Who is the Dynasty Fantasy Football TE1 Right Now?

In dynasty fantasy football leagues, the tight end position can be extremely valuable. From a long-term perspective, having a difference-maker at the TE position like Travis Kelce can give you a very strong advantage over opponents, year in and year out. Today, we’ll be breaking down the top of our fantasy football rankings and diving into who is currently the TE1 in dynasty football leagues.

For the first time in a very long time, the tight end position is brimming with opportunity. The 2023 season gifted us fantasy managers a wide variety of artisanally crafted TE options to choose from. The wealth of options has left dynasty managers scratching their heads as to who is the best overall tight end as they look forward to 2024. Several new tight ends emerged as elite playmakers even in their rookie year. A couple of players found themselves excelling when given the opportunity, so much so that they will most likely remain the number one option on their team. 

Whether it’s still the same familiar names that will hold onto the top spot or some fresh faces to usher in a new era –  dynasty circles have the same question. Who is the TE 1 in dynasty leagues as we head into the 2024 season? Continue reading as I break down some of the potential leaders and land on one top option. 

Dynasty Fantasy Football – Top Tight Ends

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

One of the top candidates for the first overall tight end in dynasty is none other than the 2nd round pick out of Colorado State, Trey McBride. The Cardinals have a true difference-maker at the tight end position, it just is rough from a spectator’s point of view that it took them so long to realize it. His rookie year left a lot to be desired from a second-round draft pick. McBride had a singular touchdown and failed to reach 300 yards in 13 games in 2022. Additionally, being stuck behind Zach Ertz on the depth chart wasn’t a great look either. However, in 2023 Ertz got banged up and opened the door for a new offensive threat in Arizona.

Furthermore, the moment McBride had the opportunity, he took it and ran. In his first game without Ertz in 2023, McBride reeled in 10 catches on 14 targets for almost 100 yards. Additionally, he hauled in a TD in that same game against a stout Ravens defense. From that point, McBride remained a focal point in the Arionza offense. After that, he would go on to record two more games with over 100 yards receiving, finishing the year with 825 yards total on 81 receptions. Most importantly, he has earned the trust of Cardinals QB Kyler Murray. Looking at the rest of the offense in Arizona, it looks like it will be McBride as the number one read in a lot of games in 2024.

Some fantasy football managers might be concerned with McBride’s production next year when the Cardinals inevitably bring in a new wide receiver. The current set of options is not cutting it, and the Cardinals have a chance at an elite prospect sitting at the fourth pick in the draft. There is also a worry about consistency and whether or not this could be a “fluke”. He couldn’t beat out Ertz in the preseason, and he failed to much of anything in his rookie year.

To be frank, these things are easily attributed to some questionable coaching decisions from Arizona. Which will also potentially hinder McBride in the future. He is absolutely a top option at tight end for dynasty teams. Moving forward, managers should feel confident having him on their roster or snapping him up early in start-up dynasty drafts.

T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings

T.J. Hockenson was the number one tight end in fantasy football through the first half of the season. With Kirk Cousins, Hockenson averaged eight targets a game. As expected, he was the second option behind Justin Jefferson and routinely produced TE1 results. At just 26 years old, Hockenson was approaching a 100-catch and 1,000-yard season despite having Joshua Dobbs and Jarren Hall at quarterback. If it weren’t for a season-ending injury, Hockenson would be heading into the 2024 season as the de facto top option for dynasty teams. But as the season played out, there was a hint of hesitation to place the former Lion at the top spot among tight ends.

With the Cousins injury, the Vikings now have a tough call to make for 2024. Cousins does not have a contract heading into the new year and their backups did not impress in their short amount of playing time. Sadly this directly affects a guy like Hockenson. The value of the tight end position is drastically changed based on the QB running the offense. If the Vikings do move on to a rookie or one of the younger backups, Hockenson could struggle to produce for fantasy. If Cousins comes back then we are back in business.

Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

The one player that has toppled Kelce in the past few years, Mark Andrews is a name fantasy managers know and love. Recently, the 28-year-old tight end for the Ravens has been a top option for fantasy managers in every league for the past few years. This year was no different as Andrews was the number two tight end in drafts right behind Kelce. Through 10 games this season, Andrews had six touchdowns and 500 yards – once again on pace for a great fantasy year. However, an injury sidelined the popular tight end in mid-November and cut his season short. A tough break for those managers who relied heavily on Andrews to be a top performer on their roster.

Furthermore, Andrews should easily be a top-5 option in 2024. However, it’s tough to put him as the number one guy among all tight ends in dynasty leagues. Clearly, the Ravens offense is great, and Lamar Jackson is excellent. Unfortunately, the issue here is that Andrews doesn’t need to be the focal point of this offense anymore.

Zay Flowers has emerged as a great young wideout for Jackson and Isiah Likely has stepped up in a big way in the absence of Andrews. Don’t hear what I’m not saying – Andrews will still be a major player on this offense next year. In the scope of dynasty, he just might not be the absolute TE1. However, there’s a case for it.

Who is the Top Tight End in Dynasty Football Leagues

Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

In 2023 we saw a changing of the guard at the tight end position. For the first time in five years, a tight end not named Andrews or Kelce holds the top spot in fantasy scoring this year. New kid on the block Sam LaPorta surprised everyone with his incredible rookie year. In dynasty circles, players knew LaPorta would be a valuable asset, but only a few guessed he would bring immediate fantasy value. But really, could we expect anything less from a prospect out of Iowa?

Despite being just 22 years old he was incredibly involved in this offense. Let’s take a look at this absurd stat line together. In his first year in the NFL LaPorta recorded 86 receptions (breaking the rookie record for tight ends), 889 yards, and 10 touchdowns (tied for fourth most in the league). Additionally, he had 9 games with 5 or more receptions, 14 games with 5 or more targets, and 8 games with 50 or more yards receiving. Notably, he’s averaged a year-long 83% of snaps, good enough for 2nd among all tight ends. 

He was immediately fantasy-relevant from day one. That’s the kind of player dynasty managers need to find multi-year success. LaPorta is tied to a solid quarterback on an explosive offense. He’s carved out an important role for this Lions team and has no competition from the rest of the TEs on the roster. Even with his recent injury, LaPorta is now the tight end 1 in dynasty fantasy football leagues. 

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