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Craig Rondinone takes a look at three fantasy football tight ends who are worth gambling on in the late rounds in 2024. He analyzes why these TEs could be great buys.
There is never a better time to talk about ADPs than right before your fantasy football draft, and I am not talking about automatic data processing.
You know Detroit’s Sam LaPorta is going to be awesome. That is why he is the consensus TE1 on most fantasy draft lists. You know Kansas City’s Travis Kelce will have another banner year. He is the greatest fantasy tight end in the history of the sport. Baltimore’s Mark Andrews, Buffalo’s Dalton Kincaid, and Arizona’s Trey McBride should all be above-average fantasy tight ends this year as long as they stay healthy (and their quarterbacks do, too).
Now that we know all the perennial Pro Bowlers and fantasy superstuds at the tight-end position, what about the young, unheralded players you could draft in the latter rounds who could turn into fantasy forces for you? That is what this article is all about. Here are three tight ends who will likely be drafted late, or not at all, that fantasy managers should roster in 2024!
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Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers (TE17, 161 overall)
There are a plethora of reasons why Musgrave would be selected after 15-16 tight ends are already off the board in fantasy drafts. The guy had his promising rookie campaign cut short thanks to a lacerated kidney.
He has to possibly split snaps and targets with fellow super sophomore Tucker Kraft this season. Musgrave will also have to fight and claw for passes with all of Green Bay’s young, up-and-coming receivers, led by Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson.
There really should be more hype around year-2 Luke Musgrave.
The Packers WRs overshadow him a bit, but he’s essentially a WR himself. pic.twitter.com/YkMRVzhS5Z
— Jacob (@NotionsOfJacob) July 30, 2024
There are also a plethora of reasons why Musgrave was taken in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He is a talented all-around tight end who can play on all downs and can use his big body to make plays downfield and inside the red zone.
Musgrave was drafted to be Green Bay’s franchise tight end and be paired with franchise quarterback Jordan Love. If Musgrave stays healthy, he will push Kraft to the bench and should enjoy a breakout season as Love continues his ascent as one of the league’s best young passers. Draft Musgrave to be your TE2 in dynasty leagues and you will have a TE1 for the next several seasons.
Ja'Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers (TE28, 245 overall)
Carolina was desperate for a tight end who could catch the ball and stretch the field. The Panthers have not had a TE have a 300-yard year since the Greg Olsen days. That is why the organization spent a fourth-round pick on Sanders, one of the top tight ends to come out of college this year.
Carolina has upgraded its receiving corps this offseason for starting signal-caller Bryce Young, who should improve upon his shaky rookie season and be a lot more consistent and accurate in Year 2. Rookie tight ends are usually ignored by fantasy footballers, but Sanders has a skill set like a wide receiver and should be given ample opportunities to make plays in Brad Idzik’s new offense.
Sanders will likely be around in the last round or two of your draft. Take a flyer on him and he will be better than you think, quicker than you think.
Daniel Bellinger, New York Giants (TE47, 265 overall)
New York and the fantasy football world were shocked when former Pro Bowl player Darren Waller retired from the NFL after suiting up for just one season with the Giants. Now that he is taking his talents from the football field to the music studio, a gaping hole has been left on the roster at tight end for the team, and Bellinger is first in line to fill it.
Bellinger was drafted with high hopes that could be the Giants’ tight end of the future. His rookie season was marred by inconsistent play and a nasty eye injury, though. Then for his second season, he was second fiddle behind Waller.
So as you can tell by his lowly ranking at the position and overall, he should be readily available if you want to spend a low-risk pick on him. Bellinger is not going to be another Mark Bavaro, but he should be able to provide fantasy managers with a solid TE2 who can emerge as a 50-550-6 player as Daniel Jones’ top tight end.
Bellinger is dirt cheap to acquire, so if rookie Theo Johnson leaps him on the depth chart, don't hesitate to let him go. This is a low-risk, high-reward scenario.
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