- Brock Bowers could bounce back: After missing time with an injury, the Raiders tight end could experience a better offensive ecosystem with Klint Kubiak and Fernando Mendoza.
- All eyes on Colston Loveland: The Bears tight end looks to be the focal point of Chicago’s high-potential offense.
- Last Chance! The PFF Early Bird Sale Ends Aug. 17: Save 33% and get PFF+ for just $79.99, our lowest price of the year.
NFL tight ends’ roles are increasing year to year, while the position enjoys fantasy-relevant contributions from young players. Tight ends capable of leading their team in targets, or finishing a close second, can provide week-winning fantasy point sums.
The article below breaks down three contenders for the overall TE1 finish.
Bowers', Loveland's and McBride's 2025 advanced data
| Metric | Brock Bowers | Colston Loveland | Trey McBride |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFF Receiving Grade | 82.2 | 86.2 | 84.8 |
| Weeks 1-17 Total Points Half-PPR – PPR | 144.2 (TE8) – 176.2 (TE8) | 116.0 (TE14) – 140.0 (TE14) | 242.9 (TE1) – 302.4 (TE1) |
| Weeks 1-17 Points Per Game Half-PPR – PPR | 12.0 – 14.7 | 7.7 – 9.3 | 15.2 – 18.9 |
| TE1 Season Streak Half-PPR – PPR | 2 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 3 – 3 |
| Reg. Season Rec./Tgt. – Yards – TDs | 64/83 – 680 – 7 | 58/81 – 713 – 6 | 126/163 – 1,239 – 11 |
| Reg. Season First-Read Targets | 71 | 63 | 118 |
| Target Rate | 20.8% | 23.0% | 23.4% |
| Yards Per Route Run | 1.70 | 1.97 | 1.78 |
| Yards After Catch Per Reception | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Reg. Season Centerfield Targets | 15 | 14 | 14 |
| Yards Per Centerfield Reception | 15.3 | 21.1 | 19.3 |
| PFF Run-Blocking Grade | 50.6 | 70.0 | 62.2 |
| PFF Play-Action Receiving Grade | 88.6 | 77.9 | 90.2 |
| Play-Action Target Rate | 27.7% | 22.3% | 32.2% |
As detailed extensively in “Must-draft players in best ball,” Bowers, 23, suffered a PCL sprain and bone bruise in Week 1 last season. He attempted to rehab the injuries in-season, sitting out Weeks 5-7, before ultimately being shut down after Week 16. “Despite last season’s knee injury, Bowers’ two NFL seasons compare favorably to his peers. Among 32 NFL tight ends with at least 100 targets from 2024-25, Bowers’ …1.89 YPRR rank fifth, his 23.3% target rate ranks fourth… and 90.0 PFF receiving grade ranks third…
Kubiak’s 21 personnel use will significantly benefit Bowers. He should be treated as the TE1 this season,” and is drawing rave reviews at Raiders training camp. New Raiders head coach and former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak brings a fantasy-friendly scheme to Las Vegas.
As shared in “5 best ball ADPs to exploit before the 2025 NFL Draft” last year, Loveland’s college prospect profile strongly overlapped with Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta. Bears head coach and former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson evidently agreed.
Loveland’s 85.3 PFF offense grade ranks second among 44 NFL rookie tight ends from 2021-25 with at least 300 offensive snaps, trailing just Bowers’ rookie season 85.4 grade.
Only fantasy managers in leagues lasting from Weeks 1-18 and daily fantasy sports (DFS) players fully experienced Loveland’s Weeks 17-divisional round breakout. His 47 targets during that span led all Bears skill-position players by 22. He caught 28 passes for 378 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 2.59 YPRR, 3.3 yards after the catch per reception, a 32.2% target rate, a 14.9% deep-target rate and a 10.3% slot-target rate.
The 22-year-old’s elite run-blocking can allow him to lead the Bears’ skill-position corps in total snaps. His fantasy-scoring outlook is enhanced by Johnson’s exceptionally fantasy-friendly offensive scheme.
McBride, 26, is the oldest and perhaps most reliable overall TE1 contender. The tight end position produced 23 100-plus target seasons from 2023-25. Among those qualifying seasons, McBride’s 2023 (2.03), 2024 (2.14) and 2025 (1.78) YPRR averages account for three of the top-nine seasons.
© 2026 PFF - all rights reserved.