We spent years neglecting the tight end position in fantasy football. When drafting, we used to look at them like an afterthought in the NFL and our fantasy football drafts.

Nowadays, excellent tight ends elevate your roster into contender mode. We all know the big names to draft, like Travis Kelce, Sam LaPorta, Mark Andrews and more. Today, we will teach you about the tight ends outside the top 12 (TE2s) with top-5 potential in your fantasy football league. Some will have safer floors than others, but the beauty of drafting these tight ends is that if they don’t work, you can work the waiver wire all season long as you stream your way to success.

Let’s start with our favorite values at tight end to draft outside the top 12 in current rankings. To do so, we have to head to Pittsburgh.

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Fantasy Football Tight Ends: Draft Values to Target

Pat Freiermuth (TE-PIT)

Pat Freiermuth has entered the chat once again with the arrival of Arthur Smith and his offense that helped reignite Jonnu Smith this past year (even if he had a Kyle Pitts right there). Those Atlanta Falcons tight ends totaled a whopping 164 targets at their position. Atlanta finished with the third-highest tight end targets in the NFL last season.

Freiermuth was TE7 two years ago, so the high-end outcome is there as he turns into a reception machine in his position. He has been targeted at nearly 20% (19.6) of his career routes. That total is even higher than everyone’s offseason darling George Pickens (16.8%).

With his upgrades at quarterback and his ability to threaten defenses in the red zone, Freiermuth can elevate your team’s production weekly to help you dominate your league.

Luke Musgrave (TE-GB)

There are few tight ends as athletic as Luke Musgrave. At 6-foot-6 and 250-plus pounds, Musgrave can dominate over the middle of the field and has all the tools to become one of the better pass catchers in the game. Musgrave numbers won’t jump off the page, but let’s remember that he lacerated his kidney this past season. Musgrave was averaging a beautiful 7.3 fantasy points per game before he got hurt, and he gets another year with his young budding superstar quarterback Jordan Love. There are a lot of mouths to feed in Green Bay, but Musgrave’s mismatching ability will help fuel this offense.

Hunter Henry (TE-NE)

We get it: Hunter Henry isn’t a “sexy” pick for your roster. However, his Average Draft Position (ADP) is 163, which means you can load your roster elsewhere and then nail your tight end at the end of the draft. Henry produced 10 total touchdowns, which was second-best at his position this past year. We understand touchdowns are fluid from year to year, but his situation warrants another look at Hunter Henry.

The New England Patriots will have Jacoby Brissett or rookie Drake Maye under center with multiple rookie wide receivers. Young wideouts tend to take some time to adjust to the NFL, and Hunter Henry will become the safety value for the rookie or seasoned vet. It isn’t beautiful on paper, but Henry’s fantasy production can be stunning for your lineup whenever you look at the scoreboard and see W by your name.

Cade Otton (TE-TB)

Do you know who ran the second-most routes at tight end? That’s right, it was Cade Otton. It’s not fun or sexy, but with an aging Mike Evans, you never know when this late-round dart throw can pay off. Toward the end of 2023, Baler Mayfield started to use Otton more, as he totaled nine targets in the last two regular-season games. Using just Otton is risky, so you may want to stream or draft a second body late, but availability is the most significant ability.

Taysom Hill (TE-NO)

I’m tired of not utilizing Taysom Hill. His Swiss Army knife toolkit lets you sneak points into your lineup and dominate your opponent. He led the tight end group with 22.7 rushing yards per game. The next closest was .07 with Gerald Everett. He averages 8.2 fantasy points per game. He also produced 81.5 fantasy points in 2023, more than Mike Gesicki, Freiermuth, Tucker Kraft, Musgrave and Noah Fant.

If you want to take a late-round target throw, Hill is calling your name.

Isaiah Likely (TE-BAL)

We know what we need here to see a top-5 performance: an injury to Mark Andrews. We would never wish for an injury, but if Andrews does go down, Likely will likely (see what I did there) produce like a league-winning tight end. When drafting Likely, you must either have drafted Mark Andrews or two tight ends to give your team a chance.

Greg Dulcich (TE-DEN)

There are many moving pieces in Denver, but Greg Dulcich brings a lot of talent to the tight-end position. His most significant issues are injury and his ability to stay on the field. Dulcich’s ADP is 245, which means he can be the last pick of your fantasy draft, allowing for low risk but high reward at the tight end position. In his limited sample size he has averaged 12.1 yards per catch as a pro. Whenever your last pick of the draft can supply that average, you have to take him on your team. Dulcich has shades of when you drafted Mark Andrews as your last pick the year he broke out. Now he just needs to stay healthy.

Colby Parkinson (TE-LAR)

Tyler Higbee had a significant injury at the end of the season. Cooper Kupp is aging before our eyes. Puka Nacua must show us that his monster rookie season wasn’t a fluke, and Kyren Williams is already dealing with more foot injuries. Colby Parkinson was given more guaranteed money than expected, which means the Los Angeles Rams believe they can utilize his skill set in the offense. Don’t be surprised if Parkinson shows up and shows out in 2024 with Matthew Stafford slinging the rock considering 21.9% of his receptions went for 20+ yards which was second best in the NFL with any tight end who saw more than 25 targets  

Tight end is a demanding position that can create many headaches between the moments of glory. Identifying the correct TE2s of this bunch will help you navigate your draft, lineup, and season. Remember to continue to read all the fantastic work here at FantasyPros as we guide you through your offseason and into the competitive fires.

If you ever need more help or want a unique look at one of your rosters, don’t hesitate to contact me on X at @jpep20. Good luck in your 2024 off-season drafting!

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