We ranked every tight end by projected season-long fantasy football points to build a “projection rank,” then compared that to each back’s actual expert consensus rank (ECR). These are the tight ends where the raw, points-based projection is significantly higher on the player than our experts’ rank.
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2026 Fantasy Football Draft Advice: Tight Ends Projections Love
Here are tight ends fantasy football projections love for 2026.
Greg Dulcich (MIA) — ECR: TE35 | Projection Rank: TE22 | Projected FPTS: 106.2 | Diff: +13
Injuries and inconsistent usage have thus far kept four-year veteran Greg Dulcich from establishing a firm foothold in the NFL, but in 2026 he’ll have a chance to be a prominent contributor to a Dolphins offense that lacks proven pass-catching talent. Hamstring injuries limited Dulcich to 10 games as a rookie with the Broncos in 2022 and two games in his second season. Dulcich played four games for Denver in 2024, was released in November, then played five late-season games for the Giants. Dulcich signed with Miami midway through the 2025 season and had 26 catches for 335 yards and a touchdown in 10 games. The Dolphins re-signed Dulcich to another one-year deal in the offseason, and he now sits atop their depth chart at tight end. Miami selected three wise receivers in this year’s draft, and none of the veteran receivers on the roster have ever had more than 610 receiving yards in a season. Although Miami isn’t expected to have a high-powered passing attack with the inexperienced Malik Willis taking over as the starting quarterback, Dulcich could be a sneaky-good fantasy option this year.
Pat Freiermuth (PIT) — ECR: TE27 | Projection Rank: TE21 | Projected FPTS: 107.5 | Diff: +6
Pat Freiermuth was the Steelers’ best pass-catching tight end last season, but that didn’t mean much, as Freiermuth finished with 41 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns. He finished TE24 in half-point PPR fantasy scoring. The Steelers’ offensive coordinator last season, Arthur Smith, rotated his tight ends, and Freiermuth had a career-low 51% snap share last year. Freiermuth has topped 60 catches in three of his five NFL seasons, and he’s squarely in his prime at age 27. If new Steelers head coach Mike McCathy and new offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio make Freiermuth a bigger part of the Pittsburgh offense than he was under Smith last year, the veteran tight end could surprise.
Dallas Goedert (PHI) — ECR: TE13 | Projection Rank: TE8 | Projected FPTS: 146.6 | Diff: +5
Dallas Goedert not only scored a career-high 11 touchdowns in 2025, but he more than doubled his previous single-season high. Goedert had never scored more than five touchdowns in any of his seven previous NFL seasons. Six of Goedert’s TDs last year came on variations of shovel passes from the 5-yard line or closer, as the shovel pass to Goedert became a short-range alternative to the Eagles’ “tush push” QB sneaks. Goedert also hit a career high with 60 receptions last season, although he averaged a career-low 9.9 yards per catch. The 31-year-old Goedert clearly has gas left in the tank. The question is whether the Eagles’ new offensive coordinator, Sean Mannion, will feature Goedert near the goal line as much as departed Eagles OC Kevin Patullo did.
Cade Otton (TB) — ECR: TE28 | Projection Rank: TE24 | Projected FPTS: 101.7 | Diff: +4
Cade Otton has had 59 receptions in each of the last two seasons. He finished with 572 receiving yards and one touchdown last year, leading to a TE25 fantasy finish. Otton has had spurts of serious fantasy value in the past, usually when one or more of the Bucs’ top pass catchers were hurt. When Buccaneers WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin both went down with significant injuries in Week 7 of 2024, Otton had 30 catches for 293 yards and three touchdowns over a four game stretch. In Otton’s other 10 games that season, he had 29 catches for 307 yards and one touchdown. With Evans now in San Francisco, perhaps Otton will play a bigger role in the Tampa Bay offense this year. But Otton profiles as no more than a high-end TE3 and isn’t draftable in most fantasy leagues.
Kyle Pitts Sr. (ATL) — ECR: TE8 | Projection Rank: TE5 | Projected FPTS: 156.0 | Diff: +3
Kyle Pitts entered the 2025 season with the reputation of being a perennial fantasy tease. The former No. 3 overall draft pick tried to rehabilitate his image with 88 catches for 928 yards and five touchdowns last year, good for a TE2 finish in half-point PPR fantasy scoring. Pitts scored three of his five touchdowns and had his only 100-yard game of the season in Week 15, when he erupted for 11 catches, 166 yards and three scores vs. the Buccaneers. It was Pitts’ best season since his 1,026-yard rookie campaign in 2021. The Falcons don’t have a lot of firepower at wide receiver beyond Drake London, so Pitts could very well be Atlanta’s No. 2 target earner this season. And while the QB duo of Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t seem very appealing, it’s worth remembering that Mike Gesicki and Jonnu Smith had the best fantasy seasons of their careers with Tua as their primary QB.
Hunter Henry (NE) — ECR: TE19 | Projection Rank: TE16 | Projected FPTS: 125.5 | Diff: +3
With 60 catches for 768 yards and seven touchdowns last season, Hunter Henry finished TE7 in half-point PPR fantasy scoring and TE12 in fantasy points per game among TEs who played at least five games. That was a career high in yardage for Henry, and his 8.8 yards per target represented his best mark in that category since 2017. Henry seems to have good rapport with young Patriots QB Drake Maye, and the 31-year-old tight end hasn’t shown signs of slowing down. But New England’s potential addition of WR A.J. Brown could put at least a slight dent in Henry’s target share.
Mark Andrews (BAL) — ECR: TE15 | Projection Rank: TE13 | Projected FPTS: 133.1 | Diff: +2
Is Mark Andrews poised for a bump in productivity now that TE Isaiah Likely has left the Ravens for the Giants, leaving Andrews as the only established pass-catching tight end on the Baltimore roster? Or is Andrews, who turns 31 on Sept. 6, simply out of gas? Andrews’ production cratered last season. He had career lows in yards per game (24.8), yards per catch (8.8) and yards per target (6.0). Some of Andrews’ problems were undoubtedly related to Lamar Jackson‘s 2025 health issues. The Ravens’ starting QB missed four regular-season games and didn’t appear to be fully healthy in others. If Jackson returns to form and Andrews sees a target increase in the absence of Likely, Andrews could offer midrange TE1 numbers at a low-end TE1/high-end TE2 price. Andrews has drawn 69 and 70 targets the last two seasons despite playing 17 regular-season games both years. He drew 153 targets in 2021 and 113 targets in 15 games in 2022.
Dalton Schultz (HOU) — ECR: TE21 | Projection Rank: TE19 | Projected FPTS: 115.6 | Diff: +2
Dalton Schultz had 82 catches for 777 yards and three touchdowns in 2025 to finish TE11 in half-point PPR fantasy scoring. The modest TD total limited his fantasy impact, but Schultz finished tied with Jake Ferguson for third among tight ends in receptions behind only Trey McBride and Kyle Pitts. Schultz finished sixth among TEs in receiving yards. The Texans have an established star at wide receiver with Nico Collins, and Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel and (if healthy) Tank Dell round out a pretty good WR corps. With robust target competition, Schultz might be hard-pressed to match the career-high 106 targets he saw last season. And since Houston has one of the best defenses in the league, the Texans aren’t likely to be a pass-heavy team in 2026. It’s best to consider Schultz a midrange TE2 for fantasy, even though he was more than that last season.
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