The tight end position came roaring back to life last season. Between the young players making impacts early and often and some players we’ve been waiting on putting up career bests, there has never been a better time to be a tight-end needy team in fantasy football. One of the fastest-growing scoring formats with last year’s success at the position is tight-end premium scoring, rewarding additional points to tight ends per reception. The good news is that no matter what your scoring or your draft strategy is, there is value to be had at nearly every level of the draft.
When talking about tight-end sleepers, the need for a true sleeper has indeed lessened in one tight-end or non-premium leagues. That being said, there is still an opportunity for you to capitalize on other positions and find a nice option or two late in drafts to stream the position well enough to compete all season long. When looking for this kind of value at tight end, you need to look for two things: opportunity and athleticism. Josh Norris of Underdog Fantasy said it best when he said, “Not every great athlete is a great tight end, but almost all great tight ends are great athletes.”
Note: ADPs are taken from Sleeper as of August 15th.
Luke Musgrave (TE, GB)
ADP 147/TE17 (My Ranking: 143rd Overall)
Musgrave should lead the Packers’ tight ends in fantasy points. He is tied to a young quarterback on the rise in Jordan Love. There is a lot to like in Green Bay. Musgrave does need to contend with Tucker Kraft all season long, which is why his ADP falls as low as it does. If he were to win the job outright, Musgrave could be an exceptional talent. He saw only four games in his rookie campaign where he played 75% of the snaps or more, and in those games, he was on pace to be the TE9. In year two in Matt Lafleur’s system, Musgrave has the potential to be in the TE1 conversation if he can stay healthy and fend off Kraft all season long. If you punt the position, he is a nice upside play in the 13th round.
Isaiah Likely (TE, BAL)
ADP 182/TE19 (My Ranking: 123rd Overall)
Likely proved in Mark Andrews’s absence that he deserves more playing time. During the final five games of the season, Likely posted four TE1 finishes, three of which were TE5 or better. Not only that, but his 15 fantasy points per game pace would have been good enough to be the TE1 overall on the season and a top-three tight end in each of their last five seasons. Todd Monken has already hinted that Likely will be used in creative ways in 2024. If this does come to fruition, we could see a breakout season from the third-year pass catcher. After Andrews, there are questions about what Zay Flowers’s ceiling could be. There is an outside chance that Likely contends to be second on the team in targets this year.
Cade Otton (TE, TB)
ADP 185/TE19 (My Ranking: 180th Overall)
In tight-end premium or two tight-end leagues, Otton could be a breakout candidate. He took a small step forward last season, and as he enters year three he is being used all over the formation during training camp. He should be able to eclipse the 500-yard mark while posting as many as five touchdowns. Otton is a deeper league play, but if you can play the matchups well, he provides some blow-up week opportunities. You could do much worse in the 16th round of your drafts.
Ben Sinnott (TE, WAS)
ADP 201/TE20 (My Ranking: 257th Overall)
Sinnott is the tight-end value you NEED in dynasty leagues. That being said, in redraft, he is going to start the season behind Zach Ertz, who also made us wait for the Trey McBride breakout. Keep him on your watch list, not on your roster, for the early season in shallow leagues. If you play in anything bigger than a ten-man league, Sinnott is not a bad bench stash in the final rounds of your draft. Sinnott scored a 9.73 out of 10 relative athletic score during his combine showing. He also eclipsed 600 receiving yards and six touchdowns in his final year in college. Ertz is much older than when he held McBride back, and he may not be able to hold Sinnott off the field for long.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurtwasemiller on Twitter / @kurt_player02 on Instagram)