X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Best Ball Tight End Targets and Sleepers for Fantasy Football Drafts

Greg Dulcich Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Kyle Lindemann identifies top fantasy football best ball value picks as well as sleepers at TE for 2023 fantasy drafts. Which tight ends are best ball sleepers?

The 2023 fantasy football season was a frustrating one from a tight end perspective. To sum it up, you either had Travis Kelce or you didn't. While one of the best tight ends of all time is still crushing it at age 33 and showing no signs of slowing down, there was a drastic dropoff from the rest of the group. Mark Andrews and George Kittle played hurt and Andrews was beset by his quarterback Lamar Jackson missing the final 5 games of the season. T.J. Hockenson started slow until a mid-season trade to Minnesota and Kyle Pitts suffered from Marcus Mariota's poor play and then got injured.

It's not likely we are to see such a drastic dropoff between Kelce from the rest of the elite tight ends again this year, but that doesn't necessarily mean we should fade Kelce either. Ultimately, it comes down to your build and where the values are at ADP. This year's 2023 rookie tight end class is considered by some scouts to be the best we have ever seen, but how quickly many of them can learn the position on the fly at the NFL level and still produce for fantasy is another.

The general rule for me in best ball is that for the most part, I am not fading particular players, I am fading ADPs. There are some solid sleeper tight ends available later and there are some very promising ones early. Ultimately, it will come down to your overall risk tolerance and build. On platforms like Underdog, which are half PPR, tight ends are valuable, but they aren't as valuable as they are on sites like FFPC, which is a full PPR - TE premium format. Nonetheless, having an elite tight end will leave you better served at advancing through the Underdog playoffs in Weeks 15-17. Average Draft Position based on Underdog ADP from August 2 to August 9, 2023.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Tight End Best Ball Fantasy Football Targets

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

TE1, 6.2 ADP

Incredible analysis there, Kyle. Seriously, bravo. Next, are you going to tell me that water is wet and the sun also rises in the east? Last year in fantasy football there was Travis Kelce at the Tight End position and everybody else. In FFPC, where the scoring is full PPR with TE Premium scoring, tight end receptions are worth 1.5 points. Obviously, in full PPR - TE Premium formats, Kelce is going to be worth more. In some FFPC best ball drafts he's even going as high as the 1.02. TE premium adds a different element to best ball and even allows you to take 3 elite ones (if the value is there) since the other 2 can be put in at flex when they have a monster week.

On Underdog Fantasy, where receptions are only worth 0.5 points per reception, Kelce isn't as valuable, but he does give you an advantage over the rest of your league, and his Week 17 matchup where the Chiefs play the Bengals could be a high-scoring affair (as well as a nice correlation with CIN). When the playoffs arrive in best ball formats you will be better served to advance with an elite tight end. Kelce will be 34 this fall, but there haven't been any signs of him slowing down. We should expect Hall of Fame players like Kelce without much injury history to not decline as quickly as other players might. While it's unlikely the rest of the TE crop behind him drops off into oblivion like they did last year, there is still a rock-solid case for Kelce in the Chiefs' offense as long as he is still attached to Patrick Mahomes.

Darren Waller, New York Giants

TE6, 73.9 ADP

It's understandable there is some recency bias with Waller. Injuries really limited him the last two seasons with the Raiders and he only played 20 out of 34 possible games. Waller is going to be 31 in September, but he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, even averaging 13.9 yards per reception last year. The Giants traded for him in the spring only giving up a 3rd Round pick. The good news is the Giants offense projects a lot better than the Raiders does and Waller will be attached to Brian Daboll and an improving quarterback in Daniel Jones.

Without a bonafide No. 1 wide receiver on the team, it's not unreasonable to think that Waller has the potential to lead the Giants in targets this year. In the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Waller averaged close to 100 receptions and over 1,100 receiving yards with 6 TDs in each. While it may be unreasonable to expect him to get back to that level, he is an explosive tight end who can stretch the field and be a YAC monster with the ability for big plays. In best ball formats we are mostly looking for TEs with the ability to drop a 30-burger in a given week, especially in the playoffs. Waller and Daniel Jones are a very affordable and cheap stack with upside for 2023.

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers

TE10, 108.0 ADP

While not always flashy, Freiermuth is Mr. Reliable. In his first two NFL seasons, the Muth is 8th all-time in receptions for a tight end. This puts him in the same company as players like Rob Gronkowski, George Kittle, and Jimmy Graham. Freiermuth is a do-it-all tight end of sorts but seems to have established some elite chemistry with Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett. Last season, the Muth had 96 targets and 63 receptions for 732 yards and 2 TDs.

He doesn't have the same upside as someone like George Kittle or Darren Waller and is more of a volume-play at tight end in best ball, he does have a relatively safer floor. If you miss out on an elite TE early, taking Freiermuth in Round 9 and pairing him up with 1 or 2 tight ends with upside later in the draft is not a bad play. My friend and fantasy colleague, Andrew Cooper over at Fantasy Alarm calls this his "Yin-Yang TE Strategy." One other thing to like about Freiermuth is that he can be cheaply stacked with Kenny Pickett and is a good correlation play in the fantasy playoffs with a Week 16 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals as well as Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks.

 

Tight End Best Ball Fantasy Football Sleepers

Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos

TE12, 126.4 ADP

With Sean Payton coming to town, the Denver Broncos offense may look a little different in 2023. QB Russell Wilson had a brutal inaugural season at Mile High as the Broncos limped to a 5-12 finish that saw former HC Nathaniel Hackett fired before the season was up. WR Tim Patrick, unfortunately, tore his Achilles early in training camp and will miss the season, and WR K.J. Hamler was medically released due to a heart condition. As the WR depth chart thins out that could open things up for Dulcich to be a more viable weapon in the passing game alongside of WR Jerry Jeudy.

After being injured early on, Dulcich played in just 10 games last season and had 51 targets with 33 receptions, 411 yards, and 2 TDs. It wasn't an all-world performance, but he showed enough as a rookie to give us a degree of confidence heading into Year 2. Per Fantasy Points data, Dulich had the second-highest percentage of uncatchable targets in 2022 at 27.5%, behind only Kyle Pitts with 35.1%. HC Sean Payton has even referenced Dulcich playing a sort of joker role for the Broncos' offense in 2023. If you miss out on one of the early TEs, Dulcich is a nice player with upside in Round 11. The Broncos also play the Chargers in Week 17, so Dulcich can be cheaply stacked with Russell Wilson and paired with another Chargers player for the bring back.

Mike Gesicki, New England Patriots

TE24, 196.4 ADP

There is a fundamental change at hand in the NFL landscape. As defenses are trying to not give up big plays, they are playing back in a Cover 2, soft-shell type of coverage. This has opened up things for offenses underneath. Defenses are basically saying "You can run it for 4-5 yards because we're betting that eventually you'll take a negative play or get called for holding." In this chess match of sorts, offenses will be utilizing more 12-personnel (2 tight end packages) where the defense is forced to put a defensive back or a linebacker to cover the tight end who is split out. If that tight end is athletic it's likely a DB, which creates a mismatch for the offense to run it.

Entering in is Mike Gesicki. After being underutilized in Mike McDaniel's scheme in Miami last season, Gesicki signed a one-year deal with the Patriots and notably HC Bill Belichick who has gotten to see him twice a year for the last 5 years. Gesicki is an athletic TE who can stretch the field and pick up yards after the catch. While now 27 years old, Gesicki ran a 4.54 forty-yard dash at the 2018 NFL Combine. He also posted a 41-inch vertical and a 10'9" broad jump. His shuttle and 3-cone times were elite and he earned an RAS (Relative Athletic Score) score of 9.97, which was near perfect. For fantasy and especially in best ball, we want athletic tight ends with the ability to generate big plays.

While we don't completely know how the Patriots offense will look in 2023, they do not have a proven No. 1 WR on the depth chart, which has led some to think that they could run a lot of 12 personnel (as mentioned above) with TE Hunter Henry in-line to block with Gesicki split out. QB Mac Jones works the short and intermediate areas of the field well enough to think that Gesicki could be a nice value in fantasy this year being drafted as the TE24. The Patriots play the Buffalo Bills in Week 17 and while the weather could be a concern, Gesicki is a nice bring-back play with Buffalo or a late backdoor type of stack with Mac Jones if you get sniped early.

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

TE28, 205.0 ADP

We honestly have no idea what to expect from Arizona's offense this year as QB Kyler Murray is attempting to return from a late-season ACL tear in 2022, which leaves his status for Week 1 in doubt. The only established pass catcher on the roster at this point is WR Marquise Brown and it's not unreasonable to think that McBride can be a Top 2 target on the team this year. As a rookie in 2022, McBride had a modest 39 targets for 29 receptions, 265 yards, and 1 TD. He didn't see a lot of snaps early on as he was buried behind veteran TE Zach Ertz (who is also recovering from a major knee injury).

McBride is an athletic tight end and was the first one taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, going in Round 2. He ran a 4.56 forty-yard dash and is quick in the open field. 2023 will likely be a rebuilding year of sorts for the Cardinals as former GM Steve Keim and head coach Kliff Kingsbury were fired. The Las Vegas Sportsbooks aren't projecting much for the Cardinals this season as they rank in the bottom 3 in projected wins as well as projected points. Nonetheless, McBride was highly regarded as a prospect and could see plenty of action this year. The negative game scripts will likely be there as well.

Was there anyone you felt was left off this list? Feel free to get at me on Twitter and best of luck in fantasy football this season!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP