Most Consistent Fantasy Tight Ends of 2018: Full Top 10
Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs appeared in 16 games during the 2018 season and totaled 295 fantasy points at tight end. Zach Ertz of the Philadelphia Eagles matched him in games and averaged the same 18 points per contest, but Kelce's 295 total stood above every other tight end that year. On both week-to-week reliability and final scoring, Kelce's season was the steadiest at the position.
Who Was the Most Consistent Fantasy Tight End of 2018?
Consistency at tight end in 2018 meant showing up every week, and only a handful of players did. Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs played 16 games and finished first among tight ends with 295 fantasy points, an 18-point average with a season-best week of 39. Zach Ertz of the Philadelphia Eagles also played 16 games, matched the 18-point average, and posted the single best week of any tight end at 40 points, yet his 280 total finished second. George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers gave the position a third 16-game anchor, scoring 257 points at 16 per game.
The steadiness of the top three is what separates 2018 from a typical tight end year. Kelce, Ertz, and Kittle each appeared in every game on the schedule, each averaged at least 16 points per game, and each carried a best week of 34 or higher. Eric Ebron of the Indianapolis Colts made it four 16-game seasons in the top four, scoring 222 points at 14 per game with a peak week of 32. No other tight end in the top ten reached that scoring level.
The 2018 Tight End Top Ten by Fantasy Points
Here is every tight end who finished in the top ten for 2018, with team, games played, total fantasy points, points per game, and each player's best single week.
| Rank | Player | Team | Games | Points | Points/Game | Best Week | | 1 | Travis Kelce | Kansas City Chiefs | 16 | 295 | 18 | 39 | | 2 | Zach Ertz | Philadelphia Eagles | 16 | 280 | 18 | 40 | | 3 | George Kittle | San Francisco 49ers | 16 | 257 | 16 | 34 | | 4 | Eric Ebron | Indianapolis Colts | 16 | 222 | 14 | 32 | | 5 | Jared Cook | Las Vegas Raiders | 16 | 194 | 12 | 31 | | 6 | O.J. Howard | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 11 | 120 | 11 | 21 | | 7 | Austin Hooper | Atlanta Falcons | 16 | 161 | 10 | 22 | | 8 | Kyle Rudolph | Minnesota Vikings | 16 | 151 | 9 | 33 | | 9 | Trey Burton | Chicago Bears | 16 | 145 | 9 | 28 | | 10 | David Njoku | Cleveland Browns | 16 | 144 | 9 | 18 |
Where the 2018 Board Was Steady and Where It Was Not
Nine of the ten names on the list played 16 games, which made 2018 unusually durable at the top of the position. The exception was O.J. Howard of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who appeared in 11 games and scored 120 points; his 11-point per-game mark placed him sixth despite the shorter season, and his absence is the one break in the board's run of full seasons.
The middle of the list shows where reliability without upside landed players. Austin Hooper of the Atlanta Falcons, Kyle Rudolph of the Minnesota Vikings, Trey Burton of the Chicago Bears, and David Njoku of the Cleveland Browns all played 16 games and all averaged 9 or 10 points per game. Rudolph's best week of 33 stands out among them, matching the sort of peak week associated with Kittle, while Njoku's best week of 18 shows a season with no breakout game at all.
Jared Cook of the Las Vegas Raiders rounds out the reliable tier, playing 16 games for 194 points at 12 per game with a best week of 31. His fifth-place finish sits clearly behind the top four but just as clearly ahead of the 9-and-10 point group behind him.
Why Kelce Gets the Consistency Verdict Over Ertz
Kelce and Ertz finished with the same number of games and the same 18-point average, so the verdict comes down to the totals and the shape of the seasons. Kelce's 295 points topped all tight ends listed, and his best single week reached 39. Ertz's best week of 40 was the largest single game by any tight end in 2018, but his 280-point total finished second. When two players are equal on availability and average, the higher season total is the tiebreaker, and Kelce owns it.
For fantasy managers, the practical lesson of 2018 is that the position's consistency was concentrated at the very top: Kelce, Ertz, and Kittle delivered full seasons with big best weeks, while the rest of the top ten offered steadiness at a lower scoring level. Kelce's combination of 16 games, 295 points, and an 18-point average is the standard the year is measured against.
Common questions
Who scored the most fantasy points among tight ends in 2018?
- Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs scored the most fantasy points at the position in 2018, finishing with 295 in 16 games. Zach Ertz of the Philadelphia Eagles was next at 280, also in 16 games.
Did any tight end average more points per game than Travis Kelce in 2018?
- No. Kelce averaged 18 fantasy points per game, and Zach Ertz matched that number exactly. George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers posted 16 points per game, while the other tight ends ranked below Eric Ebron's 14 per game came in at that mark or under.
Which tight end had the biggest single game in 2018?
- Zach Ertz of the Philadelphia Eagles had the biggest single week among top ten tight ends with a 40-point game. Travis Kelce was close behind with a best week of 39.
Who was the highest-scoring tight end outside the top three in 2018?
- Eric Ebron of the Indianapolis Colts, who scored 222 fantasy points across 16 games at 14 per game with a best week of 32. He finished fourth, ahead of Jared Cook of the Las Vegas Raiders at 194.
Which tight end in the 2018 top ten missed games?
- O.J. Howard of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played 11 games, the only player in the top ten with fewer than 16. He still scored 120 points and averaged 11 per game, good for sixth at the position.