It’s been this way for years, but the tight end position in fantasy football is the epitome of going “hero” or “zero,” meaning, if you miss out on one of the top players, you punt the position until much later in your draft.
For example, the difference in points scored by the TE8 in 2024 (Sam LaPorta) and the TE20 (Dalton Schultz and Tyler Conklin tied) was 49 points.
However, using average draft position (ADP) from 2025, the difference in draft slots from TE8 to TE20 is nearly 100 spots. In between those spots, you can get ample value that’ll more than make up for that difference. Below are three tight end fantasy football sleepers going as the TE10 or later.
It’s been this way for years, but the tight end position in fantasy football is the epitome of going “hero” or “zero,” meaning, if you miss out on one of the top players, you punt the position until much later in your draft.
For example, the difference in points scored by the TE8 in 2024 (Sam LaPorta) and the TE20 (Dalton Schultz and Tyler Conklin tied) was 49 points.
However, using average draft position (ADP) from 2025, the difference in draft slots from TE8 to TE20 is nearly 100 spots. In between those spots, you can get ample value that’ll more than make up for that difference. Below are three tight end fantasy football sleepers going as the TE10 or later.
Tight End Fantasy Football Sleepers
Tyler Warren’s ADP has risen, and I think it may only continue to climb as more fantasy drafts draw near. Coming out of college, Warren was the No. 1 target on a Penn State Nittany Lions offense with Drew Allar as his quarterback.
Warren did it all. He caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 11.9 yards per reception. He also totalled 26 carries and went for 218 yards and four touchdowns.
Now, Warren heads to a Colts team that has named Daniel Jones its starting quarterback. While Jones isn’t exactly winning the MVP award this year, he’s a far more stable passer than Anthony Richardson. Over his career, Jones has had an average depth of target (aDOT) of 7.5 yards.
While Warren can certainly be used all over, given what he showed in college, 41.5% of his targets came on passes 0-9 yards downfield. Warren should be a common target for Jones in this offense, and they’ll be trailing in many games.
A few years ago, the Packers drafted Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave. The latter was expected to be the one to shine, but instead, it’s been Kraft. Last season, he caught 50 passes for 707 yards and seven touchdowns. While the targets weren’t great (70), he showed a lot of “what could be” if given more opportunities.
Across all tight ends with at least 50 targets, Kraft led them all in yards after the catch per reception (9.3). The next closest player was George Kittle (6.6). He was fifth in overall yards after the catch, trailing Brock Bowers by 131 yards, who had more than double the amount of targets (153).
If Kraft can get up to even 90 targets, his value will soar even further.
Looking far down the list, why not the 24-year-old tight end who’s in his fourth season? Last year, Brenton Strange caught 40 passes on 53 targets for 411 yards and two touchdowns. Remember, Evan Engram was still on the team, though he only played in nine games. Strange now gets a full season as the starter.
Of course, there are other options available, including Brian Thomas Jr., rookie phenom Travis Hunter and even various options in the backfield. However, the Jaguars now have an offensive mastermind at head coach in Liam Coen. He helped Baker Mayfield get to 41 touchdown passes last season.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is a former No. 1 overall pick, but he is coming off an injury. In 10 games last season, he completed 60.6% of his passes for 2,045 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s never thrown more than 25 touchdowns in a season.
If Coen can unlock something, Strange should still benefit. He could be a great option if you punt on the position and draft someone else, hoping to get some value later in drafts.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
