4 TE2s With Top-5 Potential (2026 Fantasy Football)

The tight end position in fantasy football used to be the single biggest headache if you didn’t draft one in the early rounds. Now you can find a handful of tight ends in the middle to late rounds with upside. Drafting a TE2 who even finishes as a TE1 gives you a nice advantage at the position because you don’t have to spend that luxury pick on Brock Bowers, Trey McBride or Colston Loveland.

The key to finding a tight end with top-five upside, however, is a bit more challenging. It starts with nailing a tight end with a path to being second on the team for targets. Below are four tight ends ranked as TE2s in FantasyPros’ expert consensus ranking (ECR). They could each finish second on their respective teams in targets, thus finishing top-five overall at the position.

Fantasy Football TE2s With Top-5 Potential

Mark Andrews (TE – BAL) | ECR: TE15

Someone like Mark Andrews belongs in this conversation because not only has he finished at or near the top five, but he’s also been the TE1 overall.

Out of last year’s top-five tight ends, only Kyle Pitts ran fewer than 200 routes from the slot (174). Andrews has consistently hit this number when healthy.

With Isaiah Likely now out of the picture, Andrews’ route participation should climb from last year’s 62.9%. Despite the limited role, Andrews still finished second on the team in targets, receptions and yards.

Andrews is always a force in the red zone. Among all tight ends, he ranked ninth in red-zone targets, tied for third in end-zone targets and seventh in fantasy points per route run with a minimum of 200 routes run, per the Fantasy Points Data Suite.

The change in coordinator also adds some intrigue. Declan Doyle started his coaching career under Sean Payton before spending last season in Chicago with Ben Johnson. It gives Baltimore ties to two of the most creative offensive minds in the game.

If Andrews sees more usage with Likely gone, a return to the top five would not be that surprising.

There are very few tight ends ranked as TE2s who can match Andrews’ combination of precise route running, touchdown upside and prior elite fantasy production.

Dallas Goedert (TE – PHI) | ECR: TE13

With A.J. Brown now in New England, there’s a significant amount of volume available for the pass-catchers in this offense. DallaGoedert saw 80 targets last season, so a jump to 100 isn’t out of the question.

We know Devonta Smith is the front-runner to lead the team. You have a couple of viable rookies in Makai Lemon and Eli Stowers, who will be involved, but Goedert should be the favorite to finish second on the team in targets.

Goedert already saw an 18.4% target share last season, ranking eighth among tight ends. He also finished 10th in receptions and tied for seventh in red-zone targets, which shows he was already a focal point of this offense.

If he’s able to see even more volume following Brown’s departure, Goedert has a legitimate path to a top-five finish like he did last year in half-PPR.

Isaiah Likely (TE – NYG) | ECR: TE14

Fantasy managers have long been enamored with the idea of Isaiah Likely being a full-time starter. After four seasons behind Mark Andrews, he gets his opportunity now with the New York Giants.

The receiver room is also winnable for targets. Outside of Malik Nabers, the Giants have Darnell Mooney, Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin and third-round rookie selection Malachi Fields.

Likely could get out to a fast start if Nabers is limited early in the season while recovering from an ACL injury he suffered last September. Nabers also underwent a cleanup procedure this past May.

Last season, Likely posted career lows in targets, receptions and yards, but it’s important to remember that he dealt with a foot injury that required surgery. When healthy, we’ve already seen him produce TE1 numbers, even alongside Andrews.

Back in 2024, according to the Fantasy Points Data Suite, Likely ranked eighth in yards per route run, 14th in targets per route run and seventh in first downs per route run among tight ends with at least 150 routes run.

If he becomes someone Jaxson Dart leans on in this offense, no one should be surprised at a TE5 overall finish in Likely’s first season as a starter.

Chig Okonkwo (TE WSH) | ECR: TE20

Admittedly, Chig Okonkwo is a darkhorse candidate to finish in the top five. He would need a lot to go his way, but Okonkwo is set up for a breakout season in Washington.

When you look at the rest of the pass-catchers, outside of Terry McLaurin, who is a major threat? He has more career catches than Luke McCaffrey and Treylon Burks combined.

There’s also the rookie Antonio Williams, and it remains to be seen whether the Commanders sign a veteran free agent such as Keenan Allen or Stefon Diggs. Or Brandon Aiyuk if he becomes available.

With that said, Okonkwo still has a realistic path to earning the second-most targets in this offense.

The new Commander was in Tennessee and last season, despite only seeing a 57.9% route share. Zach Ertz handled over 70% of routes, so it’s reasonable to expect Okonkwo to mirror that usage.

The flashes have been there. In the final five games last season, among 29 qualifying tight ends, Okonkwo ranked 10th in yards per route run, first in targets per route run, first in yards after catch per reception and seventh in fantasy points per route run.

Okonkwo did all this while running fewer routes than Cole Kmet, ranking 24th in route percentage (55.3%).

Every year, one tight end we least expect finds his way into the top-five conversation, like Kyle Pitts and Harold Fannin Jr., last season. Why can’t Chig Okonkwo be next?