2025 NFL Tight End Rankings: Week 5

Minnesota stays in Europe and moves to London for a game against Cleveland coming up on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. EDT. Also, before I start talking about the tight end position, I’ll pass on the good news that bye weeks start this week, and a few teams will take off every week between now and Week 14…except for Week 13, Thanksgiving Week in the U.S. This week we’ll need replacements for our Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Tight end notes/injuries:

1. Something to keep an eye on: Steelers TE Darnell Washington vastly out-snapped (48) both Jonnu Smith (13) and Pat Freiermuth (15) against the Vikings. None of the TEs contributed much to the offense: Washington had 3 targets, catching them all for 20 yards; Smith’s line was 3/2/6/0, and Freiermuth wasn’t targeted. Pittsburgh is on bye this week.
2. Washington TE Zach Ertz had a quiet day with QB Marcus Mariota in Atlanta. He was second on the team in targets. QB Jayden Daniels and TE John Bates both returned to full practices on Wednesday, leading up to Week 5 against the Chargers in LA.
3. Atlanta TE Kyle Pitts caught all five of his targets for 70 yards and a TD against Washington.
4. The New Orleans Saints will reportedly open the 21-day window for TE/etc Taysom Hill to return to practice this week. No word on his return to game action yet, but the Saints will have to decide whether to add him to the roster by the end of the window. Week 4 was quiet for Juwan Johnson and the offense as the Saints decided to attack the Bills on the ground. New Orleans kept the game close until Buffalo pulled away with 7:07 left in the game.
5. Bills TE Dalton Kincaid had a quiet day but still hauled in one of his two targets for a 28-yard TD, his 3^rd in four games.
6. Browns QB Joe Flacco has little protection. The Browns pivoting to QB Dillon Gabriel means they’ll have some mobility under center. I’m not likely to move TEs David Njoku and Harold Fannin yet.
7. The Panthers figure to be without TE Ja’Tavion Sanders beyond Week 4 with a high ankle sprain. TE Tommy Tremble tied for the team lead with 8 targets for a team-high 5 receptions and a TD. I’m running to pick him up if I’m desperate, but I also understand that in five seasons, he’s only had 8 targets and 5 receptions – those exact amounts – in one other game. His career highs for a season were the 23 receptions he had for 234 yards in 2024. He has 10 career TDs.
8. Patriots TE Hunter Henry had a quiet Week 4 as QB Drake Maye only threw 17 passes, but he did catch both his targets for 39 yards and a TD.
9. Chargers TE Will Dissly missed his second straight game, and Oronde Gadsden was quiet as the LA offense was inefficient in the passing game.
10. Giants TE Theo Johnson caught his first TD pass of 2025 but otherwise has 9 receptions on 15 targets for 66 yards in 2025. He may be a stash, and the Week 5 matchup in New Orleans may look tempting, but after that, the Giants have a Thursday game vs. the Eagles, followed by games in Denver and Philadelphia.
11. The Eagles spelled TE Dallas Goedert for 14 snaps with Cameron Latu (9 snaps) and Kyren Granson (5 snaps). I presume Goedert still has at least some soreness from the knee injury that kept him out of Week 2. Goedert caught all four of his targets for 37 yards and both of QB Jalen Hurts’ TD passes.
12. Tampa Bay TE Cade Otton tied his season highs with 4 targets and 3 receptions, but only had 9 yards.
13. Titans TE Chig Okonkwo is a victim of his offense. They have a decent matchup at Arizona as the Cards are the 12^th-highest in points allowed to TEs, but I don’t think the Cards will hesitate to try and dial up the pressure on Cam Ward.
14. Texans TE Dalton Schultz remains a reliable source for 6-9 PPR points per game. He’s a floor play if you’re well off for the rest of your lineup. He’s currently TE19, but the Texans are 23^rd in passing YPG and 27^th in passing TDs with 4. RB Woody Marks has as many red zone targets (1) as Schultz; even WR Nico Collins only has 4.
15. Colts TE Tyler Warren is TE 4 for the season through four games. He’s set-it-and-forget-it despite being somewhat hampered by a toe injury in Week 3 and finishing TE 23. The other three weeks, he was TE3, TE7, and TE2.
16. None of the Rams TEs are a current fantasy consideration, unless you want to bet on a TD in a GPP in daily. Pick your poison. Tyler Higbee did not practice this week leading up to the Thursday night game vs. the 49ers, and is doubtful for the game.
17. Jaguars TE Brenton Strange is currently TE14 for the season and is 9^th in targets with 23. The primary factor holding Strange back from TE 1 territory is a lack of red zone opportunities. TE Hunter Long has had 7 targets all season, 3 of them have been in the red zone, and Long has 2 TDs. He’s listed as an inch taller than Strange, but he’s limited.
18. TE George Kittle is not the only tight end who can score TDs for the 49ers: Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell have both scored since Kittle went out early in Week 1. Kittle still doesn’t have a return date, and Tonges is doing a fair Kittle impression: lower volume (12 receptions on 16 targets), but a YPC of 10.4 and 2 TDs. He’s currently TE 15 in PPR.
19. Ravens TE Isaiah Likely returned in Week 4 and played 25 snaps but had no targets. The Chiefs were happy to let Mark Andrews have targets (8) and receptions (7), but for only 30 yards. There will be better days for both.
20. The days of the Chiefs’ offense funneling through Travis Kelce appear to be over, but I believe the return of WR Xavier Worthy lifted the entire offense. Kelce is currently TE13 and 10^th in targets. He’s still a target in the red zone as he’s tied for 6^th among tight ends with 4.
21. Bears TE Colston Loveland missed the game in Las Vegas with a hip injury. Cole Kmet led the team with 9 targets but only caught 3 for 46 yards. The Bears are on bye in Week 5.
22. Brock Bowers had 5 receptions on 6 targets for 46 yards on a day the Raiders leaned on RB Ashton Jeanty. Bowers still doesn’t look 100% to me, but he does look more like himself. Michael Mayer missed Week 4 with a concussion, but got in a limited practice on Wednesday ahead of Week 5.
23. Packers TE Tucker Kraft hauled in all 5 of his targets for 56 yards and played 79 of the 83 offensive snaps Green Bay had in Dallas. He’s a locked-in TE1 that may occasionally disappoint in an offense that distributes the ball among many targets.
24. Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson continued his resurgent season by catching all 7 of his targets for 40 yards and his first TD of 2025. He currently sports a line of 39/34/223/1 and is the current top overall tight end in PPR leagues with 62.3 points. With CeeDee Lamb out, Ferguson has been a top-2 target for the Cowboys.
25. Jets TE Mason Taylor enters fantasy relevance with a 7/5/65/0 line on Monday night. He played 51 of 63 snaps in the game, but did tweak his ankle. We’ll watch his status on practice participation reports. He’s had 13 targets and 9 receptions in the last two games.
26. Dolphins TE Darren Waller made his delayed return to the field and made a splash with 2 TD receptions, albeit on 4 targets and 3 receptions in 16 snaps. QB Tua Tagovailoa looked for the 6’6” Waller in the end zone as he is immediately Miami’s tallest target. Here’s hoping Waller ramps up his game participation, but at least he’s already a TD-or-bust option in fantasy. I like Darren Waller. This makes me smile.
27. Bengals TE Noah Fant missed Week 4 with a concussion. Mike Gesicki was a non-factor.
28. Broncos TE Evan Engram had his best game of 2025 with a 7/4/29/0 line, but only played 43% of the snaps (35 of 81). I know we drafted him highly, but I can’t start him right now. Adam Trautman out-snapped Engram 42-to-35, and Nate Adkins played 34 snaps. When healthy, Engram is the pass-catching option, but is not participating enough to trust in fantasy.

Indirectly:

1. Despite a good fantasy game, Vikings QB Carson Wentz did not have a good game IRL as the Vikings fell to 2-2. They entered the game without LG Donovan Jackson, then lost C Ryan Kelly (concussion) and RT Brian O’Neill (knee) during the game. The practice participation reports leading up to the game vs. Cleveland will be important. The Browns are not a team to be missing three starting O-linemen against.
2. RB Jaylen Warren (knee) was a last-minute scratch against the Vikings, and WR Calvin Austin (shoulder) left the game and was taken to a local hospital to have it examined. The Steelers come back to the U.S. for their bye week in Week 5. In Austin’s absence, RB Kenneth Gainwell had 25 touches for 134 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns.
3. QB Jayden Daniels, WR Terry McLaurin, and WR Noah Brown missed the Falcons game for the Commanders. Daniels returned to a full practice on Wednesday, but McLaurin and Brown are still not practicing.
4. The Falcons QB Michael Penix had one of his best days as a pro. Atlanta did lose WR Darnell Mooney to a hamstring injury. He’ll have the bye in Week 5 to try to recover.
5. The Saints lost RG Cesar Ruiz to an ankle injury during the game on Sunday. He could be out for a few weeks. In a game the Saints ran 34 times, Alvin Kamara was still the lead RB, but Kendre Miller contributed 11 carries for 65 yards and a TD in 21 snaps.
6. The Browns’ offense continues to be in tough spots without their starting OTs Dewand Jones (knee – out for the season) and Tyler Conklin (elbow). Conklin hasn’t played since Week 1. Cleveland acquired OT Cam Robinson from Houston Tuesday. WR Cedric Tillman injured his hamstring after 15 snaps on Sunday and will be placed on IR. WRs Isaiah Bond and Jamari Thrash are now starters. The Browns change to Gabriel is a possible boost to Bond as they likely had backup reps together. Gabriel has some mobility; arm strength is a question. We’ll see if Cleveland goes with a heavy run/short passing offense Sunday in London against Minnesota.
7. Detroit will continue using the run as long as they can, and that is unlikely to change Sunday in Cincinnati. The Lions are mostly healthy on offense.
8. The Panthers scored first in Foxboro. And last. In between, there was little sign of the team that dominated Atlanta in Charlotte. The Panthers lost WR David Moore and RG Chandler Zavala. They’ll both go on IR this week.
9. Chargers QB Justin Herbert completed 23 of 41 attempts for only 200 yards. RG Mekhi Becton missed the game with a concussion, and LT Joe Alt (ankle) left the game in the first quarter and did not return. The Chargers’ O-line had trouble with the Giants’ front seven after that. Becton had a limited practice on Wednesday while Alt was a DNP.
10. Giants QB Jaxson Dart made his first start. After a three-and-out by the Chargers, Dart led the Giants on a 9-play, 89-yard drive for a touchdown and called his own number on three of the final four plays for 28 yards, including a 15-yard score. Nearly as importantly, the Giants only had one three-and-out and led a 6-play drive that took 2:34 of the remaining 2:52 on the clock, giving the Chargers the ball back with 0:18 left in the game. He hurt his hamstring and missed a couple of plays to get checked out for a head injury, but New York got a much-needed win. Having LT Andrew Thomas back at full strength was a great benefit, but they lost WR Malik Nabers for the season with an ACL injury. WR Jalin Hyatt is the presumptive WR3. RB Tyrone Tracy missed Week 4 and is not expected back for Week 5.
11. Eagles RT Lane Johnson entered the game in Tampa with a neck injury and added a shoulder injury. He practiced on Wednesday but was limited.
12. WR Chris Godwin returned for the Buccaneers and was heavily targeted with 10, but those only translated to 3 receptions for 26 yards. Godwin and Baker Mayfield will have better days. RB Bucky Irving is dealing with a lower leg injury – it’s unclear if it’s a foot or ankle – and was reported sporting crutches and a walking boot at Wednesday’s practice. Rachaad White and Sean Tucker will presumably assume duties if Irving is out. WR Mike Evans is likely to miss a few more weeks with a hamstring injury.
13. The Titans had two solid drives in the first half in Houston that resulted in missed field goals. The second half might have looked different if they had gone in tied, but we’ll never know. RT JC Latham has not played since Week 1, and neither John Ojukwu nor Olisaemeka Udoh has been adequate. Cam Ward has been sacked 17 times; with an average time to throw of 2.96 seconds, he’s responsible for at least some of those. WR Calvin Ridley missed nearly half the Week 4 snaps with knee and elbow injuries and did not practice Wednesday. RB Tyjae Spears (ankle) should have his practice window opened this week but is unlikely to be activated for Week 5.
14. As one-sided as the Texans’ win Sunday was, they did not begin to pull away until a 13-play drive began with 7:46 left in the third quarter that culminated in a TD with 0:05 gone in the fourth quarter.
15. The Colts gave the Rams a battle in LA and led until 3:20 left when the Rams completed an 11-play, 83-yard drive to tie the game. The game might have had a different outcome if WR Adonai Mitchell had not fumbled out of the end zone on the way to what could have been a 76-yard touchdown on the Colts’ first drive of the second half, then held on what would have been a 53-yard Jonathan Taylor touchdown run that would have given the Colts a 26-20 lead with 2:15 left. Instead, the Colts punted with 1:51 left in the game. The Colts were missing WR Alec Pierce (concussion) and OL Matt Goncalves (toe). Pierce practiced in full and Goncalves was limited on Wednesday.
16. Rams OT Rob Havenstein (ankle) did not practice this week leading up to the game Thursday vs. San Francisco and is listed as doubtful.
17. The Jaguars used the running game, defense, and special teams to win in San Francisco. RB Travis Etienne continues to thrive in the Coen/Waldron offense, and the Jags ran for 151 yards on 32 carries. The defense turned the 49ers over 4 times, and WR Parker Washington returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown.
18. The 49ers lost ugly against the Jags, and I didn’t like what I saw from QB Brock Purdy: his toe is clearly bothering him, and he was having trouble stepping into his throws; the ball was sailing high on him all day. WRs Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall are taking a beating. They are all out vs. the Rams. QB Mac Jones will start.
19. Speaking of ugly losses, the Ravens not only lost the game, but QB Lamar Jackson suffered a hamstring injury and did not return after being sacked with about 8 minutes left in the third quarter. Reports are conflicting, but there is concern he could miss the Week 5 game against Houston and perhaps more. QB Cooper Rush will start if Jackson is unable to go. The defense is devastated with injuries, the offense is clearly missing FB Patrick Ricard, and LT Ronnie Stanley was only able to play 16 snaps in Week 4. Star LB Roquan Smith also left with a hamstring injury and is expected to miss a few weeks. None of the above players practiced Wednesday for Baltimore.
20. Despite a (relatively) slow start to the season, the Chiefs turned in a great performance against the beat-up Ravens to even their record at 2-2. The game was never really competitive after the Chiefs scored a TD 3:09 into the second half to take a 27-10 lead. The defense gave up 360 yards, but critically held the Ravens to 3 of 10 on third downs and 1 of 4 on fourth downs. The running game still seems to be an issue, as the RBs combined for just 78 yards on 24 carries against a team with a decimated front seven.
21. The Bears rode four turnovers by the Raiders and four Cairo Santos field goals to a win in Las Vegas. It was a meh day for the offense, but WR Rome Odunze’s star continues to ascend. They’ll use the bye week to try to get RT Darnell Wright back, as well as Loveland.
22. I can’t imagine the Raiders’ team meetings will be pleasant heading to Week 5 in Indianapolis. They were 2-of-9 on third and fourth downs, committed four turnovers, and had a last-gasp field goal blocked. It’s amazing they only lost by 25-24. They’ve lost three in a row, and they lost LT Kolton Miller (ankle) to IR for at least a few weeks.
23. The Packers played in, to my mind, the game of the year so far on Sunday night. It was not perfect, but the example I’ll hold forth is Micah Parsons chasing down Cowboys QB Dak Prescott on their overtime drive and making a shoestring tackle to save a touchdown. It showed up as a sack for zero yards in the box score. The Packers made some curious decisions in the last minute of OT before settling for the tie. WR Romeo Doubs had an 8/6/58/3 line, and RB Josh Jacobs had 26 touches for 157 scrimmage yards and 2 TDs. If you haven’t watched that game, do; if you have, watch it again. At 40-40, it was the second-highest scoring tie in league history; the highest was 43-43 in 1964 in the AFL between the Raiders and Patriots. The Packers will have the bye week to get OL Anthony Belton, Aaron Banks, and Zach Tom healthy.
24. On the other side, the Cowboys played their best game of 2025. There were lead changes on every second-half drive after the Cowboys punted on the opening possession. But the momentum shifted earlier after the Packers took a 13-0 lead and Cowboys S Juanyeh Thomas blocked GB K Brandon McManus’ PAT attempt; Cowboys S Markquese Bell caught the carom on the fly and returned it for Dallas’ first two points. George Pickens, in my mind, had his best game in the NFL with an 11/8/134/2 line that included a ridiculous contorting catch with two defenders on him on the sideline at the Packers’ one-yard line with 0:48 left in the first half that set up the first of two TDs the Cowboys had in the last minute of the first half. The Cowboys had not had a tie since 1969. They lost RB Miles Sanders (knee/ankle) early in the first half and OT Tyler Guyton to a concussion. Guyton joins the other Tylers, Smith and Booker that the Cowboys have on the OL as questionable for Week 5. I’m going to guess that’s an NFL first. None of them practiced on Wednesday.
25. The Jets have lost RB Braelon Allen to a knee injury suffered on a kickoff return in the second quarter against the Dolphins. He will reportedly go on IR and will be out at least four games after that.
26. The Dolphins won their first game of the season on Monday, but lost WR Tyreek Hill for this season and potentially into the 2026 season due to a dislocated knee. They signed Cedrick Wilson for roster depth off the Saints’ practice squad. Wilson should fit in easily, as he was with the team in 2022 and 2023. He is unlikely to practice or play in Week 5. Jaylen Waddle, Malik Washington, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine appear to be the starters.
27. The Bengals are getting pummeled on offense the last two weeks, and I don’t think a visit from Detroit is the cure. Their O-line has been inadequate, and Jake Browning is not the mobile QB that would fit behind it. As recently as Sunday, we could not imagine sitting Ja’Marr Chase when asked about him on our start/sit show: after an 8/5/23/0 line in Denver, I’m looking at the other options when asked. He’s been the WR41 and the WR53 the last two weeks. Joe Burrow’s case as “Best Player on IR in 2025” seems secure.

These rankings are for Week 5 games ONLY. If you want to speak about them, hit me up in the COMMENTS, which is also where I will post updates on Fridays.

These rankings are for base PPR leagues: 1 point per reception, 1 point for 10 yards rushing/receiving, 6 points per touchdown, and -2 points per fumble lost. No premiums or bonuses.

I’ll give player, player’s team, opponent this week, home or road game (H/R), day of game, time of game (early (E), late (L), or night (N)), opponent’s 2025 rank vs. tight ends, current projected team total per ESPNBET, PPR points per game (PPG), PPR PPG scoring rank for the season (Sc Rk), and percent rostered per FantasyPros (Rost %).

Be sure to check out the latest tools on Razzball.com: Slot vs. Wide PPG Allowed | WR Slot vs. Wide| DEF Targets Allowed | Home vs. Away | Wins vs. Losses | TD Tool | RB Zone vs. Gap Rushing | DEF Zone vs. Gap Rushing |

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!

THE TOP 30

While you’re here, check out more fantasy goodness at Razzball. Follow me on Twitter/X and BlueSky @crewser128.

Like and subscribe for more fantasy football content on YouTube @RazzballFantasy. Join us for our weekday shows and our weekly Sunday start/sit shows, where we take questions during the Fantasy Football season for two hours starting at 11:00 a.m. EDT. The “we” is (name/Twitter handle) Sky Guasco/@SkyGuasco, Derek Favret/@Derek_Favret, Matt Stiles/@stiles08, Jeff Kezar/Jefferson__21, and me.

Don’t forget to drop a comment or question down below.