2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends 11-20

Robert Tonyan was a touchdown machine in 2020, catching 11 scores from the MVP. Tonyan doesn’t have much experience, so he should continue to get better. That said, Aaron Rodgers’ potential departure would kill Tonyan’s fantasy outlook.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 58 catches. 650 yards. 8 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 101.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 113.

JULY 28 UPDATE: Aaron Rodgers has agreed to return to the Packers, so he will not be quarterbacking the Broncos this season. That said, Denver could still trade for Deshaun Watson, so all hope isn’t lost for these Bronco skill-position players.

Noah Fant had a strong finish to his second year in which he caught 62 passes for 673 yards and three touchdowns. The scoring must rise for him to be a viable TE1, but that’ll be an easy feat if the Broncos trade for Aaron Rodgers.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 72 catches. 770 yards. 5 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 113.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 185.

Mike Gesicki is coming off his best year, catching 53 passes for 703 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games. Gesicki was much better with Ryan Fitzpatrick, as Tua Tagovailoa struggled mightily in most games.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 53 catches. 650 yards. 6 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 111.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 164.

Rob Gronkowski had a slow start in his first season in Tampa Bay, but finished strong with seven touchdowns. He’ll be in play as a borderline TE1 once again in 2021.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 47 catches. 650 yards. 7 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 107.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 154.

JULY 31 UPDATE: Carson Wentz is out indefinitely due to a foot injury he suffered Thursday. This might just be nothing, but Wentz could have a major issue as well. If you’re drafting this weekend, avoid Wentz, move Jonathan Taylor several spots, and downgrade all the Colts’ receiving threats by 2-3 rounds.

The Colts used three tight ends last year, which really hinders Jack Doyle’s production. He caught just 23 passes in 2020, and that was not a fluke. That said, Carson Wentz loves to utilize tight ends, and Trey Burton is gone, so Doyle could rebound in 2021.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 56 catches. 590 yards. 6 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 105.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 161.

SEPT. 5 UPDATE: Evan Engram’s calf injury appears as though it’ll sidelined him for Week 1, according to the Athletic. Soft-tissue injuries tend to linger, so Engram could miss multiple games.

AUG. 30 UPDATE: Evan Engram, who caught three of his four targets for 22 yards, had to leave the game early with a calf injury. It’s unclear how serious this is, but he was able to walk into the locker room without assistance.

Evan Engram dropped so many passes last year, so his stats (63 catches, 654 yards, one touchdown) could have been better. They’ll improve if Daniel Jones makes a leap in Year 3.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 67 catches. 720 yards. 5 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 102.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 169.

Zach Ertz turns 31 in October, and he may not be in Philadelphia next year because of salary issues. He seems to be slowing down, so he doesn’t appear to be a TE1 anymore.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 56 catches. 620 yards. 5 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 102.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 158.

Blake Jarwin was expected to have a big year, but he was lost for the season in Week 1 to a torn ACL. He’ll be 100 percent by the start of 2021. As long as he and Dak Prescott are healthy, there could be quality production.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 54 catches. 640 yards. 6 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 100.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 154.

Justin Herbert liked throwing to Hunter Henry in his first year, with Henry catching 60 passes for 613 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games. Henry, who won’t be as productive with Cam Newton, has a dubious injury history, so keep that in mind if you draft him.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 60 catches. 630 yards. 5 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 98.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 158.

AUG. 13 UPDATE: Jonnu Smith looked good in his debut for the Patriots. He caught a single pass for 16 yards, but that was an impressive play in which he broke out of a tackle to get the first down. Smith was targeted twice, and while that’s a small sample size, it seems as though Cam Newton will rely on him and Hunter Henry throughout the season.

Jonnu Smith worked out privately with Ryan Tannehill leading up to 2020. Despite this, Smith had just 41 catches for 448 yards, though he caught eight touchdowns. That final figure could regress to the mean in 2021, especially with Hunter Henry taking many of the targets.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 55 catches. 620 yards. 6 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 98.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 153.