For the first time in many years, tight end no longer feels like a one or two-man position, with a minefield of unreliable and/or uninteresting names beyond the top tier. Just take a quick look at our consensus position ranks; you can tell yourself a good-to-great story about any of those first dozen names.
If you only play in fantasy football leagues of typical size and shape, you may not find it necessary to draft any tight end who actually qualifies as a sleeper (however you choose to define that terrible and complicated term).
However, we recognize that plenty of you have fantasy needs that extend well beyond the top of the ranks at each roster position. For you, we are pleased to offer a group of four TE sleepers that have the talent necessary to deliver a top-10-ish season — if things break just right.
If not for the presence of Mark Andrews on Baltimore’s roster, Likely would be an easy top-10 fantasy tight end, possibly challenging for top-six status. He’s been outstanding whenever pressed into serious usage. Last year, when Andrews was sidelined over the final six games of the regular season, Likely delivered 21 receptions for 322 yards and five touchdowns. Extend that level of production over a full 17-game season ,and you have a contender for overall TE1 status.
Likely ranked fifth among all receivers and tight ends last year in yards-after-catch per reception (7.4) — a stat that syncs with his various highlights:
Baltimore’s receiving room isn’t so talent-rich that Likely and Andrews couldn’t possibly coexist as starting-quality fantasy options. Coach Harbaugh is at least making noises about getting Likely involved in a meaningful way. As an end-of-draft flier, Likely is as good as it gets at this spot.
Kraft actually finished just ahead of Likely on the YAC/REC leaderboard last season (7.5), because pretty much every time he was targeted, he did something like this:
As soon as he began to play meaningful snaps for the Packers, he was an impact receiver. Kraft hauled in 28 balls for 344 yards and two spikes on 35 targets over the final eight weeks as a rookie, consistently playing 90-plus percent of the snaps. He delivered a go-ahead score in the postseason against the Niners, too. Kraft is a serious talent.
Unfortunately, Kraft is competing for targets in what might just be the league’s deepest receiving corps — and it’s not as if he’s Green Bay’s unrivaled top tight end, either. Luke Musgrave was excellent last year as a rookie before an injury derailed his season. Also, Kraft suffered a pectoral injury back in May, so he’s not coming off an ideal offseason. Still, he was a jump-off-the-screen player in his first year, which makes him worthy of an end-of-draft flier in deep formats.
When a hyper-athletic player from Tight End University slips as far down the draft board as Fant, it’s a gift we shouldn’t pass up. Please remember that Seattle’s offense should look very different in 2024, with new OC Ryan Grubb drawing it up; passing volume shouldn’t be a concern.
Fant is still only 26 entering his sixth NFL season, and he just signed a two-year, $21 million deal to remain in Seattle. We should also note that Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson have relocated, which decluttered the depth chart at tight end. Assuming good health, Fant is well-positioned to produce a career year.
Otton actually ran the second-most routes among all tight ends last season (568), finishing behind only Evan Engram. His catch rate improved to 70.1% and he made solid across-the-board gains in nearly every receiving category. When the playoffs rolled around, Otton delivered two of the best statistical efforts of his career, catching 13 passes for 154 yards and one score against the Eagles and Lions. This man can be a problem for opposing defenses near the goal line:
Otton tied for sixth at his position in red-zone targets last season (14), so it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if he delivered six or more spikes in his third NFL season. He’s clearly behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in the Bucs’ receiving hierarchy, but he’s not obviously trailing anyone else. Otton has been a sneaky-good player in reality since he entered the league, only rarely coming off the field. Assuming the red-zone usage holds, he has a path to weekly fantasy relevance.
