- Tucker Kraft is the league's most dangerous tight end after the catch: Kraft's 10.8 yards after the catch per reception was the highest mark by any tight end with at least 25 targets in PFF's 20 years of grading games.
- Dalton Kincaid‘s problem has never been production: Kincaid's 2.12 yards per route run over the past two seasons trails only George Kittle among tight ends.
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Every fantasy football season features a clear group of tight ends capable of finishing as the overall TE1. Brock Bowers, George Kittle and Trey McBride have ranked among the top three in fantasy points per game in each of the past two seasons. Bowers and McBride are the favorites to do so again, while Kittle’s chances appear less certain following the Achilles injury he suffered in January. The more intriguing question is, who can join them?
The obvious candidates come from the 2025 draft class, which produced some of the best rookie tight end seasons in NFL history. Colston Loveland, Tyler Warren and Harold Fannin Jr. all sit in the second tier of fantasy tight ends, though each has a legitimate case to break into the elite tier.
This article instead focuses on tight ends being drafted outside that obvious top group — high-risk, high-reward options who could realistically finish as the overall TE1 if everything breaks right. The average draft position listed is a consensus from ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo! for where the player is picked on average in a 12-team, redraft league.
Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers (ADP: 6.08)
Kraft was one of the NFL's most efficient tight ends in 2024. The problem was volume.
His 9.3 yards per target led all tight ends by a wide margin, a full 1.5 yards ahead of the next-closest player. Packers coaches clearly recognized the need to involve him more entering 2025, and his target rate climbed from 14.5% to 19.1%. Rather than losing efficiency with the increased workload, Kraft somehow became even more dangerous after the catch. His 10.8 yards after the catch per reception was the highest by any tight end with at least 25 targets in PFF's 20 years of charting.
Before suffering a season-ending ACL injury, he averaged 14.7 PPR points per game, tying Brock Bowers and George Kittle for the second-highest mark at the position. Kraft opened training camp on the PUP list but has already been activated and gone through drills with the team, a strong indication he will be ready for Week 1.
The encouraging part for fantasy managers is that Kraft may not need historic efficiency to improve his production. Even after a breakout season, his target rate still ranked just 19th among tight ends with at least 25 targets last year. That number could climb further given Green Bay's offseason changes.
Romeo Doubs, last season's team leader in targets, is no longer on the roster, and Dontayvion Wicks, who ranked third, is also gone. Green Bay did not spend a draft pick on a skill-position player. Skyy Moore was its lone free-agent addition at wide receiver, likely brought in more for special teams value than offensive production. That leaves a significant opportunity for the returning pass-catchers.
For fantasy purposes, a slight dip in efficiency paired with a larger workload would still be a favorable tradeoff. Kraft’s recovery is worth monitoring through camp, but if he returns to full health, he has a realistic path to finishing as a top-three fantasy tight end in 2026. He is currently one of the best values on the board, particularly on ESPN.
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills (ADP: 9.07)
When healthy, Kincaid has performed like one of the NFL’s best receiving tight ends. Among tight ends with at least 400 routes run over the past two seasons, his 82.0 PFF receiving grade ranks sixth. His 2.12 yards per route run trails only George Kittle and sits ahead of Trey McBride and Brock Bowers. Kincaid also leads all qualifying tight ends in target rate (24.9%) while ranking second in yards after the catch per reception (6.6).
The issue has been availability.
Kincaid suffered a collarbone injury in 2024 before tearing his PCL, an injury that continued to flare up throughout the 2025 season. He missed five games and played just 37.6% of offensive snaps on average across his 12 appearances. Notably, he eclipsed 14.0 PPR points in all three games in which he played more than 50% of Buffalo’s offensive snaps.
The Bills’ offense should remain largely intact entering 2026, outside the addition of DJ Moore. Moore is expected to become Buffalo’s primary outside receiver, though his presence should not prevent Kincaid from remaining Josh Allen’s preferred option over the middle of the field.
The injury history is concerning, but Kincaid arguably has the strongest quarterback situation among fantasy tight ends outside the elite tier. Alongside George Kittle and Mark Andrews, he is one of the few top-12 fantasy tight ends attached to a top-12 quarterback entering the season.
Ultimately, Kincaid’s fantasy outlook depends on whether he can finally manage the lingering effects of his PCL injury. If healthy, he has the talent and role to finish among the league’s top fantasy tight ends. Still, fantasy managers drafting him would be wise to pair him with a safer secondary option, given the durability concerns.
Isaiah Likely, New York Giants (ADP: 10.04)
Likely began his career behind Mark Andrews on the Ravens’ depth chart. Although he logged meaningful snaps — particularly in 12 personnel packages — he consistently competed with Andrews and Zay Flowers for targets, resulting in a below-average target rate. That limited many of his traditional production metrics, though his efficiency remained impressive. Over the past two seasons, Likely earned a positively graded play on 9.7% of his targets, the sixth-highest rate among qualifying tight ends.
He now reunites with former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh in New York after signing a contract worth $40 million in total value, making him the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid tight end. Likely remains a risky fantasy projection because his raw receiving production has not yet matched his reputation, but the opportunity for a breakout workload clearly exists with the Giants.
New York’s tight ends failed to produce consistently for fantasy purposes last season, though rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart showed a much stronger willingness to target the position than the Giants’ other quarterbacks. Dart targeted tight ends on 23.9% of his throws compared to just 15.8% from the rest of the quarterback room.
The Giants also reshaped their receiving corps by adding Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III in free agency before selecting Malachi Fields in the third round of the draft. Still, Likely’s primary competition for targets will come from Malik Nabers.
Nabers missed most of last season with a torn ACL and recently underwent a cleanup procedure, leaving his availability for Week 1 uncertain. Even once he returns, there is no guarantee he will resume playing at full strength immediately. That creates a realistic path for Likely to lead the Giants in targets.
If he can maintain his explosive playmaking efficiency while taking on a significantly larger workload, Likely has legitimate elite fantasy upside.
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