One of the hardest positions to predict in fantasy football is often tight ends. After Kansas City Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce, the drop-off at the position is immense, and after the top four or five TEs, it feels like five through 20 are almost indiscernible. Finding a consistent tight end late in the draft can feel impossible at times.

Top to bottom, the talent level at the tight end position is as high as ever. Yet there are so few stars, and so often these players are unable to demonstrate their full potential as pass-catchers. With so few trust-worthy fantasy football tight ends, here are five sleeper picks worthy of consideration in 2023.

5) Pat Freiermuth (Pittsburgh Steelers)

ESPN ranks: TE9, 93rd overall

Pat Freiermuth finished sixth among NFL tight ends in catches (63) and receiving yards (723) and seventh in overall fantasy points in PPR leagues. Only a low touchdown total (just two) kept him out of the top five for fantasy. He was a consistent target for Steelers quarterbacks, reaching double-digit fantasy points in half his games and recording multiple catches in all but two.

Yet after his high fantasy football finish, ESPN only puts him ninth among tight ends entering the season. With a full season of Kenny Pickett and an improved offensive line, it is hard to see Freiermuth trending anywhere but up in 2023.

4) Dalton Kincaid (Buffalo Bills)

ESPN ranks: TE17, 134th overall

On the surface, Dawson Knox was a solid fantasy tight end last year. He finished with 48 catches for 517 yards and six touchdowns, putting him 14th in scoring among tight ends in PPR leagues. But the Buffalo TE was wildly inconsistent. In the first nine weeks of the season, Knox was a double-digit fantasy scorer just once and did not exceed four catches in a game. In the final seven weeks of the season, he had games with 70 and 98 receiving yards, plus he finished the year by finding paydirt in four straight contests. Yet this stretch also included a catchless game and two games with a combined 30 yards receiving.

Enter 2023 first-round pick Dalton Kincaid. Bills quarterback Josh has never consistently targeted tight ends, but the rookie out of Utah could change that. He made headlines last fall by catching 16 passes for 234 yards in a win over a top-ten USC team. Kincaid has the size and athleticism to be an elite tight end in the NFL, and with more upside than the inconsistent Dawson Knox, he could play himself into fantasy relevance this year.

3) Tyler Conklin (New York Jets)

ESPN ranks: TE24, unranked overall

Despite moving from the Minnesota Vikings to the New York Jets last year, Tyler Conklin was able to record his second consecutive season with at least 85 targets and 550 receiving yards, giving him a respectable 16th-place finish among fantasy tight ends.

Conklin was actually the ninth-most targeted tight end in the NFL in 2022, ahead of the likes of George Kittle and Cole Kmet. If he can establish a rapport with new quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Conklin could sneak into fantasy football relevance.

2) Zach Ertz (Arizona Cardinals)

ESPN Ranks: TE23, unranked overall 

Before an ACL injury prematurely ended his season in November, Zach Ertz was a mid-to-late-round revelation at the tight end position. He finished the year sixth in fantasy points per game at the position, reaching double digits in eight of the nine full games he played in. Ertz's injury recovery was slow, and the veteran has only recently returned to practice, making him questionable to be ready at the start of the season.

The 11th-year man will also likely not be catching passes from Kyler Murray at the beginning of the year, as Arizona's franchise quarterback is also out with an ACL injury. Still, Ertz is too good to be the 23rd-ranked fantasy tight end. With so much upside, the former Philadelphia Eagle is well worth a gamble in the late rounds of your fantasy football draft.

1) Foster Moreau (New Orleans Saints)

ESPN Ranks: Unranked

The Saints have incredible depth at the tight end position this year. Starter Juwan Johnson found the end zone seven times in 2022 (third among TEs), backup Taysom Hill is a tight end in name only, and third-stringer Foster Moreau had a strong season playing with new Saints QB Derek Carr in Las Vegas. Plus, behind this trio is veterans Jimmy Graham and Jesse James.

Playing as the second tight end to Darren Waller, Moreau still managed to average 28 receiving yards per game last year for a respectable 420 yards on the year. But there is reason to believe he could surpass Johnson in the depth chart. Much of Juwan Johnson's value came in the red zone last year, as seven of his 42 catches were for touchdowns. He will need to do more between the 20s to keep his starting role. Last year, Foster Moreau averaged 7.2 yards after the catch per reception, while Johnson averaged just 4.3 YAC. Moreau also averaged more yards after contact per catch than Johnson.

The Saints also have a shortage of wide receivers. After 1,000-yard rookie Chris Olave is the injury-prone Michael Thomas, and outside of Olave, no other receiver eclipsed 500 yards in 2022. With no significant additions, much of the pass-catching onus will fall on this deep tight-end group. Derek Carr showed an ability to connect with Waller and Moreau with the Raiders, and that connection is worth trusting in a weak year for fantasy football tight ends.