Over the past 20 years, the tight end position has become a difference-maker for some fantasy teams. At the same time, there is a draft cost, and all options don’t fit into an impact box. Some tight ends can create a 60- to 100-point edge over many of their competitors during the regular season. In addition, a draft-and-drive tight end eliminates mistakes at the position while other teams throw darts in many weeks. In the fantasy postseason, one elite game by a stud tight end can create enough of a gap to take down an overall prize or league championship. Here’s a look at the top five tight ends during the fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15-17 in 2021; Weeks 14-16 prior to that) over the previous two decades:
1. Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins (2015)
In 2015 fantasy drafts, Reed could have been found well after round 10 in 12-team formats. His career started with 12 missed games over his first two years (45/499/3 and 50/465), so there were questions about whether he could stay healthy enough to play an entire season. Over the first four games in 2015, he caught 24 passes for 278 yards and one score on 34 targets. As anticipated, Reed missed the following two weeks. When the lights went on in the fantasy postseason, he became a fantasy beast for all three matchups (9/120/1, 7/84/2, 9/129/2). His 88.30 fantasy points in PPR leagues rank with some best wide receivers all-time in the fantasy postseason, showing the impact of his success for a tight end.
2. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens (2021)
The success of Andrews last season (107/1,361/9) put him in the 2022 draft conversation over the great Travis Kelce. Over the previous two years, he scored 17 times in his 29 games while ranking below the elite tight ends in catches (64 and 58) and receiving yards (852 and 701). Most fantasy teams winning an overall championship in 2021 had him on their roster. He delivered three dominating games (10/136/2, 8/125/1, 6/89) in the fantasy postseason, leading to 77.00 fantasy points. The Ravens gave Andrews WR1 targets over his final 10 starts (10, 8, 10, 10, 9, 11, 13, 10, 6, 15).
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3. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys (2010)
In the World Championship of Fantasy Football in 2010, I had a seat at the draft next to Tony Windis, who ended up winning the overall title (he never got paid his winnings due to their financial struggles, but that’s another story). As the draft was winding down to me in round 7, I was eyeing Witten. Windis, picking right before me, already had a tight end (Jermichael Finley) on his roster. He sat on the clock for a full minute before doubling down at tight end with Witten -- who finished the year with 94 catches for 1,002 yards and nine touchdowns while delivering a touchdown in all three games of the fantasy postseason (7/69/1, 10/140/1, 8/45/1). Windis beat me in our championship game, leaving me wondering what would have happened if Witten had slid one more draft pick. In 2007, he also had an excellent playoff run (15/138/1, 8/113, 6/53).
4. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs (2020)
Since the arrival of Patrick Mahomes as the Chiefs starting quarterback, Kelce has 478 catches for 6,145 yards and 47 touchdowns over 76 games. He extended his streak with more than 1,000 yards receiving to seven seasons this year. In the fantasy postseason in 2020, Kelce caught 23 of his 25 targets for 302 yards and three scores (71.20 fantasy points). He has been a factor in fantasy points late in the year in three other seasons (2016 – 55.20; 2019 – 60.20; and 2021 – 54.60). Heading into Week 15 in 2022, Kelce has outscored the second-highest tight end (Mark Andrews) by 101.50 fantasy points (7.73 per week). His best postseason game came in 2021 (10/191/2).
5. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts (2008)
In Peyton Manning’s best seasons with the Colts, he had star power at wide receiver (Marvin Harrison – 1,102/14,580/128; and Reggie Wayne – 1,070/14,345/82), helping Clark see favorable coverage on many plays. From 2007-09, he caught 235 of his 341 targets for 2,570 yards and 27 scores. In 2008, Clark had a touchdown in all three games, leading to 69.60 fantasy points (4/29/1, 12/142/1, 8/105/1). He was also the top postseason tight end in 2009 (5/43/3, 7/95/2, 4/53).
Top Five Fantasy Playoff Performances by Position
Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends
Honorable Mention
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams (2019)
The late-season run by Higbee still amazes me considering his previous NFL resume (60 catches for 672 yards and four touchdowns over 48 games). In 2019, he was in the free agent pool as late as Week 12 due to his quiet start to the season (26/212/1) over 10 matchups. Desperate fantasy teams at tight end flocked to him after a surprising game in Week 13 (7/107/1). Over the fantasy postseason, Higbee stood tall with three exceptional showings (7/116, 12/111, 9/104), helping his supporters win plenty of money in the championship weeks.
Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots (2011)
The best two parts of Gronkowski’s game were his ability to score touchdowns (92 over 143 games) and make big plays (15.0 yards per catch) for a tight end. He was a complete beast in 2011 (90/1,327/17), with one highlight game in the fantasy postseason (6/160/2). Gronkowski only had 11 catches for 131 yards and one touchdown in his other two starts, giving him 64.10 fantasy points in PPR formats for the three games. In 2014, he delivered three steady outcomes (8/87/1, 3/96/1, and 6/31/1) while being the best tight end in the fantasy playoffs.
Here is a look at some of the other best games by tight ends over the last 20 seasons:
- 2005 Antonio Gates (13/123/1)
- 2007 Tony Gonzalez (10/137)
- 2008 Visanthe Shiancoe (7/136/2)
- 2011 Jared Cook (8/169/1)
- 2020 Darren Waller (9/150/1)
