2022 Fantasy Football: Week 2 Tight End Rankings

Travis Kelce started the 2022 NFL season off with a bang, catching eight passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. His performance led the position in Week 1 and marked the 30th time he received more than 100 yards in a game. Rob Gronkowski (32) and Tony Gonzalez (31) are the only other tight ends to accomplish this feat, and Kelce will likely surpass both this season. Kelce is one of the most reliable tight ends in the game and is my top option in my Week 2 Tight End rankings.

Both O.J. Howard and Taysom Hill surprised last week with top-3 finishes. However, neither are consistent weekly options. Howard only played on 14.6% of the Texans’ passing plays, while Hill only played on 10%.

On the injury front, George Kittle failed to suit up in Week 1 due to a groin injury.  Be sure to monitor his status throughout the week.

Week 2 Tight End Notes

• Dalton Schultz played 100% of snaps in Week 1 and ran a route on 93.4% of pass plays. Additionally, his nine targets were tied for second-most on the team. Cooper Rush will be taking over quarterback duties in Dallas, and Schultz will likely be his security blanket. He’s the one receiving option who shouldn’t be downgraded.
• Gerald Everett finished as the TE4 in Week 1, catching three-of-four passes for 54 yards and a touchdown. He gets a short week this week, but has a plus matchup in an expected shoot-out against the Kansas City Chiefs. He could also see a bump in volume with Keenan Allen likely out this week. I’m high on Everett this week, and expect him to make some noise as my TE8.
• Tyler Higbee has a favorable matchup this week against the Falcons. He plays in the Rams’ high-octane offense and saw 11 targets last week – second only to Cooper Kupp’s 15 targets. Higbee and Pat Freiermuth were the only tight ends with double-digit targets in Week 1. He’s a TE1 this week.
• Don’t panic over Dawson Knox. His Week 1 stat line isn’t pretty (one reception for five yards), but he played 86.2% of snaps. He was also heavily used as a blocker against the Rams’ pass-rush defense. The Bills have a high-powered offense and Knox will benefit. Hold steady.
• Tyler Conklin and Juwan Johnson could be worthy dart throws this week. Conklin finished as the TE10 in Week 1. He only had 14 receiving yards on the day, but he was targeted seven times and caught a touchdown. Johnson ran a route on 80% of pass plays and his five targets were third-most on the team.
• Irv Smith Jr, Mike Gesicki, and Cole Kmet are fades until their usage gets better. Minnesota is likely being cautious with Smith and his thumb injury, but both he and Gesicki ran routes under 45% of the time in Week 1, and Kmet has been targeted more than five times only once in his last six games going back to 2021. That’s tough to rely on for fantasy purposes.

Week 2 Tight End Rankings

Note: Rankings are based on half-PPR scoring