Without a doubt, the tight end position is the most frustrating in all of fantasy football. Outside of the upper-echelon stars like Travis Kelce and Darren Waller, consistent production is hard to come by. Drafting an elite option at tight end early can be a winning strategy, but if you wait until the later rounds of your draft to snag one, there’s value to be found. Here are six tight end sleepers for the 2021 season.
Average Draft Position referenced using FantasyPros consensus ADP for half-PPR scoring.
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Anthony Firkser (TEN): TE27
Firkser is my surprise pick for a TE1 finish this season. Sure, Tennessee brought in Julio Jones, but the team also lost Corey Davis, Adam Humphries, and Jonnu Smith in the process. The ball has to go somewhere other than Jones or AJ Brown, and Firkser is a better bet than Josh Reynolds. We saw Ryan Tannehill support a WR1 (Brown), a reliable flex (Davis) and a TE1 (Smith) in 2020, and he can do it again in 2021.
Zach Ertz (PHI): TE19
Prior to last season’s utter debacle, Ertz had strung together five straight top-10 seasons, including three top-5 finishes at his position. That type of consistent production doesn’t just evaporate into thin air. Despite persistent rumors of a trade, Ertz will reportedly be on the Eagles roster to open the season, and if that’s the case, why can’t he be fantasy relevant? His 2020 receiving yards and touchdowns were the lowest of his career, and his receptions were his lowest mark since his rookie campaign. I’m not going to let one bad season and some trade rumors completely sour my outlook on Ertz just yet. He’s still a mid-range TE2 with easy top-10 upside.
Jared Cook (LAC): TE21
After a successful stint in the Big Easy, Cook finds himself with another TE-needy team. Hunter Henry is off to Boston with the Pats, leaving a significant void for the Bolts. Though he often flies under the radar, Cook’s fantasy finishes over the last four seasons are: TE13, TE5, TE7, TE17. Though his receiving yards and receptions have declined in each of the last two seasons, Cook has buoyed his fantasy value with touchdowns – a lot of them. Over the past three seasons, he’s scored 22 times. That’s the type of upside we’re looking for in a late-round sleeper, especially at this position. Cook can be a legitimate red-zone weapon for Justin Herbert in 2021, and I expect him to handily outperform his ADP.
Dan Arnold (CAR): TE36
Arnold is on the fantasy radar in 2021 after career highs in receiving last season. The fourth-year man went 31/438/4 with the Cardinals and levied those stats into a sweet new deal with the Panthers. He’s reportedly developed a strong rapport with Sam Darnold in training camp, and he fills an obvious position of need for Carolina. The pun lover in me will rejoice if “Darnold to D. Arnold!” becomes a regular announcement this season.
Jack Doyle/Mo Alie-Cox (IND): TE43 & TE34
Doyle has the edge over MAC Daddy entering Week 1 due to his veteran status and proven track record. He’s listed as the top tight end on the depth chart, but that doesn’t mean Alie-Cox can’t take that job from him during the season through strong play. Both guys are big and physical with a strong red-zone presence, measuring in at 6’6, 260 lbs. With Carson Wentz – a guy who has favored his tight ends in the past – at the helm and plenty of question marks at receiver, both Doyle and Alie-Cox have a good chance to outperform their current ADPs. I’d take Doyle over Alie-Cox right now, but both could be viable options this season.
- Fantasy Football Sleepers: Wide Receivers
- Fantasy Football Sleepers: Running Backs
- Fantasy Football Sleepers: Quarterbacks
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Zachary Hanshew is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Zachary, check out his archive and follow him @zakthemonster.
