When it comes to projected TE dollar values in 2022, there’s a noticeable drop-off from the top two tight ends to the rest of the list. Most fantasy football owners would love to have the winning bids for Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews, but paying around $35 for a TE goes against a lot of auction draft strategies. Fortunately, there’s still value to be found in the lower tiers, as sleepers and potential breakouts lurk for various prices in both standard and PPR leagues.
If you don’t want to pay up for Kelce or Andrews but you still want a proven stud, Darren Waller, George Kittle, and Kyle Pitts all offer decent value at around $17-$20. Keep in mind, these prices are based off $200 budgets, and it’s entirely possible that any could go for several dollars more or less than their projections. It really depends on where they’re nominated and how much other owners in your league covet them. Still, it’s nice to have a price range so you can budget accordingly based on your strategy.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2022 fantasy cheat sheet
Pitts could still be a great value pick based off what we saw from him in his first season. Playing second fiddle to Calvin Ridley, Pitts hauled in 68 receptions (110 targets) for 1,026 yards and a touchdown. With Ridley now suspended for the season, Pitts figures to be Marcus Mariota’s go-to guy, and given his sheer athleticism, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Pitts finish as the overall TE1.
2022 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200 | Superflex
Waller and Kittle also provide a good amount of bang for your back – assuming they stay healthy, that is. Waller’s production might take a step back with the addition of Davante Adams and emergence of Hunter Renfrow, but his rapport with Derek Carr isn’t going away. Meanwhile, Kittle likely won’t be the 49ers top receiving option after Deebo Samuel’s breakout 2021, but the real worry is Trey Lance taking over at quarterback. It could wind up benefitting Kittle and the 49ers offense as a whole, but the fear of the unknown is reason enough to make sure you don’t overbid for Kittle’s services.
2022 FANTASY SLEEPERS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team
Even if you don’t get one of the top-five TEs, there are plenty of high-upside values to consider. The fact that Hunter Henry, Zach Ertz, Mike Gesicki, and Pat Freiermuth are all projected to cost less than $5 is remarkable. Henry and Freiermuth were particularly TD-reliant last year, but considering Freiermuth was tied for first among tight ends in red-zone targets (20), he could certainly do it again. Ertz and Gesicki are almost surefire locks to record 600-800 yards, so assuming the TDs follow, they would likely finish in the top 10.
2022 AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):
QBs | RBs | WRs | D/STs | Kickers | Overall
Generally, you don’t want to rely on $1 or $2 TEs to be your Week 1 starter, but with sleepers like Freiermuth, Cole Kmet , and Irv Smith Jr. , you might be able to get away with it. At the very least, grabbing one of these guys as a backup – even if you paid up for Kelce or Andrews – is a good way to insure your more expensive investments.
2022 RANKINGS TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs
As with every other position, there’s no “right” way to approach TE in your auction, but you never want to overpay, especially early in the night. It’s fine if your strategy includes paying up for Kelce, but be ready to throw in the towel if another owner is playing the same game. Value is key, and there will always be another high-upside player coming up for bid later.
Make sure to check back as we continue to update the TE auction values ahead of the first game of the 2022 regular season between the Bills and Rams.
To get customized dollar values tailored to your league settings, check out FantasyPros' premium Auction Calculator. For customized mock auctions that you can do in minutes, check out FantasyPros' premium Salary Cap Simulator.
2022 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200 | Superflex
Fantasy TE Auction Values 2022: Tight end dollar projections for standard leagues
Dollar values courtesy of FantasyPros and based on 12-team leagues with $200 budgets.
Scoring based on standard, non-PPR formats.
All players not listed valued at $0
| Rank | Player | Auction Value |
| 1 | Travis Kelce, KC | $37 |
| 2 | Mark Andrews, BAL | $36 |
| 3 | Kyle Pitts, ATL | $18 |
| 4 | Darren Waller, LV | $16 |
| 5 | George Kittle, SF | $15 |
| 6 | Dalton Schultz, DAL | $14 |
| 7 | Dallas Goedert, PHI | $11 |
| 8 | T.J. Hockenson, DET | $7 |
| 9 | Hunter Henry, NE | $6 |
| 10 | Dawson Knox, BUF | $5 |
| 11 | Zach Ertz, ARI | $5 |
| 12 | Mike Gesicki, MIA | $3 |
| 13 | Noah Fant, SEA | $2 |
| 14 | Tyler Higbee, LAR | $2 |
| 15 | David Njoku, CLE | $2 |
| 16 | Pat Freiermuth, PIT | $2 |
| 17 | Cole Kmet, CHI | $2 |
| 18 | Irv Smith Jr., MIN | $1 |
| 19 | Gerald Everett, LAC | $1 |
For full standard TE rankings and individual analysis, click here.
Fantasy TE PPR Auction Values 2022: Tight end dollar projections
Dollar values courtesy of FantasyPros and based on 12-team leagues with $200 budgets.
Scoring based on full-point PPR formats.
All players not listed valued at $0
| Rank | Player | Dollar value |
| 1 | Travis Kelce, KC | $35 |
| 2 | Mark Andrews, BAL | $34 |
| 3 | Darren Waller, LV | $17 |
| 4 | Kyle Pitts, ATL | $16 |
| 5 | Dalton Schultz, DAL | $15 |
| 6 | George Kittle, SF | $14 |
| 7 | Dallas Goedert, PHI | $9 |
| 8 | T.J. Hockenson, DET | $8 |
| 9 | Zach Ertz, ARI | $6 |
| 10 | Mike Gesicki, MIA | $4 |
| 11 | Hunter Henry, NE | $4 |
| 12 | Noah Fant, SEA | $3 |
| 13 | Pat Freiermuth, PIT | $3 |
| 14 | Tyler Higbee, LAR | $3 |
| 15 | Cole Kmet, CHI | $3 |
| 16 | Dawson Knox, BUF | $3 |
| 17 | David Njoku, CLE | $2 |
| 18 | Gerald Everett, LAC | $1 |
| 19 | Irv Smith Jr., MIN | $1 |
For full TE PPR rankings and individual analysis, click here.