2025 Week 16 Fantasy Football Rankings: TE, K, DEF

Kyle Pitts follows up the game of a lifetime, Darren Waller goes in search of touchdowns in a dream Bengals matchup, and Brock Bowers asks the football gods for help with his quarterback situation.

Other positions: Quarterback | Running Back | Receiver

Week 16 Tight Ends

1	Trey McBride	ARI	vs. ATL
2	George Kittle	SF	at IND
3	Kyle Pitts Sr.	ATL	at ARI
4	Harold Fannin Jr.	CLE	vs. BUF
5	Dallas Goedert	PHI	at WAS
6	Travis Kelce	KC	at TEN
7	Brock Bowers	LV	at HOU
8	Colby Parkinson	LAR	at SEA
9	Darren Waller	MIA	vs. CIN
10	Colston Loveland	CHI	vs. GB
11	Dalton Schultz	HOU	vs. LV
12	Theo Johnson	NYG	vs. MIN
13	Tyler Warren	IND	vs. SF
14	Dalton Kincaid	BUF	at CLE
15	Oronde Gadsden II	LAC	at DAL
16	Juwan Johnson	NO	vs. NYJ
17	Jake Ferguson	DAL	vs. LAC
18	Brenton Strange	JAC	at DEN
19	Mark Andrews	BAL	vs. NE
20	Hunter Henry	NE	at BAL
21	AJ Barner	SEA	vs. LAR
22	T.J. Hockenson	MIN	at NYG
23	Isaiah Likely	BAL	vs. NE
24	Gunnar Helm	TEN	vs. KC
25	Mike Gesicki	CIN	at MIA
26	Dawson Knox	BUF	at CLE
27	Chig Okonkwo	TEN	vs. KC
28	Evan Engram	DEN	vs. JAC
29	Cole Kmet	CHI	vs. GB
30	Pat Freiermuth	PIT	at DET
31	Darnell Washington	PIT	at DET
32	Jonnu Smith	PIT	at DET
33	Luke Musgrave	GB	at CHI

TE Notes: There are no holes to poke in Kyle Pitts’ monumental Week 15 performance. He turned gangbusters usage into monster production and did so in style, looking as explosive as he ever has in the open field. He’s a must start. Fantasy managers just need to remember he’s never had to fight Drake London for looks with Kirk Cousins under center this season. It could be more of a floor than ceiling outing for a tight end looking to get paid this offseason. … “Safe” isn’t the word that comes to mind for Dallas Goedert. But if you’re a tight end with spiked week potential who is also second at the position in touchdowns, you get a high-end ranking. … My most galaxy brain take for Week 16? You can’t quibble with Colby Parkinson’s targets case. The ball has to go somewhere with Davante Adams (hamstring) sidelined. But his touchdowns case? I have a suspicion Parkinson’s scoring binge is due at least in part to the double and triple teams Adams commands at the goal line. With Adams sidelined, the Seahawks’ defense will be more free to account for Matt Stafford’s seam stretcher.

Here’s the problem with benching Brock Bowers: The best case for most tight ends in the TE10-20 range is uncomfortably close to Bowers’ worst case. You are still probably best off betting on Bowers’ talent, and maybe tossing a few prayers on top of the pile. … There’s never been a better time to chase points with Darren Waller, as he gets to follow up his best 2025 performance with tight end ATM Cincinnati. It certainly helps that the frozen Dolphins are returning home to Miami accompanied by a solid game total. … Colston Loveland combines a 4/40 compiling floor with 50/50 touchdown odds. Especially considering the injured state of the Bears’ receiver corps, Loveland is more of a low-end TE1 than TE2 for the fantasy semis. … Maybe the most underrated player at the position all season, Dalton Schultz enters semifinals week fourth in tight end receptions (70). His lack of scoring (two TDs) is the problem, though Schultz furnishes a nice PPR floor if you’re lacking upside options.

With the No. 7 tight end average depth of target, Theo Johnson keeps ripping chunk gains even as he’s gone into a scoring drought. Jaxson Dart was inactive for much of Johnson’s recent scoreless streak, so perhaps it’s not as bad as it looks (five games). Johnson is a strong option on the TE1/2 borderline because he’s a rare player in that range to boast matchup-flipping upside. … Even with Philip Rivers’ noodle arm under center, Tyler Warren remains a decent bet to catch 3-4 passes. The problem is, there are no air yards underwriting his targets, while touchdowns will be extremely tough to come by for any member of the Colts’ offense. Warren offers unusual upside for a TE2, but that’s what he needs to be treated as for Week 16. … Brenton Strange’s floor is proving to be a little too low to trust him as a set-and-forget TE1. He’s better treated as a TE2 who might suddenly go off for 5/90/1. … Tight end defense is a Patriots weakness. Perhaps Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely might actually do something this week after disappearing for the first round of the fantasy playoffs.

Week 16 Kickers

1	Brandon Aubrey	DAL	vs. LAC
2	Ka’imi Fairbairn	HOU	vs. LV
3	Cameron Dicker	LAC	at DAL
4	Eddy Pineiro	SF	at IND
5	Jason Myers	SEA	vs. LAR
6	Jake Bates	DET	vs. PIT
7	Chase McLaughlin	TB	at CAR
8	Andy Borregales	NE	at BAL
9	Cam Little	JAC	at DEN
10	Tyler Loop	BAL	vs. NE
11	Wil Lutz	DEN	vs. JAC
12	Chris Boswell	PIT	at DET
13	Harrison Mevis	LAR	at SEA
14	Cairo Santos	CHI	vs. GB
15	Zane Gonzalez	ATL	at ARI
16	Brandon McManus	GB	at CHI
17	Jake Elliott	PHI	at WAS
18	Evan McPherson	CIN	at MIA
19	Will Reichard	MIN	at NYG
20	Michael Badgley	BUF	at CLE
21	Chad Ryland	ARI	vs. ATL
22	Charlie Smyth	NO	vs. NYJ
23	Harrison Butker	KC	at TEN
24	Riley Patterson	MIA	vs. CIN
25	Nick Folk	NYJ	at NO
26	Blake Grupe	IND	vs. SF
27	Jake Moody	WAS	vs. PHI
28	Ryan Fitzgerald	CAR	vs. TB
29	Joey Slye	TEN	vs. KC
30	Ben Sauls	NYG	vs. MIN
31	Andre Szmyt	CLE	vs. BUF
32	Daniel Carlson	LV	at HOU

Week 16 Defense/Special Teams

1	Houston Texans	vs. LV
2	Buffalo Bills	at CLE
3	Philadelphia Eagles	at WAS
4	Kansas City Chiefs	at TEN
5	New Orleans Saints	vs. NYJ
6	Los Angeles Rams	at SEA
7	Seattle Seahawks	vs. LAR
8	Minnesota Vikings	at NYG
9	Denver Broncos	vs. JAC
10	San Francisco 49ers	at IND
11	Jacksonville Jaguars	at DEN
12	New York Giants	vs. MIN
13	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	at CAR
14	New England Patriots	at BAL
15	Chicago Bears	vs. GB
16	Tennessee Titans	vs. KC
17	Cincinnati Bengals	at MIA
18	Detroit Lions	vs. PIT
19	Dallas Cowboys	vs. LAC
20	Carolina Panthers	vs. TB
21	Green Bay Packers	at CHI
22	Los Angeles Chargers	at DAL
23	Atlanta Falcons	at ARI
24	Baltimore Ravens	vs. NE
25	New York Jets	at NO
26	Indianapolis Colts	vs. SF
27	Pittsburgh Steelers	at DET
28	Arizona Cardinals	vs. ATL
29	Cleveland Browns	vs. BUF
30	Miami Dolphins	vs. CIN
31	Las Vegas Raiders	at HOU
32	Washington Commanders	vs. PHI