bowers and Coulson Loveland. McBride has posted 17.1 PPR points per game over the last two seasons, which ranks seventh among tight ends and wide receivers combined. However, Zachariason ranks McBride third among tight ends behind Bowers and Loveland, despite acknowledging McBride as a great football player and awesome performer.

JJ Zachariason ranks Tucker Craft as TE7 and flags a torn ACL plus minor meniscus tear as a concern. Craft is expected to start on the PUP list. Zachariason worries that Craft won't pull 150 targets in the offense and needs to be at apex form (100%) to maximize his underneath opportunities, making the dual injury a meaningful risk despite not being a massive week-one availability issue. Craft's 4.8 average target depth last year was among the shallowest in the league, and the knee injury compounds concerns about his ability to dominate at the line of scrimmage. Historically, only 2019 George Kittle (6.1 ADOT) achieved a top-three tight end season with average target depth under 6.5 yards, making Craft's 4.8 ADOT unlikely to reach tier-one upside without a significant usage shift downfield.

JJ Zachariason ranks Tyler Warren as tight end four, placing him below Brock Bowers (TE1), Coulson Loveland (TE2), and Trey McBride (TE3). Tyler Warren is one of just six rookie tight ends to post top-12 PPR points-per-game numbers over the past decade, joining Brock Bowers, Harold Fannon, Sam Laaporta, Kyle Pitts, and Evan Engram. Zachariason projects Tyler Warren as one of only five tight ends projected to lead his team in targets, supported by his underneath role that suits a potentially hobbled Daniel Jones with reduced arm strength post-Achilles injury.