Fantasy Football Tight End Breakouts: Draft Sleepers (2025)

August 24, 2025

Thunder Dan's fantasy football tight-end breakouts. These TEs are fantasy football value picks, including Chig Okonkwo, Mason Taylor, Brenton Strange, and Elijah Arroyo.

In fantasy football, the trend to punt the tight-end position is back en vogue in 2025. For a while, it made sense to try to draft a top tight end like Mark Andrews or Travis Kelce early in drafts, but if you're not taking Brock Bowers in the early rounds this season, you may want to wait it out and go bargain hunting at the position.

The proliferation of athletic tight ends who can be major factors in their teams' passing games has created a lot of depth at the position. Most teams have at least one tight end who has receiver-like skills and is used to run routes just as often as they are used to block.

Finding the right one late in drafts this year might be the key to rounding out your roster and fielding a competitive team. Here are four tight ends who are poised to break out in the 2025 season.

Brenton Strange - Jacksonville Jaguars

• Sleeper ADP: 185

If you're waiting to draft a tight end until the late rounds, then Brenton Strange is my top target. With the departure of Evan Engram to Denver, Strange is the only holdover in the tight-end room and is joined by Johnny Mundt, Hunter Long, and Quintin Morris, who were all signed in free agency. That trio is likely competing to be Strange's backup, as Strange is coming off a solid season in 2024 and is having a very good camp, per sources.

The former PSU big man finished with 400+ yards receiving in 2024 and was forced into a bigger role as Engram spent a large chunk of the season out with injuries.

There has never been a better run at Tight Ends being drafted into the NFL by one program like Penn State from 18 til 25

18 Mike Gesicki 42 overall
21 Pat Freiermuth 55 overall
23 Brenton Strange 61 overall
24 Theo Johnson 108th overall
25 Tyler Warren 14th overall

We Are🦁 pic.twitter.com/s1Ax8OWnz8

— White Out Recruiting (@NittanyNatRec) August 4, 2025

Strange posted a 51% route participation rate but commanded just a 9% target rate. Strange logged 1.49 yards per route run, which, for reference, was the same rate posted by future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce.

With Engram no longer on the roster, I would expect his snap share (54%) to increase and for him to be more involved in the offense this season. It's hard to glean much from the end of last season when Mac Jones was under center and the Jags were dealing with so many injuries. With a healthy Trevor Lawrence back at quarterback, we should see the entire Jacksonville offense elevated.

Strange has demonstrated some sharp route running and soft hands. I think he could be ready for a big year as the starter, and he has as much upside as any of the players at his position who are being drafted after the 150th pick or later.

Elijah Arroyo - Seattle Seahawks

• Sleeper ADP: 186

Noah Fant is gone, and veteran AJ Barner is the only man standing in the way of the rookie Arroyo on the depth chart. While Arroyo's blocking could use some work, he's a much more athletic option at the position in the passing game.

Seattle needs playmakers in the passing game, and the 6-foot-4, 235-pound rookie could find his way onto the field more often as the season goes along. NFL teams have shown lately that they're more willing to get rookie tight ends involved in their first season.

Elijah Arroyo amazing speed. pic.twitter.com/1JNutR5qGT

— Alexandre Castro (@alexcastrofilho) August 18, 2025

Arroyo has secured all four of his targets for 35 yards in his first two preseason games. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba set to dominate the targets as the WR1 and Cooper Kupp set to join him in the slot, Seattle will need someone from the group of Arroyo, fellow rookie Tory Horton, and veteran Jake Bobo to emerge as a third threat in the passing game.

I'm happy to bet on the athleticism and talent of Arroyo this season. There's very little risk at this ADP, and if he emerges as the top TE on the team by midseason, he will be well on his way toward making value on his ADP.

Mason Taylor - New York Jets

• Sleeper ADP: 204

The Jets need weapons on offense; it's that simple. Garrett Wilson is the obvious WR1 and should soak up a bunch of targets from Justin Fields. However, the Jets' wide receiver room is so thin that their coaches have already talked about lining up running back Breece Hall as a receiver in order to utilize his receiving ability and create mismatches.

Taylor should have no problem securing the TE1 spot on this roster. The Jets return Jeremy Ruckert and brought in Stone Smartt from the Chargers in the offseason. But Ruckert is a better blocker than receiver, and Smartt wasn't able to establish himself as a consistent option in three years with the Chargers.

Taylor comes into the league after an impressive three-year stint at LSU, finishing his career with 129 catches for 1,308 yards, setting the school record for tight ends.

Should Mason Taylor be the favorite for finishing 2nd in targets?

Kmet with Fields:
2021: 93 targets (2nd)
2022: 69 targets (1st)
2023: 90 targets (2nd)

Engstrands coming from an offense that just fed Laporta 203 targets 2023-2024.

Mason Taylor WR2pic.twitter.com/0FVYfQvy5x

— JetNation (@JetNation) August 12, 2025

Taylor has the size to hold his own as a blocker, which is something he will be asked to do with the Jets prioritizing the run game. But he also has the speed (4.7 40-yard dash) and hands to be a major threat in the passing game.

With how much we saw Fields lean on his tight ends in the past (see the tweet above), it wouldn't be a surprise if Taylor emerged as the second or third option for the Jets this season.

Chig Okonkwo - Tennessee Titans

• Sleeper ADP: 214

Stop me if you've heard this before, but this is the year that Okonkwo breaks out!

Yes, I realize you have heard that before, but it's still early to give up on Chig just yet. Okonkwo is a freak athlete who gets a fresh start with a rookie quarterback whom Tennessee took with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

100% route rate for Chig Okonkwo with Cam Ward in the preseason opener!

Been on Chig as a deep sleeper all offseason: https://t.co/6b61dblsZ2 pic.twitter.com/x3xVAs0LbH

— Jared Smola (@SmolaDS) August 11, 2025

Okonkwo failed to match his second-year production last season in his third year when he caught 52 passes for 479 yards and two touchdowns. However, when he was on the field, he had a healthy 65% route participation rate, and his 12% target share was second only to Calvin Ridley.

Ridley is the clear top option, and Ward has already shown a tendency to hone in on him this preseason. But the Titans would be foolish not to attempt to get Okonkwo more involved this season, as we know a reliable tight end who can get open in the flat or across the middle of the field is a nice safety net for a rookie quarterback.

We've been drooling over Chig's big-play ability and potential to rack up yards after the catch for a few years now. Don't give up on him now when he's still just 25 years old and set to take on what could be his biggest share of the workload this season.

Okonkwo is a classic "post-hype" candidate who could bust out this season, and he can be had on the cheap with one of your final picks in the draft.

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