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Trey McBride
TE · ARI

Trey McBride

Position TE
Team ARI
Bye Week 14
PPR Rank #15

Trey McBride

NFL player. Position: TE. Team: ARI.

Quick Facts

  • Position: TE
  • Team: ARI (Arizona Cardinals)
  • Bye week (2026): 14
  • FantasyPros PPR rank (pulled 2026-05-21): 15

2026 Outlook

2025 elite season: Trey McBride posted career-best production in 2025 with 126 receptions for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns, establishing himself as arguably the most dominant tight end in the NFL. This represents extraordinary positional leverage—he exceeded the next-closest TE by over 200 receiving yards and led the entire league in receiving volume relative to snap share. (per NFL offseason power rankings: No. 30 Arizona Cardinals restart the road to relevance, yet again)

Dynasty rankings: Justin Boone ranks McBride as the #2 TE in PPR dynasty trade-value charts (June 2026), behind Brock Bowers, with a PPR score of 72 and premium score of 104 (per Justin Boone's 2026 TE dynasty fantasy football rankings and trade value chart updates for June). RotoBaller dynasty rankings also position McBride as TE2 in 2026 settings. Despite the Cardinals moving to a more balanced offensive scheme under new HC Mike LaFleur (reducing the pass-happy attack that enabled his 2025 dominance), McBride is expected to maintain elite status due to his skill level and positional leverage. RotoBaller notes: "Even with an expected volume hit, McBride is an elite player at his position."

Yahoo flags a paradox for McBride: Arizona's regular-season schedule is brutal (all six divisional games at the top of league difficulty), which keeps garbage-time/passing-volume opportunities intact — exactly the setup that drove his 2025 TE1 finish (ran more routes than any TE, 150+ more than the next). Fantasy playoffs are the easiest in football: Jets in Week 15, Saints in 16, Raiders in 17 after a Week 14 bye.

McBride benefits from the Cardinals' addition of Jeremiyah Love at RB, who's expected to open up the offense through play-action and reduce stacked-box situations. With Love handling the primary run-game load, McBride should see consistent receiving volume with fewer defensive adjustments keying on him specifically. Sharp Football Analysis ranks him as the consensus TE1 due to a "perfect storm of team injuries" that propelled him to unprecedented positional leverage. Even expecting regression, McBride's usage, age, and production give him the safest path to TE1 in 2026 (per 2026 Fantasy Football TE Rankings: Rich Hribar's Notes on Every Player).

FantasyPros positions McBride as one of three tight ends likely to exceed 200 fantasy points in 2026 (he had 194 in 2024). His elite snap share and receiving opportunity in Arizona's offense, combined with league-wide TE usage trends, support his candidacy for this exclusive club. (per 10 Bold Predictions for the 2026 Fantasy Football Season)

Dynasty consensus ranks McBride solidly in Tier 1/2 alongside Brock Bowers, Colston Loveland, Tyler Warren, Sam LaPorta, and Tucker Kraft, confirming his continued elite status at the position despite expected volume regression from Arizona's new system (per Dynasty Fantasy Football Tight End Tiers: Isaiah Likely stands alone in Tier 3 due to breakout potential).

Draft strategy note: McBride and Brock Bowers are positioned as the "Godzilla and Kong" elite tier of tight ends for 2026, both projected to go in the back half of Round 2 in mock drafts. Bowers' 2025 season was disappointing (5 missed games, TE11 finish), while questions remain about whether McBride can replicate his 2025 dominance. However, hitting on either elite tight end provides sizable positional advantage over later-round options (per 2026 Fantasy Draft Strategy Guide: Tight Ends).

PFF 2026 TE rankings: Second-best despite Arizona's scheme shift (July 22): PFF ranks McBride as the second-best tight end heading into 2026, behind only George Kittle. McBride has been the most valuable tight end in the NFL across the last two seasons according to PFF's WAR metric. His 1,239 receiving yards in 2025 were 311 yards more than any other tight end and rank 11th all-time for a single-season TE performance. McBride also had 1,146 yards in 2024 (second at the position), demonstrating consecutive elite seasons even amid Arizona's offensive transitions. The durability and consistency across two seasons reinforces his TE1 status despite new HC Mike LaFleur's expected shift to a more balanced scheme (per PFF Tight End Rankings: The top 32 players ahead of the 2026 NFL season)

Training camp focus on blocking (July 25): During a Saturday jog-through practice, McBride emphasized his commitment to improving blocking in LaFleur's run-heavy system. McBride acknowledged that while he gets highlighted in the pass game, he recognizes the need to be a factor in the run game to support rookie RB Jeremiyah Love and veteran backs James Conner and Tyler Allgeier. McBride stated: "To be able to catch that many balls, you have to be a factor in the run game... I have to be at the point of attack." This shift in mentality reflects the Cardinals' move to a more balanced offensive scheme under LaFleur compared to the pass-heavy attack of 2025. (per 2026 Arizona Cardinals training camp: Latest intel, updates - espn.com).

Contract tier context (late June): McBride's $19M/year extension positions him at the elite tier of TE contracts, behind only George Kittle's $19.1M. With Kyle Pitts at $18M and Brenton Strange at $16M, McBride remains one of the highest-paid tight ends in football—a testament to his 2025 dominance. Pending extensions for Tucker Kraft and Sam LaPorta are expected to land in the $16-19M range, confirming McBride's status near the top of the market. (per Tucker Kraft's Packers payday just got a whole lot easier to predict)

Sports Illustrated ranked McBride as the #2 tight end overall for 2026 fantasy. Despite the Cardinals' shift to a more balanced offensive approach, the article notes he set the single-season NFL record for most receptions by a tight end (1,239 yards, 11 TDs in 2025) and will likely regress—it's "hard to believe he will have another record-setting season." However, his elite volume and skill suggest he remains a TE1 candidate. The arrival of Jeremiyah Love at RB could help open up McBride through play-action. (per Top 12 Tight End Rankings: 2026 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet)

June 25 power ranking review: Yahoo Sports' offseason power rankings emphasize McBride as arguably the best tight end in the NFL, calling attention to his elite 126-catch, 1,239-yard 2025 season. The ranking notes McBride anchors an otherwise talent-starved roster and will benefit from new HC Mike LaFleur's offensive system alongside rookie RB Jeremiyah Love, who should create better play-action opportunities and reduce stacked-box looks on McBride (per NFL offseason power rankings: No. 30 Arizona Cardinals restart the road to relevance, yet again).

Trade outlook: CBS Sports projects McBride will remain in Arizona through at least 2026-2027 contingent on the Cardinals' QB situation. The article notes McBride won't request a trade if Arizona uses its draft capital to land a top QB prospect in 2027, giving the franchise a chance to stabilize the position. The Cardinals have two more seasons of guaranteed money on his contract (through 2027), providing a runway to get QB right (per Five NFL stars who could force a Giannis-like trade: Justin Jefferson, Jonathan Taylor...).

SportsLine TE1 projection (August 27): SportsLine's computer model ranks McBride as the TE1 for 2026. After going off with Jacoby Brissett throwing him passes (averaging 8.1 catches, 80.3 yards, 10 TDs in 12 games), McBride's status atop the positional rankings remains intact despite Arizona's expected scheme shift under new HC Mike LaFleur. His elite snap share and receiving opportunity position him as the safest tight end selection heading into the season. (per Fantasy football 2026 rankings, draft prep: Model unveils best QB, RB, WR, TE picks, cheat sheets, tiers).

Scott Pianowski Shuffle Up (July 30): Yahoo Sports' Scott Pianowski recognizes McBride as a megastar but heavily caveats his 2026 outlook with the Cardinals' dysfunction. McBride's volume was sturdy in 2025 and his TD equity rose with Brissett over rookie Carson Beck, but the Cardinals' broader offensive struggles represent a ceiling dampener. Pianowski's key concern: "The Cardinals could really collapse if rookie Carson Beck gets some development snaps late in the year." His recommendation: pass on McBride despite megastar talent, respecting the overall board and loading up RB and WR rooms instead. (per 2026 Fantasy Football TE Rankings - Shuffle Up Series)

Big Lead rankings consensus (Aug 21): The Big Lead's latest cheat sheet places McBride as part of the consensus elite tight end duo for 2026—"Tight end separates sharply after Brock Bowers and Trey McBride," affirming his standing as a top-tier TE despite scheme questions. (per Printable one-page fantasy football rankings cheat sheets for PPR, half-PPR, standard,...)

Role / Depth Chart

Locked-in TE1 in Arizona. New OC Nathaniel Hackett is the offensive question mark.

Injury Status

Healthy.

Recent News

Open Questions

(scoped to this player — pulled from Fantasy Football Open Questions)

Sources

  • Yahoo 2026 NFL schedule fantasy winners and losers

Coaches shaping Trey's role

Mike LaFleurHead CoachNathaniel HackettOffensive CoordinatorChris CookAssistant Offensive LineJake MorelandTight EndsJustin FryeOffensive Line

What the Experts Are Saying

Ron StewartHow to Draft the Perfect Fantasy Football Team in 15 Minutes
Flock FantasyTop 100 Rankings & Tiers - 2026 Fantasy Football
FantasyPros13 Things You Need to Know to Win Your 2026 Fantasy Football Draft