Winning your fantasy draft comes down to selecting the guys who end up returning a positive ROI relative to their draft cost. What’s great is that once you get to the middle and late rounds, you don’t need to hit on every player (or even half of them) to wind up with a league-winning squad. You just need to be right enough so that the value your picks provide is greater than that of your competition.

Part of the difficulty built into this game we love is that no two sleepers are created equally. You can’t just nab a bunch of upside players in the late rounds and expect to dominate your draft. You need to know which sleepers are the most undervalued and offer the most upside compared to their price. To help you figure out which mid-to-late rounders stand out from the pack, we have polled 80+ experts on who the best sleepers are at every position in half-PPR heading into the new season. Check out which TEs they chose below.

• Snake Draft Pick Strategy: Early | Middle | Late
• Draft Targets for Every Round: Early | Middle | Late
• Fitz’s Draft Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
• Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator

Consensus Fantasy Football Sleepers: Tight Ends

Of the names above, who is the player you expect to be this year’s biggest fantasy sleeper, and why?

Juwan Johnson (TE – NO)

“I’m extremely bullish on what Juwan Johnson can be in another unexciting year at tight end outside of the elite tier. Johnson started to break out towards the end of last season, ranking as the TE10 in Half PPR PPG for the second half of the season. From Week 6 on (once Johnson became a full-time starter), he ran a route on 66.6% of New Orleans’ dropbacks, which was good for 18th among tight ends in that span. Then there’s the Taysom Hill of it all. But he’ll be turning 33 entering this season and doesn’t compete for the same types of touches that Johnson does. And miss me with Jimmy Graham coming in and having any sort of impact on this team.”
– Sam Hoppen (FantasyPros)

“Juwan Johnson isn’t getting enough respect as the TE18 in the ECR after finishing last year as the TE11. He led the Saints in receiving touchdowns while finishing top three in receiving yards and targets. The former college wide receiver finished third in receiving touchdowns among tight ends last year (seven), only behind Travis Kelce and George Kittle. More importantly, he has already built a strong connection with Derek Carr. After throwing to Darren Waller for the past few years, don’t be surprised if Carr turns Johnson into a slightly watered-down version of Waller this season.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)

“I’ll go for the TE because that’s the battle. Last year I liked Evan Engram; this year, it’s Juwan Johnson. The Saints have brought in one of the best TE coaches in recent times (Clancy Barone), and Derek Carr has shown a tendency to go to his TEs. With Chris Olave the clear lead receiver, there isn’t truly a lot else on this depth chart- especially with Alvin Kamara set to miss the start of the season. Could he flame out? Sure. But currently, Johnson is free in drafts. ”
– Richard King (King Fantasy Sports)

“If you don’t get one of the top TEs, look no further than Juwan Johnson, who’s free in drafts as your last pick. He’s a playmaker in an offense that will be without Alvin Kamara for the first 3 weeks and devoid of pass catchers outside of Chris Olave. Yes, Michael Thomas is back, but he hasn’t looked right since coming back from injury. Thomas played a few games last season, no games in 2021, and half the season in 2020 (7 games). Juwan Johnson is the second receiving target in this offense through the first 3 weeks, at least, and Derek Carr will look for him in the red zone quite a bit (like he did with Darren Waller). A great pick, especially if you punt the position.”
– Tal Malachovsky (The Fantasy Scout)

Gerald Everett (TE – LAC)

“Gerald Everett received a new offensive coordinator in 2023 with Kellen Moore. Kellen Moore loves to be aggressive. He loves to push it downfield, and he loves to utilize the tight end. Gerald Everett possesses a higher-than-average athletic profile, with amazing height and weight markers being reached, and should be the secret weapon within this Los Angeles Chargers offense. ”
– Joe Pepe (Beyond The Gridiron)

Jake Ferguson (TE – DAL)

“In a world where we’re all looking for any TE production we can muster up, there’s a player you can nab in the last rounds of your draft that could be a weekly starter. There is plenty of room for Dallas Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson to step into a decent target share. Dalton Schultz never had fewer than 89 targets per season when he took over as the starter. He’s now gone, but Dak Prescott will not suddenly stop throwing to the TE position. If you remember back to the Blake Jarwin vs. Schultz debates after Jason Witten left Dallas, not many thought much of Schultz until he earned the TE1 job and thrived with his newfound target volume. I think we’ll see a similar story with Ferguson.”
– Jaime Eisner (The Draft Network)

“Without a doubt, the biggest sleeper for this year is Jake Ferguson, Tight End from Dallas Cowboys. I really don’t know how people are sleeping on this guy. Last year Jake received 19 of 22 targets, with 2 touchdowns. Without Dalton Schultz, Dallas has 89 vacated targets on the position, and who are the other options on this roster? No one. Be aware of NFL’s Fergie Time!”
– Guilherme Gianni (Fantasy Futebolista)

“In regard to looking for a sleeper in fantasy football, finding a player well beyond the consensus that can become a staple in your lineup sometimes leads to fantasy championship-winning moves. For me, I am looking at the tight end position, and that player is none other than Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson. With the departure of Dalton Schultz and his 89 targets, there was a void left in a very meaningful position for the Cowboys’ passing attack. Over the previous two seasons, Schultz has ranked inside the Top 10 in fantasy points per game and has averaged 96 targets and 67 receptions in that timeframe. During much of the summer, Ferguson has been a forgotten man in the offense with the addition of Brandin Cooks and the drafting of Luke Schoonmaker. But as we have seen through training camp, he has been very impressive and heavily involved during his snaps in preseason action. If the Cowboys’ offense maintains itself as one of the more consistent ones in the NFL in 2023 and Ferguson can achieve a similar target share to Dalton Schultz, he is a player that you can get for free in drafts currently that will become your locked-in TE1 in fantasy lineups. ”
– Brandon Murchison (RotoBaller)

“My answer to this has changed in the last few weeks, but I have come around on Jake Ferguson. Ferguson has really taken the reins of the starting tight end role in Dallas. That position has been targeted by Dak Prescott an average of 123 times over the past four seasons. The lead tight end has averaged over 90 targets a season. For an undrafted player at a very shallow position, Ferguson is worth a late-round dart throw.”
– Michael Tomlin (Fantasy Six Pack)

“Jake Ferguson. Only once in Dak Prescott’s seven NFL seasons has his top tight end not finished inside the top 13 at his position in half-PPR (TE9, TE3, TE12, TE12, TE20, TE10, TE13). Considering the names have changed over the years (aging Jason Witten, Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz), Prescott has earned his reputation for leaning on tight ends (targeted the position on 25.1 percent of his throws in 2022). The difference between the aforementioned tight ends and Ferguson is that Ferguson offers a bit more after the catch. Even better, Schultz saw no fewer than 14 red zone targets over the last three seasons, so there is touchdown upside if Ferguson earns the same kind of trust near the goal line that Schultz did. Ferguson currently goes as the TE33, but he has low-end TE1 upside.”
– Doug Orth (FFToday)

“Jake Ferguson. Ferguson is entering his sophomore season and is expected to be the starting tight end for the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott has always been one to target tight ends at an over 20% target share, and with Dalton Schultz now in Houston, many of those targets are going to go to Ferguson. With a current ADP of TE28, Ferguson has the potential to be one of this year’s biggest steals at what is generally the weakest and most unpredictable position.”
– Rich Piazza (Fantasy Shed)

Chigoziem Okonkwo (TE – TEN)

“Of this group, Chigoziem Okonkwo is the one I’m most excited about, especially considering the threshold for becoming a weekly starting tight end is lower. He only had a 30.3% route participation but was able to rank 1st among all TEs in YPRR (3.26) and 2nd among all TEs in TPRR (33.3%). I’m expecting natural growth and progression as a player in year two, along with a nice bump in route participation, to lead him to a very nice season.”
– Robert Norton (Last Word On Sports)

Luke Musgrave (TE – GB)

“Luke Musgrave has TE1 upside, yet he’s being undrafted in most leagues. Rookie tight ends rarely have success and find it hard to get on the field due to their poor blocking. Musgrave is different, though. In any other year, he would be a possible 1st round pick, and the Packers have clearly shown they’re willing to break from their old ways and give him an every-down role as Josiah Deguara shifts to fullback. If you waited very late at tight end, pick up Musgrave in the last round and save yourself the stress.”
– Ben Wasley (The Fantasy First Down)

Dalton Kincaid (TE – BUF)

“Has to be Dalton Kincaid. He’s currently ranked as TE15, and I currently have him as TE8 behind Evan Engram and in front of Pat Freiermuth. Kincaid has been exceptional in camp, having multiple standout days. He’s lined up in the slot and the backfield which just shows his versatility and should allow him to be on the field regularly. The Bills currently have a rotation going at the slot position with Diggs, Harty, Shakir, and Dalton all lining up there, which bodes well for the tight end.”
– Matt Olson (32 Beat Writers)

Cole Kmet

“Cole Kmet. What if Justin Fields is actually an improved passer? Not all of those throws will be going DJ Moore‘s way. Cole Kmet has shown flashes over the past few seasons that he could become a really good tight end in this league, and in Year 4, with a new contract, he could make that leap. The tight end landscape is so barren, why not take the chance with Kmet.”
– Craig Phillips (FF Prophet)

Hayden Hurst (TE – CAR)

“Hayden Hurst has spent all of draft season going outside TE2 range but is well-positioned to hit your starting lineup on a weekly basis. The Panthers gave him $7 million a year on a three-year deal in a market that gave much less to Dalton Schultz and Mike Gesicki. Hurst cracked the top 20 in fantasy points per game last year in a crowded Bengals offense with just 2 TDs. He delivered a top-10 season with the 2020 Falcons. Now he’ll share the field with an iffy crew of WRs in a TE-friendly offense. Grab Bryce Young‘s security blanket at the end of your draft and solve a position that will confound most of your league mates (especially in PPR).”
– Matt Schauf (Draft Sharks)

Check out more Fantasy Football Sleepers

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio

If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant, which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.