George Kittle has the green light to return on Sunday, and that’s big for the 49ers. If we’re looking long term, I think he’s the best tight end in the league.
Travis Kelce, it can be argued, is better than Kittle right now. But Kittle might be as good, and he’s four years longer. He’s got more good football left in front of him. If you were in a dynasty format, I would think it would make more sense to select Kittle before Kelce.
It’s a different kind of thinking. On these rankings, I tend to look at what a player is doing right now, and then try to factor in what he’ll be doing for the next few years.
The decision-making gets a little harder when you get down to looking at older tight ends who might give you something right now (think Jimmy Graham, Kyle Rudolph, Jared Cook and Greg Olsen) and compare them with young guys who possibly could develop into something in the future – Adam Trautman, Cole Kmet.
I turn the focus to the dynasty leagues each Saturday, looking at a different position each week. I’ve hit quarterbacks and running backs the last two weeks (those can be accessed by clicking on the “past issues” links). Next week it will be wide receivers.
On these, I’m assuming PPR scoring.
DYNASTY LEAGUE TIGHT ENDS | |||
---|---|---|---|
Rk | Tm | Player | Age |
1. | SF | George Kittle | 27 |
2. | KC | Travis Kelce | 31 |
3. | LV | Darren Waller | 28 |
4. | BAL | Mark Andrews | 24 |
5. | PHI | Zach Ertz | 30 |
6. | DET | T.J. Hockenson | 23 |
7. | LAC | Hunter Henry | 26 |
8. | DEN | Noah Fant | 23 |
9. | ATL | Hayden Hurst | 27 |
10. | MIA | Mike Gesicki | 25 |
11. | NYG | Evan Engram | 26 |
12. | PHI | Dallas Goedert | 25 |
13. | LAR | Tyler Higbee | 28 |
14. | DAL | Dalton Schultz | 24 |
15. | BUF | Dawson Knox | 24 |
16. | TEN | Jonnu Smith | 25 |
17. | NO | Jared Cook | 33 |
18. | CHI | Jimmy Graham | 34 |
19. | CLE | Austin Hooper | 26 |
20. | MIN | Kyle Rudolph | 31 |
21. | PIT | Eric Ebron | 27 |
22. | IND | Mo Alie-Cox | 27 |
23. | TB | O.J. Howard | 26 |
24. | MIN | Irv Smith | 22 |
25. | NO | • Adam Trautman | 23 |
26. | GB | Robert Tonyan | 26 |
27. | SEA | Greg Olsen | 35 |
28. | CIN | Drew Sample | 24 |
29. | TB | Rob Gronkowski | 31 |
30. | CHI | • Cole Kmet | 21 |
31. | NYJ | Chris Herndon | 24 |
32. | IND | Jack Doyle | 30 |
33. | HOU | Darren Fells | 34 |
34. | WAS | Logan Thomas | 29 |
35. | NE | • Devin Asiasi | 23 |
36. | ARI | Dan Arnold | 25 |
37. | LAR | Gerald Everett | 26 |
38. | JAC | Tyler Eifert | 30 |
39. | SEA | Will Dissly | 24 |
40. | HOU | Jordan Akins | 28 |
41. | CAR | Ian Thomas | 25 |
42. | CLE | David Njoku | 24 |
43. | PIT | Vance McDonald | 30 |
44. | IND | Trey Burton | 29 |
45. | GB | Jace Sternberger | 24 |
46. | NYJ | Ryan Griffin | 31 |
47. | BAL | Nick Boyle | 27 |
48. | JAC | James O'Shaughnessy | 28 |
49. | TB | Cameron Brate | 29 |
50. | LV | Foster Moreau | 23 |
—Ian Allan