Dynasty Rookie Draft Analysis & Player Profiles: Tight End (2023 Fantasy Football)

The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone, and there’s never a better time than now to brush up on your dynasty rookie knowledge. Our team of analysts have combined to provide their dynasty fantasy football rankings and analysis. You can find detailed dynasty rookie player profiles below, including their 2023 NFL Draft outlook as well as what we expect from them now that they have been drafted. Here are our dynasty rookie draft profiles and analysis for Tight End. And you can find our expert consensus dynasty rookie rankings here.

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Dynasty Rookie Draft Profiles: Tight End

Dalton Kincaid (BUF)

The Bills weren’t thought to be in the TE market in this year’s draft — at least not in the first round — but they made an aggressive move to trade up two spots (leapfrogging the TE-hungry Cowboys in the process) and draft Dalton Kincaid, who’s widely considered to be the best pass-catching tight end in the Class of 2023.

The 6-4, 246-pound runner is an outstanding route runner with sure hands, good speed and exceptional ball skills. Kincaid’s high school basketball background is evident in his fluid movements. He’s also extremely difficult to deal with after the catch — Kincaid forced 16 missed tackles last season, second-most among this year’s TE prospects.

While Kincaid is a terrific pass catcher, he isn’t much of a blocker. He is a true “move” tight end and isn’t going to succeed if he’s asked to play in-line and try to block NFL edge defenders. Since he’s relatively one-dimensional and not a true two-way tight end like Notre Dame’s Mike Mayer, it’s possible that Kincaid won’t be a full-time player and will be used situationally. Even if he’s used in a way intended to leverage his pass-catching skills, part-time duty would lower Kincaid’s fantasy ceiling.

In 1QB dynasty leagues, Kincaid is worth a late-first-round pick in rookie drafts. In superflex dynasty leagues, he should come off the board early in the second round. Kincaid’s execeptional pass-catching talents could make him immediately roster-worthy in redraft leagues, though the historical performance of rookie tight ends suggests that Kincaid should be considered a low-end TE2.

Check out the full dynasty rookie draft outlook

Sam LaPorta (DET)

Lofty draft capital? Check. Good landing spot? Check. Luke Musgrave is ready for liftoff.

The TE-hungry Packers, who had Josiah Deguara at the top of their TE depth chart before the NFL Draft, grabbed Musgrave early in the second round, with the 42nd overall pick. He figures to step right into the starting lineup and should immediately carve out a significant role for a team that went into the draft woefully short on pass catchers. It’s mildly concerning that the Packers also spent a third-round draft pick on TE Tucker Kraft, but Musgrave would seem to be the favorite for a starting role.

Musgrave might have more pass-catching upside than any tight end in this class — and this is a very good TE class. The 6-5 1/2, 253-pound Musgrave has a huge frame and wingspan, but he has speed that belies his size. Musgrave ran a 4.61 at the NFL Scouting Combine, which at his size gives him a 94th percentile speed score, according to PlayerProfiler.com. At the Senior Bowl, Musgrave was measured at a top speed of 20.05 mph — the fastest speed recorded by any tight end in the five years since Senior Bowl officials started recording top speeds. Musgrave, the nephew of former NFL QB and current Browns assistant coach Bill Musgrave, has the potential to become a downfield playmaker — a rare quality for an NFL tight end.

The big question is whether Musgrave can stay on the field. He missed 11 games for Oregon State in 2022 with a knee injury, and he missed two games with a concussion in high school. Musgrave hasn’t shown much elusiveness after the catch. According to PFF, he has broken only two tackles in his college career.

In dynasty rookie drafts, Musgrave is likely to go in the late first round or early second round in 1QB leagues, and in the early-to-mid second round in superflex drafts.

Check out the full dynasty rookie draft outlook

More Dynasty Rookie Draft Analysis

Dynasty Rookie Mock Drafts

You can use our dynasty rookie mock draft simulator to practice and prepare for your dynasty rookie draft. Below you can find some dynasty rookie mock drafts and analysis from our experts.

Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football draft season.