2017 Tiers: QB | RB | WR

The days of taking Rob Gronkowski with a first-round pick are gone, but so are the days of waiting for a decent tight end. Last year we had five guys notch 800-plus yards and another six record seven or more touchdowns. None of them were named Gronk.

As more NFL teams expand their game-planning to include tight ends as key targets, their statistics rise and interest in them in Fantasy drafts grows.

Gronkowski is still in a tier of his own, but the gap is narrowing. Travis Kelce assumes the No. 2 spot with Jordan Reed, Jimmy Graham and Greg Olsen following. Once you get into Round 6 you'll still find big guys with high-stat potential, but they'll go pretty quick. There's nothing wrong with waiting until the double-digit rounds, but you better be cool with Martellus Bennett or Jack Doyle.  

Remember, if you can't find the next Gronk, just find a guy who has the chance to score from week to week. If you can't find that guy at tight end then you better get ready to play waiver-wire roulette throughout the season (Hooper, Thomas and James have good Week 1 matchups). 

Tight End Tiers
Gronk! Very Good Good
Round 2 Rounds 4, 5 Rounds 6, 7
Rob Gronkowski Travis Kelce Tyler Eifert

Jordan Reed Kyle Rudolph

Jimmy Graham Delanie Walker

Greg Olsen
High upside Start-worthy Speculative
Rounds 8 Rounds 10, 11 Rounds 12+
Zach Ertz Martellus Bennett O.J. Howard
Hunter Henry Jack Doyle Austin Hooper


Tyler Higbee


Eric Ebron


Julius Thomas


Jesse James