Week 1 Fantasy TE Rankings
Shiner’s Thoughts
1. Brock Bowers
Last year was a tough season for Bowers as he was riddled with injuries. Still, he managed to make the Pro Bowl and was still semi-productive for the Raiders. For that reason alone, I have him at the top of the Week 1 fantasy football rankings. It also helps that he’s going up against what could be the worst defense in the NFL this year. I believe that Bowers is going to feast on the Dolphins defense & put up monster numbers.
2. Trey McBride
It was difficult for me to pick between McBride & Bowers for the Week 1 top TE. Only reason I put McBride at 2 is because of the Charger’s pass defense. It’ll definitely be better than the Dolphins, so we’ll see how McBride does against them. McBride is the focal point of the Cardinals offense, but with a new HC we’ll see how they change up the offense. But I think McBride will continue to be one of the top fantasy TEs this year.
3. Coleston Loveland
A lot of people are very high on Loveland this year, and I’m one of them. Loveland was making a ton of plays last year, and with another year in Ben Johnson’s offense, he’s going to continue doing so. In Week 1, he’s going up against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers were middle of the pack last year when it came to their defense. Will we see an improvement? Who knows, but I believe after last year, Coleston Loveland has and will become a focal point in this Bears offense.
4. Tucker Kraft
Tucker Kraft was having a monster 2025 season before going down with a torn ACL in week 9. After recovering all offseason, Tucker Kraft is hoping to regain the magic from 2025 and continue to be a dominant redzone threat for the Packers. There are obvious injury concerns as he’s coming back from a torn ACL, but from how he’s been doing in practice there shouldn’t be any concerns.
5. Tyler Warren
One of the top rookie TEs going into the 2025 season, Warren had a decent start to his career. His talent was obvious, but once Daniel Jones was out for the year, his fantasy output drop-off was noticeable. If Warren wants to build off of last year, then he needs to hope that Jones can remain healthy this year. In Week 1, Warren is going up against a Ravens defense that was awful last year, but with a new coaching staff it’s possible they are way better.
6. Sam LaPorta
LaPorta had a down year last year that was riddled with injuries, but if he can stay healthy this year, he should be able to increase the fantasy output that he had in 2025. The Lions offense wasn’t as good last year since OC Ben Johnson left for the Chicago. Even with a bad 2025 season, LaPorta is always a safe bet in fantasy football.
7. George Kittle
A fantasy TE legend, George Kittle is back for another fantasy football season. It was shaky for him as there was a chance he would end up on the IR to start the season. Things are looking good as he should be able to play in Week 1. With Mike Evans and Deebo Samual the only viable WRs on the 49ers (besides CMC) Kittle will once again be the focal point of the 49ers offense.
8. Dallas Goedert
Dallas Goedert is one of those players that you forget how long they’ve actually been in the league. It’s crazy that he’s been in the league for 8 years and was drafted in 2017. Goedert was a TD machine in 2025, scoring 11 touchdowns, and this year he’ll have more targets as A.J Brown is gone. There’s no telling if he’ll come anywhere close to those touchdown numbers, but with the WR1 gone from Philly, Goedert is in line for more fantasy output than ever before.
9. Harold Fannin Jr.
When I saw Fannin play at Bowling Greene, I knew this guy was going to be one of the next best TEs in the NFL. Last year he was the best (in my opinion) rookie TE from last year’s draft. While the QB situation in Cleveland is nowhere near good, he still produced good numbers in 2025. I believe that he takes the next step and is in line for a breakout fantasy season. The only reason he’s this low on my list is because of the QBs in Cleveland.
10. Kyle Pitts Sr.
The man who in his career has scored 1 more touchdown each season, Kyle Pitts is hoping to continue that streak and possibly get more TDs than ever before. In an offense that has no clue who will be the starting QB by the end of the season, Pitts rounds out the top 10 fantasy TEs for week 1. Every year Kyle Pitts shows improvement, will that trend continue for the 2026 season?
