We spent years neglecting the tight end position in fantasy football. When drafting, we used to look at them like an afterthought in the NFL and our fantasy football drafts.
Nowadays, excellent tight ends elevate your roster into contender mode. We all know the big names to draft, like Travis Kelce, Sam LaPorta, Mark Andrews and more. Today, we will share with you the tight ends outside the top 12 (TE2s) with top-5 potential in your fantasy football league. Some of these tight end sleepers will have safer floors than others, but the beauty of drafting these tight ends is that if they don’t work, you can work the waiver wire all season long as you stream your way to success.
Let’s start with a few of our favorite tight end sleepers to draft outside the top 12 in current rankings.
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 NFL Draft Guide
- 2024 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Tight End Sleepers: Fantasy Football Draft Values
Pat Freiermuth (TE-PIT)
Pat Freiermuth has entered the chat once again with the arrival of Arthur Smith and his offense that helped reignite Jonnu Smith this past year (even if he had a Kyle Pitts right there). Those Atlanta Falcons tight ends totaled a whopping 164 targets at their position. Atlanta finished with the third-highest tight end targets in the NFL last season.
Freiermuth was TE7 two years ago, so the high-end outcome is there as he turns into a reception machine in his position. He has been targeted at nearly 20% (19.6) of his career routes. That total is even higher than everyone’s offseason darling George Pickens (16.8%).
With his upgrades at quarterback and his ability to threaten defenses in the red zone, Freiermuth can elevate your team’s production weekly to help you dominate your league.
Luke Musgrave (TE-GB)
There are few tight ends as athletic as Luke Musgrave. At 6-foot-6 and 250-plus pounds, Musgrave can dominate over the middle of the field and has all the tools to become one of the better pass catchers in the game. Musgrave numbers won’t jump off the page, but let’s remember that he lacerated his kidney this past season. Musgrave was averaging a beautiful 7.3 fantasy points per game before he got hurt, and he gets another year with his young budding superstar quarterback Jordan Love. There are a lot of mouths to feed in Green Bay, but Musgrave’s mismatching ability will help fuel this offense.
Hunter Henry (TE-NE)
We get it: Hunter Henry isn’t a “sexy” pick for your roster. However, his Average Draft Position (ADP) is 163, which means you can load your roster elsewhere and then nail your tight end at the end of the draft. Henry produced 10 total touchdowns, which was second-best at his position this past year. We understand touchdowns are fluid from year to year, but his situation warrants another look at Hunter Henry.
The New England Patriots will have Jacoby Brissett or rookie Drake Maye under center with multiple rookie wide receivers. Young wideouts tend to take some time to adjust to the NFL, and Hunter Henry will become the safety value for the rookie or seasoned vet. It isn’t beautiful on paper, but Henry’s fantasy production can be stunning for your lineup whenever you look at the scoreboard and see W by your name.
Cade Otton (TE-TB)
Do you know who ran the second-most routes at tight end? That’s right, it was Cade Otton. It’s not fun or sexy, but with an aging Mike Evans, you never know when this late-round dart throw can pay off. Toward the end of 2023, Baler Mayfield started to use Otton more, as he totaled nine targets in the last two regular-season games. Using just Otton is risky, so you may want to stream or draft a second body late, but availability is the most significant ability.
If you ever need more help or want a unique look at one of your rosters, don’t hesitate to contact me on X at @jpep20. Good luck in your 2024 off-season drafting!
More Fantasy Football Draft Advice
- Erickson’s Must-Have Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium)
- Fitz’s Must-Have Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium)
- DBro’s Must-Have Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium)
- Hoppen’s Must-Have Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
