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The tight end position used to be incredibly thin in fantasy football. If managers didn't get Travis Kelce or George Kittle early in drafts, they were usually stuck with players at the position that wouldn't score very many points. That is no longer the case. A tight end revival has restocked the talent at the position. Now, fantasy managers have Sam LaPorta, T.J. Hockenson, Dalton Kincaid, Brock Bowers, and Trey McBride at their disposal. After that, though, fantasy managers will need to find sleeper picks at the position to round out their starting lineups.
10. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
David Njoku has become one of the most reliable and consistent fantasy football performers at the tight end position. He isn't a full-blown sleeper, as he has been a solid player since the Cleveland Browns took him in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Njoku is still somewhat underrated, though. The tight end has finished top 13 at his position group in each of the last three seasons. The Browns' quarterback situation is always a mess. Even this year, it is unclear who will play and when between Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, and Kenny Pickett. That quarterback uncertainty limits Njoku's fantasy ceiling. He always has a reliable floor, though, and fantasy managers who miss out on the most elite tight ends can rely on him to put up good but not great numbers. Njoku is TE9, according to fantasypros.com.
9. Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
After a fantastic rookie season in which he become just the third player ever to lead the league in passing yards per game and touchdown-to-interception ratio, C.J. Stroud had somewhat of a sophomore slump. A bounce back season is expected from the quarterback, and Dalton Schultz could be a big reason why.
The Houston Texans have revamped their receiving corps. Tank Dell is hurt, and Stefon Diggs plays for the New England Patriots now, so Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins, and Jaylin Noel were brought in to replace these players and team up with Nico Collins.
It is unclear which of these pass catchers Stroud will mesh with, and it could take time to build chemistry. Until then, the quarterback may fall back on the comfort he already has with Schultz, the No. 27 tight end in fantasy rankings this year.
8. Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
The New England Patriots' offense should see a boost in production during Drake Maye's second year, and Hunter Henry could be the beneficiary. Hunter is just the 17th-ranked tight end in fantasy football this year, but he is in a position to thrive. Maye has a cannon for an arm, and there are still plenty of targets to be had in New England.
Henry has multiple seasons of top-12 fantasy production at his position, dating all the way back to his Los Angeles Chargers days. He likely won't win anybody any leagues, but if a fantasy manager is left as one of the only league members without a tight end, Henry could fill in as a decent option.
7. Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
Quarterback play in Tennessee has been far from spectacular during Chik Okonkwo's tenure with the Titans. That is expected to change, though, because the Titans drafted Cam Ward first overall. Okonkwo has surpassed 450 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons, and he could be in line for a breakout year as the security blanket for Ward. Okonkwo is TE25, meaning he could be had late in drafts or even off the waiver wire.
6. Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
Evan Engram was a key part of the Jacksonville Jaguars last year, but he is no longer with the team. Brenton Strange will be his replacement, and he could be in line for a big year on an offense that should take multiple steps forward. Even with Engram on the roster last year, Strange still finished third on the team in targets (53).
Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter are dynamic playmakers who can make things happen deep down the field, but Trevor Lawrence hasn't been as explosive as expected since he was drafted first overall. Strange could be targeted on a lot of short-yardage plays, and in PPR, his numbers could add up this season. Strange is TE21 but deserves to be rostered in fantasy leagues this year.
5. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Kyle Pitts has become somewhat of a meme in fantasy football circles. The running joke is that this will finally be Pitts' year to break out, inferring that fantasy football managers convince themselves every year that Pitts will emerge as a star, just for him to underwhelm and for those who draft him to be disappointed.
It is looking more and more likely that Pitts won't ever become the star that everybody expected him to become when the Atlanta Falcons made him the highest drafted tight end ever in 2021. Even so, he is still uber talented and actually being underdrafted in fantasy leagues.
The 25-year-old has a 1,000-yard season to his name, and his athletic abilities allow him to do things that most players at his position simply can't do. Pitts' 84.2 standard fantasy points last year were the 12th most in the league, meaning he was a starting-caliber fantasy player in 12-man leagues. Despite proven, albeit underwhelming production, Pitts is only TE16 this year, according to fantasypros.com.
Pitts has proven that he can be a fantasy starter, and he still has that lingering potential to truly become a superstar. A full season with Michael Penix Jr. under center may help Pitts finally break out.
4. Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins
Darren Waller is certainly a risky player to draft in fantasy football leagues. The former Pro Bowler didn't play last season, but he came out of retirement to join the Miami Dolphins. Waller hasn't had 1,000 yards in a season since 2020, but he doesn't have much competition for reps in Miami.
Jonnu Smith went from little-know player to one of the best fantasy football tight ends with the Dolphins last year. Smith, who is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was the fourth-best tight end with 222.3 PPR points last season. Before putting up 884 yards, Smith had only once surpassed 500 yards in a season, and his career started back in 2017.
Tua Tagovailoa doesn't have the strongest arm, so despite having Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle at his disposal, he likes to target tight ends. Waller is a high-risk, high-reward fantasy player, but he could pay off. He offers great value, considering he has an average draft position of 225.5. Waller is going undrafted in many fantasy leagues, but there is a path to him producing similarly to how Smith did last season.
3. Evan Engram, Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos took huge strides forward with Sean Payton at the helm and Bo Nix under center last season. The one thing the team didn't have was a “Joker” player, which Payton loves in his offenses. A joker is a running back or tight end who can catch an unusual number of passes for his position.
The team got that player when they signed Evan Engram. Engram has long been one of the most underrated pass-catching tight ends. He is an athletic freak with great size who has caught 496 passes over his career. Nix and the Broncos are ready to take the next step, and Engram is going to play a big part in contending for the Super Bowl.
Engram is only TE8 and is being drafted around pick number 88, but he could rack up the points in PPR leagues and shine as a red zone threat.
2. Jonnu Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers
The aforementioned Smith hasn't been often enough talked about since switching teams, but he could be in for another productive year. Aaron Rodgers is quarterbacking the Steelers these days. Although the future Hall of Famer isn't the caliber of player he once was, he is still just a few seasons removed from back-to-back MVP campaigns.
With Rodgers aging, it would make sense for him to rely more on his tight end security blankets. After all, Rodgers' athletic abilities declined some during his tenure with the New York Jets.
Of course, Smith will have to compete for targets with fellow tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, but Freiermuth usually only catches 60 passes per season, far less than the 88 receptions Smith had last season. Washington, meanwhile, hasn't developed quite as expected.
1. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
Dalton Kincaid was mentioned as one of the elite tight ends currently in the league, but he is also actually a sleeper pick in fantasy football drafts this year. Kincaid had a great rookie season in 2023, but his numbers weren't as gaudy last year. Kincaid caught 73 passes for 673 yards in his first season, and experts projected improvement in year two.
Instead, Kincaid finished as fantasy tight end number 30, as he only had 44 catches for 448 yards. Kincaid should get back on track in year three, and he could even improve upon his rookie numbers. The receiving talent around Josh Allen is still lackluster in Buffalo, so the Bills will need players to step up in the passing game.
Kincaid is TE15 and has an average draft position of 127.5. His touchdown production is bound to improve after only crossing the end zone twice in each of the last two seasons. With Allen coming off an MVP season in which he ran a lot, defenses may force Allen to throw more often this year.
The Bills' offense is built for big plays, and Kincaid should have a bigger impact in their offense this year. He is the biggest tight end sleeper pick in fantasy football ahead of the 2025 season.
![Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) can’t haul in a reception before an NFL preseason matchup at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/771877852-travis-hunter-bobble.jpg)
