T.J. Hockenson, George Kittle and Sam LaPorta Climb the Tight End Rankings as Travis Kelce and Dalton Kincaid Slide

Week 4 reshuffled the tight end position more than any other. T.J. Hockenson caught all 13 of his targets, Sam LaPorta drew a season-high 13 looks, and George Kittle iced a win with a 56-yard touchdown. At the same time, Travis Kelce and Dalton Kincaid were held to a combined three catches, and Kelce heads into a bye with his role shrinking.

Here is how the rest-of-season tight end board shifts, using only confirmed Week 4 usage.

The Week 4 tight end usage that matters

Risers

T.J. Hockenson, Vikings. With Justin Jefferson out with an ankle sprain, Hockenson became Kyler Murray's first read and caught all 13 targets for 119 yards in a 15-10 win over Miami. The 13 catches tied a career high and were the most by a Viking in a game against the Dolphins. He would have scored, too, but slid down short of the goal line to protect the lead late. The rest-of-season question is Jefferson: Kevin O'Connell said he does not know whether Jefferson plays in New Orleans this week. Hockenson moves into the top 10 regardless, because a quarterback who leans on his tight end this heavily does not abandon him when the star returns. He is a TE1 for as long as Jefferson sits.

George Kittle, 49ers. Kittle caught 4 of 6 targets for 70 yards and a 56-yard touchdown that sealed a 24-14 win over Denver, his longest catch since 2023. DraftSharks credited him with a third straight TE1 week. With Ricky Pearsall done for the season and Mike Evans playing through a rib injury, Kittle is no worse than the No. 2 option in an unbeaten offense. Move him into the top three at the position.

Sam LaPorta, Lions. LaPorta's 8-84-1 line on 13 targets came in a game where Jared Goff threw 52 passes chasing a Carolina team that scored 32. Game script inflated the volume, but the role is real: he converted a fourth-and-5 and scored two snaps later. Detroit's Week 5 trip to Arizona is another game where the Lions may need to throw, so LaPorta is a locked-in TE1.

Isaiah Likely, Giants. Likely led New York with 12 targets and seven catches for 66 yards in a 36-24 win over Arizona, a 23 percent target share. Malik Nabers had the yards, but Likely had the volume. He belongs in the TE1 conversation in 12-team leagues.

Holding steady

Trey McBride, Cardinals. McBride caught 7 of 12 targets for just 31 yards against the Giants, a career low for him in a game with 10 or more targets. That is a matchup and quarterback-play problem, not a role problem. Jacoby Brissett threw three interceptions in the loss, which caps everyone's efficiency, but 12 targets keeps McBride a top-three tight end.

Brock Bowers, Raiders. Bowers played through an illness and still led Las Vegas with 11 targets, catching six for 86 yards and a 20-yard touchdown. Kirk Cousins attempted 52 passes. Bowers remains a top-two tight end with a Week 5 trip to New England.

Fallers

Travis Kelce, Chiefs. Kelce caught 2 of 4 targets for 15 yards in Las Vegas and has seen just six targets across his last two games. That was with Rashee Rice leaving early, which should have opened targets; instead Xavier Worthy drew a season-high seven. Kelce is still a starter in most leagues because of the offense he plays in, but he drops out of the top tier and sits this week on bye. If the Chiefs add a receiver during the bye, his target outlook gets even thinner.

Dalton Kincaid, Bills. Kincaid caught 1 of 2 targets for 7 yards in a 29-26 loss to New England, his second straight game with a reduced role and his season low across the board. Head coach Joe Brady said publicly that he wants to find more targets for Kincaid, which is encouraging, but until that shows up on the field he is a TE2. Buffalo's Monday night trip to the Rams is the next test.

Tyler Warren, Colts. Warren caught all five of his targets for 41 yards and a touchdown in a 30-13 win in London, but his first two catches went for two yards apiece and he was out-targeted by Laquon Treadwell and Ashton Dulin. The touchdown saved his week. He is a touchdown-dependent TE2 until the volume returns.

Darren Waller, Panthers. Waller caught 3 of 6 targets for 36 yards while Tetairoa McMillan drew 16 targets. With McMillan absorbing the passing game and Carolina on bye this week, Waller is droppable in shallow leagues.

Updated rest-of-season tiers

These tiers are our desk's read of the usage above, not a projection.

Tier 1: Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, George Kittle.

Tier 2: Sam LaPorta, T.J. Hockenson, Isaiah Likely.

Tier 3: Travis Kelce, Dalton Kincaid, Tyler Warren.

What to do in your league

Buy Hockenson before Jefferson's status is settled. If Jefferson misses Week 5, Hockenson's price only goes up. If Jefferson returns, his manager may sell at a discount, and that is the moment to strike.

Sell Kelce on name value if you can. Some managers still treat him as an elite tight end. Six targets in two weeks is not elite, and he is giving you a zero this week. If someone in your league will pay a top-five tight end price, take it.

Hold Kincaid, do not start him blindly. Brady's comments are a reason not to drop him, but he needs a target spike before he returns to lineups.

Stream Likely or Hockenson for Kelce and Waller managers. Both are the best one-week replacements for the bye, and both have rest-of-season value beyond Week 5.

What's next

Jefferson's practice participation this week determines Hockenson's Week 5 ceiling. Kittle and Evans face Seattle in the week's best Sunday matchup, and Kincaid gets a national stage on Monday night in Los Angeles. Recheck these tiers after Week 5 usage comes in, and see the full slate at /nfl/predictions.