It’s the fantasy football post-season, so what better time to look back at what went right, what went wrong, and what we learned for 2024? If you’re participating in fantasy football challenges during the playoffs, make sure you check out my playoff rankings at ffdfantasyfootball.com, and I answer all fantasy questions on Instagram @thefantasyfirstdown and Twitter @FantasyFirstDwn. Also, make sure you check out my weekly chats with Bobby LaMarco on the Razzball YouTube page.
Want more data-driven stats and tools to help you win your fantasy league? Check out the Razzball Fantasy Football premium subscriptions for $0.00 upfront with our 3-day free trial!
Tight End MVP
- Player: Sam LaPorta
- Team: Detroit Lions
- Positional Finish (ADP): TE1 (TE16)
Tight end had a surprising amount of depth this season, with none of the usual studs truly busting (the top 4 in ADP all finished in the top 6 in points per game) while some veterans emerged as weekly starters. Ultimately, the highest scorers on a per-game basis were Kelce and Hockenson, but neither gave you much help in the fantasy playoffs, which makes it hard to give them the MVP prize. For that reason, I’ve given it to the overall top scorer, Sam LaPorta. Not only did he have two strong weeks in the fantasy playoffs, he put together the best rookie tight end season in history. He’s a worthy recipient of the MVP award and should be very close to the top of my 2024 redraft rankings when they come out in the next few weeks.
Honorable mentions: TJ Hockenson, Travis Kelce, Evan Engram
Tight End Bust
- Player: Darren Waller
- Team: New York Giants
- Positional Finish (ADP): TE24 (TE5)
I know what you’re thinking: Waller was injured, but that doesn’t make him a bust! I agree, that doesn’t make him a bust, it was his play in-between and his high draft position that make him a bust. The pre-season showed what Waller can be, but poor quarterback play, random play-calling, and injury struggles led the Giants tight end to only four double-digit PPR weeks. He ultimately finished as the TE13 on a per-game basis and was awful in the fantasy playoffs. There is an argument to be made for Pitts, but there are three reasons he wasn’t the worst bust: he outscored his 2022 effort by a significant margin, he was drafted several rounds after Waller, and he was always projected as a boom-bust option. Unlike Waller, who was a true disappointment, with Pitts, we knew this was possible.
Honorable mentions: Kyle Pitts, Pat Freiermuth
Tight End Steal
- Player: David Njoku
- Team: Cleveland Browns
- Positional Finish (ADP): TE6 (TE10):
Through six weeks, Njoku was the TE22, leading to him being dropped in the majority of leagues. This was a mistake. He then exploded, leading all tight ends from Week 7 onwards by over 20 PPR points. In fact, he outscored all players but 8 quarterbacks, 5 wide receivers, and 1 running back. That is unbelievable production from a guy who was droppable earlier in the year in the lowest-scoring fantasy position. I know LaPorta was drafted later, but Njoku fits the name better because you probably stole him off waivers from the guys who dropped him and probably wanted him back.
Honorable mentions: Sam LaPorta, Cole Kmet, Evan Engram
Tight End Waiver Wire Star
- Player: Trey McBride
- Team: Arizona Cardinals
- Positional Finish (ADP): TE8 (TE30)
There’s a very valid argument to be made for LaPorta here again, but hear me out. Firstly, LaPorta wasn’t free on draft day. He was rostered in the majority of leagues. Heck, by the last week of the pre-season, I was ranking him as my TE13. On the other hand, McBride was available on most waivers after an incipit first five weeks. In fact, by Week 5, he had fewer total points than LaPorta had scored in two separate games. But after that, he caught fire. In fact, he was the TE2 over the second half of the season, falling behind only Njoku. He was the true mid-season waiver star and will be a top option heading into 2024
Honorable mentions: Sam LaPorta, David Njoku, Jake Ferguson
Early 2024 Tight End Sleeper
- Player: Cole Kmet
- Team: Chicago Bears
- Positional Finish (ADP): TE7 (TE14)
In the excitement of all the tight end explosions this year, Kmet fell between the cracks. Amazingly, he’s ranked TE12 in early FantasyPros consensus rankings, behind the likes of Dalton Kincaid and Jake Ferguson. Kmet has massive upside for the coming season, though, as he likely gets a big quarterback upgrade (assuming the Bears don’t trade out of the top spot) and is just quietly already the TE7 in the most recent season. It looks like he’ll be available late in most drafts, making him a superb sleeper pick to keep in mind.
Honorable mentions: Brock Bowers, Darren Waller, Donald Parham
I’ll be back next week with another tight end article, but make sure you hang around and check out the rest of the awesome post-season content on Razzball.
