When ranking fantasy football stars prior to your draft process, sometimes some players are so close in the rankings that it's still tough to decide which one is better. That's when you should group players into tiers. It allows you to see how many high-caliber players, or lack thereof, are still available at a position in your draft, and shows you that this group of players is all on the same level.
Here we are setting our ranking tiers for the tight ends. The position has more talent and is deeper than it has ever been. Which makes these tiers even more important in 2026 than in years past.
Tier 1
These are the two elite studs, who will be the top two tight ends off the board in almost every draft. How you rank them depends on preference, but they are both in the same tier.
Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
