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Updated PPR tight end rankings for 2021 fantasy football leagues

We take you through our PPR tight end rankings heading into the 2021 NFL season heading into fantasy football drafts ahead of Preseason Week 3.

New England Patriots tight end Jonnu Smith (81) runs the ball after a catch against the Washington Football Team during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

No surprise here, Chiefs TE Travis Kelce remains to-dog forever and always. Who’s next, though? When looking at potential breakouts at the tight end position, particularly in point-per-reception (PPR) scoring formats, it’s always a good bet to look at those playing on teams with a limited wide receiver corps. Let’s take a look at some players worth noting in our PPR tight end rankings ahead of Week 3 of the preseason.

2021 PPR Fantasy Football rankings: Tight ends

Jonnu Smith has shown some preseason flashes and has returned to practice after suffering a low ankle sprain ahead of Week 2 of the preseason. Keep an eye out for a potential appearance in Week 3 against the Giants, particularly considering the team’s lack of a true alpha WR1 set to demand a significant target share. Smith sits as our TE12 in this edition of our tight end PPR rankings but could make a leap if he continues to show dominance in the receiving game. Hunter Henry is at TE18 entering Week 3 of the preseason, though as he manages a shoulder injury and Smith continues to receive the bulk of the reps with the first team, we ould see him continue to dip in our rankings ahead of the regular season.

Adam Trautman made headlines in Week 2 after being carted off of the field vs. the Jaguars, now set to see a foot specialist to address ongoing pain. The latest news is that he may be set to miss some time for the injury, giving managers further reason to look Marquez Callaway’s way in fantasy football drafts.

Eagles TE Zach Ertz clocks in as our TE24 in this update, but he’s worth continuing to watch as we approach the 2021 NFL regular season. The overall perception is that Ertz is washed, but the fact remains that he’s just one year removed from a top-four finish among tight ends in fantasy football. By all appearances, the Eagles will continue to utilize both him and fellow TE Dallas Goedert in the receiving game, likely making Ertz the better overall value in PPR leagues based on his draft cost.

There will be plenty of tight ends to keep an eye on in Week 3 of the preseason as we continue to learn which teams are leaning on their big-bodied hybrids. Ahead of the action, take a look at our updated PPR tight end rankings for 2021 fantasy football drafts.

PPR Tight end rankings for 2021 fantasy football leagues

Rk Name Team
Rk Name Team
1 Travis Kelce KC
2 George Kittle SF
3 Darren Waller LV
4 Mark Andrews BAL
5 T.J. Hockenson DET
6 Kyle Pitts ATL
7 Logan Thomas WAS
8 Robert Tonyan GB
9 Irv Smith Jr. MIN
10 Noah Fant DEN
11 Mike Gesicki MIA
12 Jonnu Smith NE
13 Tyler Higbee LAR
14 Evan Engram NYG
15 Dallas Goedert PHI
16 Blake Jarwin DAL
17 Jared Cook LAC
18 Hunter Henry NE
19 Hayden Hurst ATL
20 Cole Kmet CHI
21 Rob Gronkowski TB
22 Dawson Knox BUF
23 Austin Hooper CLE
24 Zach Ertz PHI
25 Donald Parham Jr. LAC
26 Eric Ebron PIT
27 Gerald Everett SEA
28 Pat Freiermuth PIT
29 Adam Trautman NO
30 Dan Arnold CAR
31 Anthony Firkser TEN
32 Chris Herndon IV NYJ
33 O.J. Howard TB
34 Tyler Kroft NYJ
35 Jordan Akins HOU
36 Jack Doyle IND
37 Dalton Schultz DAL
38 Jace Sternberger GB
39 Mo Alie-Cox IND
40 Farrod Green IND
41 Foster Moreau LV
42 Albert Okwuegbunam DEN
43 C.J. Uzomah CIN
44 Harrison Bryant CLE
45 Hunter Long MIA
46 David Njoku CLE
47 Cameron Brate TB
48 Geoff Swaim TEN
49 Will Dissly SEA
50 Jimmy Graham CHI
51 Kyle Rudolph NYG
52 Brevin Jordan HOU
53 Drew Sample CIN
54 Ryan Griffin NYJ
55 Jacob Hollister BUF
56 Jacob Harris LAR
57 Tyler Conklin MIN
58 Kahale Warring NE
59 Josh Oliver BAL
60 Ian Thomas CAR
61 Brycen Hopkins LAR
62 Kylen Granson IND
63 Josiah Deguara GB
64 Devin Asiasi NE
65 Darren Fells DET
66 Adam Shaheen MIA
67 Troy Fumagalli NE
68 Colby Parkinson SEA
69 Dalton Keene NE
70 Maxx Williams ARI
71 James O'Shaughnessy JAC
72 Tre' McKitty LAC