Week 1 just dropped some absolute bombs on the tight end position, with Isaiah Likely leading the entire position in fantasy points and Dalton Kincaid smashing his way into the top five. Seriously, if you weren’t paying attention before, you need to be now, because these two are not messing around. We had a glimmer of hope for them in the preseason, talking about how they could be starters, but what they did in Week 1 wasn’t just hope, it was a full-on validation.
Likely Just Went OFF and Demanded Respect
Remember all that preseason chatter about Isaiah Likely finally getting away from Mark Andrews, how he had those awesome flashes when Andrews was out? Dude, that talk was spot on. Likely didn’t just flash in Week 1, he exploded! He ran a route on a staggering 67% of Jaxson Dart’s dropbacks, showing he was a huge part of the game plan, and grabbed a monster 27.6% target share. But the really wild part? He caught all eight of his targets and snagged a pair of touchdowns. Are you kidding me right now? That’s the kind of performance that makes you sit up and take notice. We know he won’t hit that level every single week, but what he showed us was enough to rank him in the top six for Week 2, soaring ahead of guys like Harold Fannin Jr. and Kyle Pitts, who everyone drafted before him. That’s called making a statement.
Kincaid’s Breakout Is Legit and It’s Happening Now
Then you’ve got Dalton Kincaid, who we knew was good after he led the tight end position in yards per route run back in 2025. There was so much talk about him finally playing more in 2026, and Week 1 proved everyone right. Kincaid absolutely balled out, hitting a 72% snap share, which was his highest mark since Week 9 of 2024. His yards per route run was a ridiculous 5.91, and his 21% target share was tied with Khalil Shakir for second highest on his team. And get this: he did all that against a really good Texans defense that’s been notoriously stingy against tight ends! For Week 2, he’s lining up against the Lions in a game that has the highest over/under of the week, which screams offensive fireworks. You gotta start him over Pitts and Fannin, no question. His TE10 ranking for Week 2 might just be the floor, because if he can just stay healthy, this breakout potential is going to be completely fulfilled.
The Rest of the TE Landscape: What You Need to Watch
Beyond those two, the tight end world is full of twists. You see Cooper Rush throwing more than half his passes, 52.6% to be exact, to Bijan Robinson? That means Kyle Pitts is riding the bench until his other quarterbacks get healthy. Don’t drop him, but don’t play him either. Harold Fannin Jr.’s 13.6% target share in Week 1, ranking 23rd, just isn’t going to cut it right now; things won’t get optimistic until Shedeur Sanders is under center. George Kittle only ran a route on less than half of Brock Purdy’s dropbacks, 47.2%, which is wild. Hopefully he gets more involved, but a run-heavy script against the Dolphins could limit him. And Mark Andrews? His target share shot up to 42.9% in the second half without Zay Flowers, compared to 17.6% with him. Colston Loveland tied for second among tight ends with 34 routes in Week 1, so he’s looking solid. Travis Kelce still got it, snagging a 59-yard reception, his longest since 2021. And with A.J. Brown hurt, Hunter Henry, who led the Patriots with 460 routes last year, could totally become Drake Maye’s favorite target.
Week 2 is going to be huge for all these guys, but for Likely and Kincaid, it’s about proving Week 1 wasn’t a fluke. Let’s see if they can keep this momentum rolling!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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