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Wyatt's undervalued fantasy football TEs to target in 2026. His sleeper picks and potential breakout candidates at tight end, including Chig Okonkwo, Isaiah Likely, and more.
Most agree there are three elite tight ends in fantasy football this season, but I would even push it to four. Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, Colston Loveland, and Tyler Warren are all deserving of an early-round pick, but what happens after that?
This means in a 12-team league, only 30 percent of the teams will land an elite tight end, while the other 70 percent of the league will have to pivot to Plan B. However, these "consultation" prizes allow you to draft a valuable player early in the draft at another position while still giving you competitive production at the tight end position.
My strategy for this season is to either grab one of the top four guys or wait until much later in the draft to grab one or two of these sleeper tight ends. Here are five undervalued tight ends who will outperform their ADP in 2026.
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Chig Okonkwo, Washington Commanders
Yahoo ADP - 131.1 (TE23)
As of right now, Chig Okonkwo projects to be the No. 2 pass-catching option behind Terry McLaurin in a Washington Commanders offense full of question marks.
Third-round rookie Antonio Williams, Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks, and Dyami Brown are currently battling for the WR2 role in the offense. On the other hand, Okonkwo’s versatile skill set and athleticism give him an edge over the receivers for the No. 2 role in the passing game.
In his introductory news conference, Okonkwo said he is excited to be used fully to his advantage in space, where he can use his speed and quickness and gain yards after the catch.
Chig Okonkwo gets in open space for a 70-yard TD!
📺: #TENvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/98scOwfisp— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024
David Blough’s offense is expected to mix concepts from Ben Johnson’s and Kliff Kingsbury's offenses while featuring a heavy dose of plays under center. This mixture will allow for Okonkwo’s versatility to be on full display.
Johnson’s play-action concepts will get Okonkwo in space over the middle of the field to generate big chunks of yards after the catch (YAC). Okonkwo had 6.1 yards after the catch last season, which ranked second among tight ends with 50 or more catches. He only trailed Tyler Warren, who just finished ahead with 6.2 yards after the catch.
Kingsbury’s vertical passing concepts will get Okonkwo’s 4.52 speed going down the seam against slower linebackers. Plus, with defenses gravitating toward McLaurin, Okonkwo will benefit from lighter coverage over the middle of the field on those deep shots.
In addition, Zach Ertz served as Jayden Daniels' security blanket over the last two seasons. Ertz has caught the most passes (81) and the second-most touchdowns in the red zone (eight) from Daniels. In his last fully healthy season, Ertz finished as the TE7 in PPR leagues and was the TE10 before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 14 last year.
If an aging Ertz can produce TE1 numbers at a constant clip, just imagine what a younger, more athletic tight end can do.
Daniels is the best quarterback Okonkwo has ever played with. That, mixed with an extra boost from Blough’s system, sets Okonkwo up to produce a career year and soar past his current TE23 ADP.
Isaiah Likely, New York Giants
Yahoo ADP - 111.6 (TE14)
Dynasty managers have been waiting years for Isaiah Likely to get away from Mark Andrews, and it finally happened. Likely followed coach John Harbaugh to New York during free agency, where he signed a three-year, $40 million deal.
In the nine games Likely has played with Andrews sidelined, he averaged 12.5 PPR points per game. That would have been the TE5 overall on a points-per-game basis last season. Yes, that is a small sample size, but five of those games were double-digit outings, and four were 18-plus-point performances.
ISAIAH LIKELY FIRST DOWN!!!!!!!!!!
Tune in on NBC!! pic.twitter.com/dt1zF17HHp
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 5, 2026
In New York, Likely is set to get the lion's share of the targets to start the season. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan speculated on the John Keim report that Malik Nabers may not return to the field until Week 5 or Week 6.
Nabers suffered a torn ACL and a partially torn lateral meniscus in his right knee in Week 4 of 2025. The 22-year-old has had a rocky rehab process that included an additional procedure to clean up scar tissue.
If Nabers misses time, Likely will be the focal point of the offense and secure high volume. Would it shock anyone if he was ranked inside the top six at tight end each week Nabers is out?
When given a starting role, Likely has produced TE1 numbers. Despite this, he is currently being drafted outside the top-10 tight ends. If fantasy managers follow the money, it could lead them straight to a top-6 fantasy tight end with the Coastal Carolina product.
Terrance Ferguson, Los Angeles Rams
Yahoo ADP - 132.7 (TE27)
The Los Angeles Rams are at the forefront of the tight end renaissance and the use of heavy personnel packages. The team’s 30.5 percent 13 personnel rate was more than double the next-closest team this season and the most in the Next Gen Stats era by nearly 13 percent, according to Rams.com.
There are currently five tight ends on the roster after the team drafted Max Klare in the second round, re-signed Tyler Higbee, and signed Nick Vannett off the Vikings' practice squad. Despite this, there is one who carries immense boom-or-bust potential.
Terrance Ferguson is heading into his sophomore year after hauling in 11 catches for 231 yards and three touchdowns on 25 targets as a rookie. Despite a quiet season, Ferguson averaged 21.0 yards per catch and was targeted on the final play of the NFC Championship Game.
Terrance Ferguson's 2⃣nd career TD reception gives @RamsNFL the lead 👏
LARvsSEA on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPluspic.twitter.com/SUjh2TOK2c— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) December 19, 2025
With their season on the line, HC Sean McVay dialed up an end-zone shot to Ferguson, not to Puka Nacua or Davante Adams. This shows you how the offensive mastermind feels about Ferguson.
The 23-year-old received high praise from his head coach in early February, which Brock Vierra of Sports Illustrated noted in his article about McVay's honest thoughts on Ferguson's rookie season.
“I think he’s a total stud,” McVay stated early in the offseason. “I think the future is incredibly bright. I think what he did relative to all the moving parts… Everybody just sees us in 13 or 12, or he is playing in some different situational things in 11, but he's got the ability to basically play every skill position on our offense. That's every receiver spot. That's every tight end spot.”
The Rams are betting on Ferguson to develop into the ultimate chess piece to unlock McVay’s vision. If that happens, the sky's the limit for Ferguson, and it could break fantasy football.
The Super Bowl favorites faced heavy criticism for passing on Makai Lemon at pick 13 and not giving Matthew Stafford another weapon. However, this signals the Rams have faith Ferguson will fill that “WR3” role.
Additionally, it screams faith considering he might be forced to play the “WR2” role if an aging Adams or Nacua misses any time due to injuries.
Gunnar Helm, Tennessee Titans
Yahoo ADP - - (TE33)
This next tight end is so undervalued that Yahoo does not even post his average draft position, or ADP, on its website. Conversely, if we follow the breadcrumbs, there could be a criminally underrated tight end hiding in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Titans have overhauled their franchise in hopes of supporting Cam Ward and creating a competitive team for 2026. With the former No. 1 overall pick looking to make a jump in his second season, his pass-catchers should be major beneficiaries.
On paper, the Titans' passing game looks crowded with Carnell Tate, Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, Wan'Dale Robinson, and Gunnar Helm all vying for targets. However, the pecking order behind Tate has all but been set in stone.
Helm quietly started flashing near the end of his rookie year when they gave him an expanded role in the offense. He set the Titans’ rookie tight end reception record (44) and produced an impressive 80 percent catch rate. In comparison, fellow rookie Tyler Warren posted a 67.8 percent catch rate last year.
.@Titans rookie TE Gunnar Helm scores his first NFL TD on National Tight Ends Day!
TENvsIND on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/uLFeGXdRmX
— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025
Despite Okonkwo catching the most passes from Ward last season, the Titans still let him walk during free agency this spring. While the franchise quarterback attempts to learn a new offense, they let his No. 1 target leave. This is even before the team decided to draft Tate fourth overall in the draft.
They felt comfortable with Helm becoming the TE1 in their offense as they try to build the best ecosystem possible around Ward. This speaks volumes about how the front office feels about Helm’s talent.
Helm will be an easy target to hit over the middle of the field with his big frame and strong hands, as Ward tries to build confidence early in the season.
Additionally, Helm was recently picked as the Titans' breakout candidate by ESPN’s Ben Solak. Solak highlighted his pass-catching talent and his hidden opportunity to be one of their top target earners this season.
Head coach Robert Saleh has sung Helm’s praises this summer and called him a “legit dude.” As the 33rd tight end off the board by current redraft ADP, Helm is a priority sleeper target as a low-end TE2 with sneaky upside.
AJ Barner, Seattle Seahawks
Yahoo ADP - 132.6 (TE26)
There are a lot of moving pieces in Seattle coming off a Super Bowl-winning season. The team has new ownership, a new offensive play-caller, and a group of new running backs.
With all of the moving pieces, the team decided not to heavily invest in the pass-catchers heading into 2026, outside of giving Rashid Shaheed a three-year, $51 million contract extension.
As a result, AJ Barner will again be in the mix as one of Sam Darnold’s top passing options behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Barner had the second-most receptions, second-most receiving touchdowns, and third-most receiving yards on the team last season.
SAM DARNOLD TO AJ BARNER TOUCHDOWN!
Super Bowl LX on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/sCoEyewllX— NFL (@NFL) February 9, 2026
The 24-year-old finished the year as the TE14 overall and produced eight double-digit fantasy weeks. Barner could look to produce bigger numbers in 2026 as he continues to gain Darnold's trust in the passing game.
The Seahawks also used Barner as the quarterback for their version of the “tush push,” or as they call it, “Barnyard,” last season. Barner converted 10 of 11 short-yardage “tush push” attempts for Seattle this past season and scored one touchdown, according to Cameron Van Til of Seattle Sports.
The team primarily used the play on either 3rd-and-1 or 4th-and-1 to extend drives in the middle of the field. With its primary goal-line back, Zach Charbonnet, recovering from his ACL injury, it may opt to use the Barnyard push more often at the goal line instead of trusting a rookie running back.
Barner could produce his first TE1 season in 2026 with his touchdown upside and steady volume as the potential No. 2 pass-catcher in the offense.
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