Fantasy Football Draft Strategy
Fantasy managers have had a love/hate relationship with the tight-end position for years. It can be one of the most frustrating positions on any fantasy roster while at the same time being one of the biggest difference-makers between fantasy success and failure. There are a few perennial elite producers, but to land one of them on your squad, you have to decide whether using an early-round pick is worth it. The consensus has usually been to either be the first team to grab one or the last, meaning if you miss out on players like Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Sam LaPorta, and Trey McBride, then you should wait until you absolutely have to select one to do so. The difference this year is that there are some solid sleepers with break-out potential in the mid-to-late rounds, which is a welcome change from years past. Let’s take a look at a few of these options and what they could mean for your 2024 draft strategy.
*ADP based on half-PPR formats
Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
Evan Engram might come at a higher cost than some of the other names I’ll mention, but he is still a great value with an ADP of 71st overall. In 2023 Engram finished as the TE2 and now he won’t have Calvin Ridley or Zay Jones soaking up targets. The Jaguars did add free agent Gabe Davis and drafted LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., but Davis is more of a vertical threat than a high-volume receiver and Thomas Jr. will take some time to get up to speed before he can become a weekly contributor. This leaves just Christian Kirk and, to a lesser extent, RB Travis Etienne as the only other established pass catchers for Trevor Lawrence to target. This should put Engram in a good spot to once again be a key part of this offense. Last season, Engram provided some consistency with just over eight targets per game and 10 top-12 finishes, including two TE1 weeks, and he did it all while only catching four touchdowns. If that number improves he could flirt with overall TE1 status. For someone going in the fifth or sixth round, it doesn’t get much better.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
With an ADP in the 11th round, Freiermuth might just be the perfect “wait on tight end” target. Freiermuth is entering his fourth year in the league and while he struggled to put much of anything together in 2023, he is just two seasons removed from when he caught 63 passes for 732 yards and two touchdowns. There are also a few things working in Freiermuth’s favor in 2024. First, is the quarterback position. Russell Wilson (the presumed starter) didn’t look particularly good last season, but he should be able to support a higher floor in the passing game than Kenny Pickett did. Then there’s the departure of Diontae Johnson. With him gone, there are a lot of targets up for grabs, and I would expect at least some of those to go Freiermuth’s way. But perhaps the largest reason for hope is new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. While neither Kyle Pitts nor Jonnu Smith were reliable plays in 2023, Smith is more than willing to target the tight end position. The Atlanta Falcons’ tight ends led the NFL with a 34% target share last season. Freiermuth is a talented tight end with low-end TE1 upside who can be drafted as a mid-to-low-end TE2.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
2023 was an up-and-down season for Hunter Henry. After starting the season with two straight weeks inside the top two at the position, Henry only managed to crack the top 15 three more times. Still, even with a moderate showing, Henry was the Patriots’ most reliable pass catcher. He also finished the season strong tallying 10 catches, 106 yards, and three touchdowns in his final two games, before suffering a season-ending knee injury. So he has the ability, but the question is will he get the opportunity? There is reason for some optimism after some key offseason changes. Regardless of what you think about rookie Drake Maye or journeyman Jacoby Brissett, they should provide an upgrade over last season’s tandem of Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. Newly hired offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt should also provide a spark after helping turn Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku into a star last season. But the quality of the weapons has not changed much. The Patriots could have two rookies (Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker) playing prominent roles and they are still without a true WR1, which means Henry could see the most targets in this offense, making him an incredible value at his current ADP of 164 overall (TE19.)
Theo Johnson, New York Giants
Betting on rookie tight ends in fantasy football has not typically been a winning strategy. But with Darren Waller announcing his retirement as well as the Giants’ lack of offensive weapons, Johnson has an incredible opportunity in front of him. It could take some time for Johnson to acclimate himself to the speed of the NFL game, but with Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, and rookie Malik Nabers (who will have a learning curve of his own) leading the charge, Johnson could carve out a key role. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you should target him as your only tight end come draft time, but stashing him on your bench and taking a wait-and-see approach could pay dividends later in the season. We’ve seen late breakouts by tight ends and we have also seen rookies find success as recently as last year with both Sam LaPorta and Dalton Kincaid finishing as top 12 tight ends (LaPorta finished as the TE1.) Johnson has the athleticism and raw talent to surpass teammate Daniel Bellinger on the depth chart and to produce if given the chance. On a team with one of the least inspiring groups of skill players in the league, I would expect him to eventually get that chance.
Other Options If You Wait On Tight End
- Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders (ADP 102, TE11)
- T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings (ADP 124, TE13)
- Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears (ADP 135, TE16)
- Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers (ADP 150, TE18)
- Tyler Conklin, New York Jets (ADP 172, TE20)
- Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ADP 171, TE21)
- Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans (ADP 179, TE22)
- Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins (ADP 188, TE23)
- Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (ADP 191, TE25)
- Ben Sinnott, Washington Commanders (ADP 197, TE26)
