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Ranking fantasy TEs by tier

LANDOVER, MD - JANUARY 10: Tight end Jordan Reed #86 of the Washington Redskins scores a second quarter touchdown past strong safety Micah Hyde #33 of the Green Bay Packers during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at FedExField on January 10, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

We’ve talked tiers at the quarterback, running back and wide receiver positions (catch up here). Now let’s get into the tight end tiers. Like quarterback, the value at the position is clustered in the middle and later rounds of the draft. It doesn’t make a ton of sense spending an early pick on tight end this season.

Tier 1 – Rounds 2-5

Rob Gronkowski, Patriots
Jordan Reed, Redskins
Greg Olsen, Panthers

In the wide receiver tiers article, I talked about the Big Three of Antonio Brown, Julio Jones and Odell Beckham Jr. We also have a Big Three at tight end this season. Unlike last year, where Gronkowski was alone on an island as the sole top-tier fantasy option, the pack has somewhat caught up. Reed actually outscored Gronk on a per-opportunity basis last season. He’s the clear No. 2 fantasy option at tight end this season and is a threat to finish as the scoring leader at the position.

Olsen doesn’t offer as high a fantasy ceiling as Gronk or Reed, but his extremely high floor makes him a safe top-end option. That being said, the value cost of these three players may be a little too much to justify on draft day considering the middle-round depth at the position.

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