For those in leagues combining wide receivers and tight ends into one “receiver” position, where do you take those first tight ends? How do guys like George Kittle and Travis Kelce stack up against the best wide receivers.

Some tight ends will catch plenty of balls. Kittle (pictured), Kelce and Zach Ertz are in that group. Darren Waller caught 90 balls last year.

But there are a lot of quality wide receivers, and those guys tend to get downfield for more chunk plays.

In the last 20 years, only 12 tight ends have finished with top-10 numbers. That’s using PPR scoring. And only 39 have finished with top-20 production (an average of about two per year).

They’ve been on the upswing recently. In the last two years, six tight ends have finished with top-20 production (when compared to wide receivers).

TIGHT ENDS FINISHING WITH TOP-20 NUMBERS (last 20 yrs)
YearPlayerRecYdsTDPPRRk
2011Rob Gronkowski, N.E.901,32718330.93
2013Jimmy Graham, N.O.861,21516303.57
2018Travis Kelce, K.C.1031,33610296.69
2011Jimmy Graham, N.O.991,31011296.04
2018Zach Ertz, Phil.1161,1638280.311
2009Dallas Clark, Ind.1001,10610271.78
2004Tony Gonzalez, K.C.1021,2587270.39
2000Tony Gonzalez, K.C.931,2039267.311
2014Rob Gronkowski, N.E.821,12412266.410
2008Tony Gonzalez, K.C.961,05810261.88
2005Antonio Gates, S.D.891,10110259.110
2018George Kittle, S.F.881,3775258.715
2019Travis Kelce, K.C.971,2296256.38
2015Rob Gronkowski, N.E.721,17611255.613
2004Antonio Gates, S.D.8196413255.412
2007Jason Witten, Dall.961,1457252.512
2009Vernon Davis, S.F.7896513252.513
2010Jason Witten, Dall.941,0029250.29
2015Jordan Reed, Was.8795211248.216
2007Tony Gonzalez, K.C.991,1725246.213
2015Delanie Walker, Ten.941,0886244.418
2009Antonio Gates, S.D.791,1578242.715
2015Gary Barnidge, Cle.791,0439237.319
2012Jimmy Graham, N.O.859829237.217
2017Travis Kelce, K.C.831,0388235.510
2012Tony Gonzalez, Atl.939308234.018
2014Jimmy Graham, N.O.8588910233.915
2012Jason Witten, Dall.1101,0393231.919
2007Antonio Gates, S.D.759849227.420
2017Rob Gronkowski, N.E.691,0848227.412
2018Eric Ebron, Ind.6675014224.219
2014Antonio Gates, S.D.6982112223.120
2019Darren Waller, Oak.901,1453223.020
2016Travis Kelce, K.C.851,1254223.018
2003Tony Gonzalez, K.C.7191610222.617
2009Brent Celek, Phil.769718221.120
2006Antonio Gates, S.D.719249217.419
2011Aaron Hernandez, N.E.799107216.520
2017Zach Ertz, Phil.748248204.419

—Ian Allan