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Potential tight end sleepers and busts for 2024 fantasy football drafts. Joey Pollizze details potential sleepers and busts at the position for 2024 fantasy drafts.
In recent years, the tight end position has been hard to navigate. Usually, there are only two to four elite options, so most fantasy managers need to spend a top pick on a tight end. However, things are much different at the position heading into 2024 fantasy drafts.
Of course, there are still elite options going at the top of drafts, including Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews. Managers don't necessarily need to pay up for a tight end this year. There are plenty of solid tight ends going in the sixth, seventh, or eighth round of drafts. Even in the later rounds, managers can find worthy TE1 options for their team.
So, let's dive in and look at the five tight ends you should target and avoid in 2024 fantasy football drafts.
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2024 Fantasy Football Tight Ends Overvalued
Sam LaPorta - Detroit Lions
There is no doubt Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta is the top tight end in fantasy drafts this year. He finished as the TE1 in his rookie campaign while averaging 14.1 PPR fantasy points. LaPorta also scored in double figures in PPR formats in 10 of 17 games. However, his 20.7 ADP on Sleeper makes him extremely overvalued heading into the season.
LaPorta is definitely a strong tight end option in 2024 and should put up solid numbers in his second year. There also aren't many negative things to say about the Lions playmaker in fantasy. Nevertheless, taking a tight end that early in drafts has not panned out well in recent years. Just look at those fantasy managers who took Travis Kelce in the first or second round last year, they likely finished at the bottom of their league.
Let’s talk about Sam LaPorta.
As a rookie, he broke NFL records for:
-Receptions by a rookie TE
-3rd rookie TE with 10+ receiving TDsLaPorta was a game-changer for fantasy managers.
I believe he can achieve this success again in 2024.
Do you?pic.twitter.com/bsotf4rw1b
— Moody (@EricNMoody) June 22, 2024
Taking LaPorta at his 20.7 ADP means you are passing on a top-tier running back or wide receiver at this point in the draft. If you take the Lions' tight end at pick 20, you are passing on players like Brandon Aiyuk, Travis Etienne, or De'Von Achane. Instead, you can take one of those players and wait for a tight end in the sixth or seventh round.
Many might disagree that the 23-year-old is being overvalued in drafts, but would you rather have LaPorta and Terry McLaurin (68.7 ADP), or Evan Engram (69.8 ADP), and Aiyuk (21.6 ADP) on your team? The latter seems like the better start to your fantasy team, making the Lions' tight end a bit overvalued in 2024.
2024 Fantasy Football Tight Ends Undervalued
Evan Engram - Jacksonville Jaguars
Speaking of Engram, he might be the most undervalued tight end in drafts this year. Despite coming off the best season of his career, the Jaguars playmaker finds himself going in the fifth or sixth round of drafts. That is insane value for a player who just finished as the TE2 in 2023.
Engram was one of the most consistent tight end options last year behind his 114-catch, 963-yard, four-touchdown season. His 114 catches were the second most all-time by a tight end in one season -- only behind Zach Ertz's 116 receptions in 2018 -- and his 963 receiving yards ranked third at the position in 2023. Yet, for some reason, the 29-year-old is going as the TE8 currently in drafts. That makes him a great value pick in the middle rounds.
Evan Engram had ONE game with less than 6 targets.
No other TE can make that claim.
His 13.5 PPG was fourth-best among TEs.
Engram caught 114 balls last year - fourth most of any player in the NFL.
The reason he's not in the convo for TE 1 - is his FOUR TDs last season.
If…
— Brian Drake (@DrakeFantasy) July 19, 2024
In his first two years in Jacksonville, Engram has finished as the TE5 (2022) and TE2 (2023) in PPR formats. So, taking him at his TE8 ADP is such a steal. Not much should also change for the tight end in 2024, considering he should operate as Trevor Lawrence's second option in the passing game. That means another 100-target season could be attainable.
Jake Ferguson - Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson saw a bigger role in 2023 following the offseason departure of Dalton Schultz. Ferguson made the most of his first year as a starter and was a reliable fantasy tight end option. The former Wisconsin product caught 71 passes for 761 yards and five touchdowns while finishing as the TE9 in PPR formats.
Now, entering Year 3, Ferguson can post even better numbers in 2024. From Week 8 to Week 18, the Cowboys tight end scored the sixth most PPR fantasy points (131.1). During that stretch, he scored in double figures in seven of 11 games while averaging 11.9 PPR fantasy points per game. The 25-year-old also caught 10 passes for 93 yards and three touchdowns in the team's playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers. So, he's certainly trending up heading into the 2024 season.
Jake Ferguson post-Bye last season:
🔘 7.1 targets per game
🔘 81% snap share
🔘 85% route participation (ELITE for TE)In one playoff game he went 10-93-3 on 12 targets and produced 48.3 #SFB14 fantasy points
He scored 23+ Fish Bowl fantasy points five times in 2023, not bad!
— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) July 10, 2024
That makes him a steal at his 87.4 or TE11 ADP. He is on a top offense in the NFL that just ranked first in points scored in 2023, and Dak Prescott will still be throwing passes to him. In his third year with Prescott, look for the young tight end to fully break out. As a result, he is going too low in fantasy drafts this summer.
2024 Fantasy Football Tight End Sleepers
Pat Freiermuth - Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth likely wants to forget about the 2023 season. He missed multiple games due to a hamstring injury and only caught 32 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns. That led to Freiermuth finishing as the TE30 in PPR formats. So, his 127.1 ADP on Sleeper makes sense. However, at that TE16 price tag, he is definitely worth a shot in the later rounds.
Of course, he is coming off a rough year, but a lot has changed for Freiermuth entering his fourth NFL season. For starters, Arthur Smith is now his offensive coordinator, which is actually great news for him. Smith comes over from the Atlanta Falcons, where his offense threw the second most targets to the tight end position in 2023. Kyle Pitts saw 90 targets, while Jonnu Smith had 70 targets. As a result, look for that strong tight end presence in the passing game to continue in Pittsburgh.
On top of that, Freiermuth should be in line for more targets with Diontae Johnson now gone. Outside of George Pickens, the Steelers lack some talent at the wide receiver position, so the 25-year-old could top 100-plus targets for the first time in his career. He also got a quarterback upgrade this offseason after Pittsburgh released Kenny Pickett and signed Russell Wilson in free agency.
It would be quite risky to roll with Freiermuth as your TE1 to begin the year. However, things are working in his favor, making him a potential sleeper option in the 11th or 12th round of drafts. Don't forget, the Steelers' tight end is just two years removed from finishing as the TE8 in PPR formats. The talent and situation are definitely there for him to finish that high again in 2024.
Luke Musgrave - Green Bay Packers
It makes sense why Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave is going as late as he is in drafts. He wasn't really a fantasy option in his first year after missing six games due to a lacerated kidney. He also faces an uphill battle for targets with Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, and Tucker Kraft all seeing plenty of chances in the passing game. However, at his 113.7 ADP, he is worth a pick in the later rounds.
Before his injury in Week 11, Musgrave caught at least four passes or totaled at least 50 yards in seven of 10 games. He also scored at least eight PPR fantasy points in six of those 10 contests. Again, he wasn't really a fantasy option in those weeks, but putting up those stats with pre-breakout Jordan Love under center shows how much potential he does have in Year 2.
Love will only improve in 2024, which should help Musgrave's case in his second year. Yes, the target share might be somewhat low with a ton of mouths to feed on offense. But there is room for the young tight end to be a solid fantasy option in an up-and-coming offense.
#Packers HC Matt LaFleur on Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft:
“I think both of those guys can do it all. I think they both will end up becoming complete tight ends in this league… Just to see where they are right now from a year ago, it’s night and day.” pic.twitter.com/TeMC7ShG2U
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) June 4, 2024
At his TE17 ADP, he is certainly worth a shot because the talent is there. He was just the fourth tight end selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he showed some nice things on the field when healthy in his first year. If he can secure 80-90 targets this upcoming season -- which averages out to about five targets per game -- we could see Musgrave break out in a good offense in 2024.
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