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Should you draft Harold Fannin Jr., Terrance Ferguson, or Gunnar Helm in fantasy football in 2025? Zach breaks down the fantasy outlooks for these three late-round rookies.
A few years ago, rookie tight ends were a group of players that could be safely passed over in fantasy football drafts. Tight ends usually took time to adjust to the league and didn't make much of an impact. That has dramatically changed in the last two years, though, with Sam LaPorta posting a very serviceable fantasy season as a rookie in 2023 and Brock Bowers rewriting the history book with his record-setting rookie year in 2024.
In 2025, will there be another rookie tight end who makes a fantasy football splash? Let's take a look at three rookie tight ends who could play their way into a large enough role to make a difference this season and decide if they should be targets in the later rounds of your drafts. For this post, we'll be considering their value in re-draft leagues, since in dynasty formats, all rookies' value is different, since the emphasis is placed on long-term potential rather than just their production this year.
In this post, we'll look at the fantasy football outlooks of Harold Fannin Jr. of the Cleveland Browns, Terrance Ferguson of the Los Angeles Rams, and Gunnar Helm of the Tennessee Titans. Each of these three rookies comes with potential, but which one makes the most sense for you to draft and add to your roster?
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Harold Fannin Jr. Fantasy Football Outlook
The Browns already have David Njoku in place as a strong tight end to work with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco this season. Njoku had a huge year in 2023 with 81 catches for 882 yards and a career-high six touchdowns. He battled injury last year and was limited to 11 games, but still posted 64 catches for 505 yards and five touchdowns.
Even with the veteran in place, though, the Brows drafted Fannin in the third round out of Bowling Green. Fannin put up huge numbers as the focus of his college offense, producing 1,555 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns while catching 117 of his 155 targets.
Fannin doesn't have elite measurables, but his college production shows that he can put up monster numbers when given the opportunity based on his solid fundamentals and competitiveness. He had a strong training camp and went from a developmental project to someone the Browns think can contribute right away. He can line up in the slot and work as a big wide receiver, opening up the possibility of playing alongside Njoku in multiple looks and formations. The plan is for him to line up all over the formation and be very involved in the offense.
In the preseason finale, Fannin ran a route on 7 of 11 dropbacks by starting quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco found the rookie for this touchdown from the 15-yard line:
Browns GM Andrew Berry called TE Harold Fannin Jr. the “queen on the chessboard” after they drafted him.
Fannin catches his first NFL TD lined up like a wide receiver. Cleveland loves his versatility. pic.twitter.com/oDZ2wXVFMD
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) August 23, 2025
He also was the target of a screen pass from Flacco in that game, which he turned from a loss into a short gain with some hard running after contact. Fannin got rave reviews from everyone this preseason, and Flacco said, "I think he's going to be a hell of a player and an important piece for us, and it's good to see him breaking out of his shell a little bit and becoming a part of this team. You know, to get him a touch there was great.”
Fannin could be a huge boost for the Browns since their wide receiver room doesn't have a ton of depth. Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and Jamari Thrash are set to start with Isaiah Bond, DeAndre Carter, and Gage Larvadain as depth options. Tillman showed some downfield potential last season, but for the most part, the group is unproven. Fannin and Njoku will likely get plenty of targets, especially from Flacco, who has shown a tendency to lean heavily on his big pass-catchers both near the line of scrimmage and further down the field.
Right now, Fannin is being drafted outside the top 250 in Yahoo! Sports fantasy football leagues as the TE32. With that low of a draft stock, he can be a great final round dart throw as a depth option at the position, or someone you can watch closely on waivers early in the season. If you are looking for a late-round flier tight end with breakout potential, Fannin is definitely a better option than many other tight ends going around that same part of the draft.
While he's not enough of a sure thing to target early, grabbing him late could look clairvoyant if he seizes a big role for the Browns early in the season. One huge advantage he has over other cheap tight ends is that his versatility allows him multiple paths to getting on the field and finding spots to contribute.
Terrance Ferguson Fantasy Football Outlook
The Rams are another team that has been considering changing their personnel packages to accommodate more playing time for an incoming rookie, according to reports coming out of training camp. They snagged Terrance Ferguson in the second round of the draft out of Oregon with the No. 46 overall pick after the 6'4 pass-catcher hauled in 43 catches for 591 yards and three touchdowns last year.
Ferguson ran the fastest 40-yard dash of all tight ends at the NFL Combine at 4.63, and he has better measurables than Fannin, even though his college production isn't close to the high volume that Fannin put up.
Veteran tight end Tyler Higbee is ahead of Ferguson for the regular starting role and has a strong connection with Matthew Stafford. Higbee is entering the final year of his contract, though, so Ferguson is a candidate to step in as the starter next season. This year, he'll have to earn time in the rotation behind Higbee or in two tight-end sets with Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen also vying for playing time. If Higbee were to have injury issues, Ferguson could step up in that scenario as well.
“He’s got a good feel, good tempo to his game. I thought he did well.”
🎙️HC Sean McVay on TE Terrance Ferguson. pic.twitter.com/vMovSRnozQ
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 25, 2025
While he doesn't have as clear a path to playing time and may not be quite as instantly productive as Fannin, he has the potential to break out down the road this season. He definitely has the physical tools to make plays and stretch the field from the tight end spot, which could make him a good change-up from Higbee's routes, which are typically closer to the line of scrimmage.
Right now, Ferguson is going undrafted in most formats as the TE36. He can be a late-round stash in deep leagues, or even just a waiver wire watch early in the season, if you know you'll be in the market for a tight end once we hit the bye weeks. How the Rams utilize the rookie will determine his upside, so keep an eye on those early-season snap counts and targets in Los Angeles to see if Ferguson is involved enough to make an impact.
Gunnar Helm Fantasy Football Outlook
Gannar Helm is going even deeper in fantasy drafts coming into the season, landing at TE45, according to his Yahoo! Sports ADP. He still is an intriguing prospect, though, and could end up emerging as a contributor this season. The reason he's being drafted so low is that there are so many variables in play for the big rookie from Texas, including his rookie quarterback in Tennessee, Cam Ward.
The Titans added Helm to their draft class in the fourth round, 119 picks after taking Ward as No. 1 overall. Helm had a solid catch rate in college, racking up 60 catches for 786 yards and seven scores last year while working with Quinn Ewers. He didn't post huge numbers at the NFL Combine, but he was also dealing with a sprained ankle that could have slowed him down.
Like the two rookies discussed above, Helm is behind a veteran tight end in his current position. Chig Okonkwo is expected to be the primary option at the position this season, but Helm did look good this preseason when Okonkwo did not play. In the second week of the preseason, the rookie hauled in 4-of-4 targets for 48 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons.
That's TUFF @gunnar_helm 💪
📺: #TENvsATL on @WKRN & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/DyA4JpiSQ1
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) August 16, 2025
Okonkwo has shown flashes of production potential in the past, but he has also struggled to find consistency. If Helm is going to make big catches like the one above, he could quickly become a favorite of Cam Ward and grow alongside his fellow rookie as a big part of the Titans' future. He will need to push for playing time, though, since the starting role is definitely not being handed to him.
Like with Fannin and Ferguson, Helm is a late-round option you can target if you believe he finds his way to playing time early in the season. He can be a depth pick at the end of your draft to see if he pops in the first few weeks. He doesn't need to be targeted early, but can be on your radar late as a flier with upside.
Of the three rookies, Fannin looks most ready to make an impact right away, so he would be my personal preference if all three are on the board. If he's gone, though, Helm or Ferguson can also be in play for deep leagues. Even if you don't use a draft pick or preseason waiver claim on one of these rookies, they'll definitely be names to watch early in the season to judge their involvement and potential upside for bye weeks and injury replacements later in their first year in the NFL.
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