FantasyPros Staff | Fri, Aug 1st 2025, 3:37am EDT

8 Tight Ends With Massive Upside (2025 Fantasy Football)

Chasing upside is the name of the game when building a championship-winning fantasy football roster. Whether you’re looking for breakout stars, league-winning late-round picks, or high-risk, high-reward talents, targeting players with massive ceilings can be the difference between a good team and a great one. To help you identify this year’s top boom-or-bust candidates, we’ve gathered insights from our collection of Featured Pros experts. These analysts have pinpointed their favorite high-upside players for the 2025 fantasy football season. Check out the tight ends who could explode and become true difference-makers. Let’s dive into the expert picks.

High-Upside Fantasy Football Draft Picks: Tight Ends

Tight Ends

Which TE comes with the most upside at his current positional half-PPR ADP and which player(s) would you pass on with a higher ADP at his position?

Mason Taylor (TE – NYJ)

“Mason Taylor is one of my favorite sleeper candidates and is vastly undervalued as the TE27 in the ADP. New York threw the ball 607 times last season, the fifth-most in the NFL. While that won’t be the case in 2025 with Justin Fields under center, the Jets’ only meaningful weapon in the passing game is Garrett Wilson. Therefore, Taylor has a clear pathway to finish second on the team in targets as a rookie. More importantly, Fields has a history of making his tight end a weekly starting option for fantasy players. The last time he was a full-time starter was in 2023 when Cole Kmet finished the year as the TE7 in half-point PPR. Taylor should get drafted as a top-14 tight end. Yet, he has a lower ADP than Chig Okonkwo and Pat Freiermuth.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)

Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL)

“This is going to anger some folks, but … Kyle Pitts. Upside? Pitts topped 1,000 receiving yards as a 21-year-old rookie. Yes, recent seasons have been disappointing, but Pitts comes into the 2025 season healthy and with a year of experience in Falcons OC Zac Robinson’s offense. I’d take Pitts over Dalton Kincaid, Jonnu Smith, and rookies Tyler Waren and Colston Loveland.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

Oronde Gadsden II (TE – LAC)

“Let’s take a chance on Oronde Gadsden II. He’s basically free in drafts right now and could eventually win the starting job in a good offense over veterans Tyler Conklin and Will Dissly. He’s more talented than the aforementioned vets, and if he learns the game quickly, he could be in for a surprise rookie season.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)

Evan Engram (TE – DEN)

“Evan Engram is a top-five tight end this season. I’ll draft him over Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, and T.J. Hockenson. Evan Engram could SMASH his ADP this year as Sean Payton’s Joker. Everyone will point to last year as a reason to have worries about Engram, who ranked 20th in yards per route run, but his target-drawing ability was just fine, ranking fifth in targets per route run and third in target share. He was also dealing with shoulder and hamstring issues. Those were his first injuries to deal with during a season since 2021. In Engram’s two previous seasons, he ranked 13th and 14th in yards per route run and second and 12th in target share (per Fantasy Points Data). Also, in 2023-2024, Engram excelled in one of the hallmark metrics that I look at when evaluating talent and upside at the tight end position: yards per route run versus man coverage. In those seasons, Engram ranked fourth and eighth in this metric. Engram’s best competition for targets is Courtland Sutton. Engram could lead Denver in targets this season.”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)

“I love the value of Mark Andrews (TE7) this year, but give me Evan Engram as the TE8. Both have the potential to be THE TE1 this season, but only Engram falls into the perfect role in an ascending offense with a QB who will be looking to check down. Andrews is great, but Sean Payton’s Joker role is the one I want to profit from in fantasy drafts. As for a tight end I’ll avoid, it’s Sam LaPorta. Given my love for Jamo (discussed above), LaPorta’s upside appears limited to me. He has the talent, but there are too many mouths to feed in Detroit and too many better options at the position later than the TE4 off the board. I’ll pass.”
– Jeremy Shulman (Fantasy Football Universe)

Hunter Henry (TE – NE)

“If you end up waiting on TE, Hunter Henry seems like a good late-round target to bet on. He’s reunited with former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Back in 2021, under McDaniels, Henry had one of his best seasons: 50 receptions, 603 yards, and 9 TDs. Henry finished as TE9 in 2021. McDaniels returns to Foxborough, this time under new head coach Mike Vrabel. And with Drake Maye seemingly ready to take another step forward, the pieces seem to be in place for Henry to have a good year. Henry’s current ADP at TE 19 seems cheap given the improved situation in New England. I would take Hunter Henry over: Tyler Warren, David Njoku, Colston Loveland, and Jake Ferguson. Oh, Henry! It’s like taking candy from a baby, haha!”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)

Jake Ferguson (TE – DAL)

“Jake Ferguson may not be the sexiest name, but he will produce if Dak Prescott is on the field. It has been a consistent theme of Dak’s career: if he is healthy, Dallas’ TE1 walks to 90 targets every. single. year. Ferguson was crippled a year ago by Prescott’s season-ending hamstring injury in week 8, scoring not a single touchdown for the Cowboys. Positive touchdown regression is coming for Ferguson in 2025, and it shouldn’t shock anyone if he pushes top-10 plus numbers by season’s end. Draft Ferguson over the likes of Dallas Goedert and Jonnu Smith, both completely unexciting options at the position.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)

Tucker Kraft (TE – GB)

“In 2024, Tucker Kraft led all tight ends in yards after the catch per reception (8.8). In 2023, the two top tight ends in YAC/reception (George Kittle, Jonnu Smith) both finished as top-4 fantasy options the following season. Kraft has elite upside if he can emerge as the alpha in the Packers’ receiving room, which is filled to the brim with beta fish. Would easily draft Kraft over both Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)

Brenton Strange (TE – JAC)

“Brenton Strange is being drafted behind Cade Otton, Mike Gesicki, and Hunter Henry right now. He is going off the board at pick 170 and TE23. He is a top-12 tight end who is free and showed top-6 tight end upside last year. Love the value and love the price.”
– David Heilman (Sports Gambling Podcast Network)

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