Fantasy football is a fun game where strategy and skills matter a lot. One crucial position to pay attention to is the tight end. In this article, we'll talk about three tight ends in fantasy football that might be even better than people think. These players could bring a lot of value to your team, even if they're not picked early in the drafts.

Remember that as we get closer to the 2023 NFL season, fantasy football managers are getting ready for their drafts. While famous players usually get picked first, it's important to remember the ones that aren't as well-known but can still help your team a lot. We're going to focus on three tight ends that many folks don't realize could do great things in 2023. These are Darren Waller, Greg Dulcich, and Isaiah Likely.

Let's begin!

1. Darren Waller (New York Giants)

Darren Waller is a tight end who can do a lot of different things. He can play close to the line or farther out. Because he's big, fast, and really good at what he does, Waller could be one of the best tight ends in fantasy football this year. Take note that the Giants saw Waller as the best “WR” available this year. They probably thought this because Waller is good at being the first choice for passes, just like a wide receiver.

That said, Waller didn't do as well in the last two seasons because he had some injuries. However, in the two seasons before that, he did really well. He got an average of 18.7 fantasy points in special formats for tight ends. Also, lots of people had him on their teams when they went to the playoffs. Even in 2021, before Davante Adams came to the Raiders (his former team), Waller was the third most-targeted tight end and the second-best in getting yards per game. Keep in mind that the Giants don't have anyone on the team like Adams who gets the ball a lot. As such, Waller has a good chance to get more targets.

Of course, Waller had some problems with his ankle, knee, and hamstring in the last two years. When he had these issues, he didn't play as well. Especially in 2022, he only ran routes in about 65.7 percent of the plays. In the first few games of the season, he was in more plays, but after that, he wasn't. This means he might have been hurt for a big part of the year.

Still, Waller now doesn't have to compete with Adams and is feeling better. It should not be surprising that he did really well in training camp. People are saying great things about him all the time. If he doesn't get hurt, he could be one of the top five tight ends this year.

2. Greg Dulcich (Denver Broncos)

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Sophomore Greg Dulcich is a player who can do a lot of different things, just like Waller. He's really good at scoring close to the opponent's end zone, so he could get a lot of touchdowns. We believe he has TE10 potential in fantasy football this year. Last season, Dulcich got an average of 41.1 yards per game. This was the sixth-best for any rookie tight end since at least 1990. He did this by running a lot during the games.

Since it's his second year playing, we should remember that a lot of tight ends do really well in their second year. Many of the best tight ends had their breakout season in the second year. This is a good time to believe in a player like Dulcich. Yes, Dulcich has been sharing playing time with Adam Trautman during practice games. Still, this doesn't mean he won't do well in the regular season.

Remember that Dulcich will probably be picked later in the drafts. This means it's okay if he doesn't do as well sometimes. Most of the teams in your league probably won't have a really good tight end anyway. If Dulcich does better than expected, he could be one of the best tight ends in the league. He's got that special upside.

3. Isaiah Likely (Baltimore Ravens)

Isaiah Likely could be great for your fantasy football team. Of course, if he were on a different team, he might be the player we're most excited about. When Mark Andrews didn't run a lot during the games, Likely got a lot of passes thrown to him and got an average of 68.0 yards per game. When he played in games for more than half the time, he got an average of 15.8 fantasy points. He's already shown that he can be one of the five best tight ends.

Take note, however, that the Ravens got some new wide receivers during the offseason. As such, they might use a different setup for their team when they play. This could mean that Likely won't get to play as much. That said, if Mark Andrews gets hurt, Likely could do really well and be one of the best 10 tight ends or even help a team win the whole league.

Looking Ahead

To sum it up, Darren Waller, Greg Dulcich, and Isaiah Likely are three tight ends in fantasy football who aren't getting as much attention as they deserve. These players could do much better than where they get picked and help your team a lot. When you're picking players for your fantasy football team, don't forget about these players and the good things they could do for your season.