Below are our updated Week 5 tight end rankings for full-PPR scoring. Each projection factors in DraftKings team totals, opponent matchup data and depth chart snap shares across the full slate.
Week 5 TE Rankings
Rankings are for full-PPR scoring.
Opp Rank = opponent ranking in DK fantasy points allowed to the position (1st = toughest, 32nd = most generous), blending 2025 full-season data with limited 2026 results.
Projected points blend 2025 per-game DK fantasy averages with 2026 weekly performance, adjusted for opponent matchup, game environment, snap share and expected game script.
| Rank | Player | Matchup | Last Week | Projected | Opp Rank | DK Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trey McBride | ARI vs. DET | 10.1 | 20.1 | 32nd | $6,700 |
| 2 | Brock Bowers † | LV @ NE | 20.6 | 19.8 | 1st | $7,000 |
| 3 | George Kittle | SF @ SEA | 17.0 | 16.6 | 10th | $5,200 |
| 4 | Sam LaPorta | DET @ ARI | 22.4 | 15.9 | 28th | $4,900 |
| 5 | T.J. Hockenson | MIN @ NO | 27.9 | 12.3 | 25th | $4,800 |
| 6 | Juwan Johnson | NO vs. MIN | 11.9 | 11.4 | 2nd | $4,500 |
| 7 | Harold Fannin Jr. | CLE @ NYJ | 11.7 | 11.4 | 14th | $4,400 |
| 8 | Tyler Warren | IND @ PIT | 9.1 | 11.1 | 16th | $5,000 |
| 9 | Dalton Kincaid | BUF @ LAR | 1.7 | 11.0 | 4th | $6,600* |
| 10 | Tucker Kraft | GB vs. CHI | 16.5 | 10.9 | 5th | $4,700 |
| 11 | Dalton Schultz | HOU @ TEN | 2.9 | 10.0 | 15th | $4,000 |
| 12 | Kenyon Sadiq | NYJ vs. CLE | 0.0 | 9.5 | 21st | $3,800 |
| 13 | Brenton Strange | JAX vs. PHI | 16.5 | 9.0 | 3rd | $5,600* |
| 14 | Dallas Goedert † | PHI @ JAX | — | 11.7 | 8th | $6,200* |
| 15 | Tyler Higbee | LAR vs. BUF | 11.7 | 8.5 | 7th | $4,400* |
| 16 | Mike Gesicki | CIN @ MIA | 13.0 | 8.3 | 30th | $4,100 |
| 17 | Pat Freiermuth | PIT vs. IND | 10.7 | 8.3 | 19th | $3,900 |
| 18 | Isaiah Likely † | NYG @ WAS | 13.6 | 9.2 | 27th | $4,300 |
| 19 | Hunter Henry | NE vs. LV | 11.2 | 8.3 | 24th | $3,700 |
| 20 | Michael Mayer | LV @ NE | 16.2 | 8.2 | 1st | $3,500 |
| 21 | Mark Andrews | BAL @ ATL | 13.7 | 8.2 | 20th | $6,400* |
| 22 | AJ Barner | SEA vs. SF | 2.2 | 7.1 | 9th | $3,200 |
| 23 | Colston Loveland | CHI @ GB | 11.7 | 6.8 | 11th | $4,600 |
| 24 | Oronde Gadsden II | LAC vs. DEN | 8.8 | 6.8 | 17th | $3,600 |
| 25 | Kyle Pitts Sr. | ATL vs. BAL | 7.7 | 5.8 | 13th | $4,800* |
| 26 | Darnell Washington | PIT vs. IND | 11.7 | 5.7 | 19th | $2,900 |
| 27 | Evan Engram | DEN @ LAC | 1.6 | 5.1 | 6th | $2,800 |
| 28 | Noah Fant † | NO vs. MIN | — | 7.6 | 2nd | $3,000 |
| 29 | Elijah Higgins | ARI vs. DET | 9.9 | 5.0 | 32nd | $2,700 |
| 30 | Greg Dulcich | MIA vs. CIN | 0.0 | 4.8 | 29th | $3,100 |
* Salaries marked with an asterisk are FLEX prices from DraftKings Showdown contests, which use a Captain/FLEX format with different salary structures than the Sunday Main classic slate. The London morning game, Sunday Night and Monday Night games are not part of the Sunday Main slate.
† Designations have not been released.
Injuries to Monitor
- Brock Bowers † (Knee): Upgraded to a full participant Thursday after a limited session Wednesday. The trend points toward a normal workload in New England.
- Dallas Goedert † (Knee, MCL sprain): Limited Wednesday and Thursday, his first practice work since the Week 2 injury, after missing the past two games. He is ranked below his projection because a return in London is not yet confirmed.
- Isaiah Likely † (Knee, groin): Limited Wednesday and Thursday after playing in Week 4. Friday’s practice report will show whether he carries a full complement of routes into Washington.
- Noah Fant † (Abdomen): Limited Wednesday and Thursday after being inactive in Week 4. He is ranked well below his projection until he plays through the injury, with Juwan Johnson the clear first option in New Orleans.
DraftKings DFS Value Plays
Sam LaPorta ($4,900) — Lions @ Cardinals
Game environment: Lions -5.5, O/U 54.5 (30.5 team total)
Last week: 22.4 DK points @ CAR
2025 PPG: 11.9 DK fantasy points (9 games)
Projected DraftKings points: 15.9
LaPorta projects as the TE4 but costs less than every tight end ranked above him, which is the core of the value. Detroit carries the highest team total on the board at 30.5, tied with the Rams, and Arizona has allowed 18.6 DK points per game to tight ends this season, the sixth-most in the league. He sits atop the depth chart in the slate’s highest-scoring projected offense, so his touchdown equity is higher than his salary implies. Last week’s 22-point game in Carolina shows the ceiling is still there.
T.J. Hockenson ($4,800) — Vikings @ Saints
Game environment: Vikings -2.5, O/U 41.5 (22.5 team total)
Last week: 27.9 DK points vs. MIA
2025 PPG: 7.5 DK fantasy points (15 games)
Projected DraftKings points: 12.3
Josh Oliver’s season-ending biceps injury leaves Hockenson as the only tight end in Minnesota with a real receiving role, and he played 76 percent of the snaps in Week 4. Justin Jefferson (ankle) and Jordan Addison (hamstring) were both limited Wednesday and Thursday, so the Vikings could lean on their tight end more than usual. New Orleans has allowed 18.7 DK points per game to tight ends this season, fifth-most in the league. At $4,800, he is priced below Tyler Warren and Dalton Kincaid while projecting ahead of both.
Mike Gesicki ($4,100) — Bengals @ Dolphins
Game environment: Bengals -6.5, O/U 42.5 (25.5 team total)
Last week: 13.0 DK points vs. JAX
2025 PPG: 5.4 DK fantasy points (13 games)
Projected DraftKings points: 8.3
This is a tournament play built on matchup and receiver injuries rather than a secure snap share. Miami has allowed more DK points per game to tight ends than every defense except Detroit and Kansas City, and Cincinnati’s 25.5 team total is tied for the third-highest on the slate. Ja’Marr Chase remains in the concussion protocol, and Tee Higgins did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, which could funnel extra targets to Gesicki. He has scored at least 12.7 DK points in all three games where he recorded a catch, so he can return value at this salary even while splitting snaps with Drew Sample. The Bengals’ 6.5-point spread is the main risk, since a big lead would reduce passing volume late.