NFL Free Agency Preview - Fantasy Football Tight End Edition

February 11, 2024

With the 2023 fantasy football season completed, all eyes shift to NFL free agency. Rob identifies the biggest tight end free agents, their best fits, and their most likely destinations for 2024.

The free agency market at tight end is barren. Quite honestly, it was difficult to come up with five names to focus on. There quite simply are not very many options. Unfortunately for NFL teams, the 2024 NFL Draft is not a strong tight end class either. There’s Brock Bowers at the top, but the crop thins out real quick. The free agent market is similar.

Dalton Schultz is the best option on the free agent market. He’s a decent enough run-blocker and a solid, but unexciting pass-catcher. He’s slightly above average in most categories, but not very good at any. After Schultz, there’s a fairly sizable drop to the rest of the options.

Tight end is the last free agency preview in this series. Here you can find previous entries focusing on quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers. As we’ve done with the running back and wide receiver sections, we’ll start by listing some of the teams that have a clear need at tight end. Let’s get started.

Primary Suitors

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have just under $60 million in cap space. Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson, and Irv Smith Jr. are all free agents, so at this time, the Bengals do not have a single tight end under contract for the 2024 season.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins are almost $52 million over the cap, so they don’t have a lot of financial flexibility. However, they’re all in and can restructure several contracts to push money into the future and create space now. They have Durham Smythe and Julian Hill under contract, two very uninspiring options.

New England Patriots

The Patriots have $66 million in cap space. Both of their tight ends from this past season, Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki, are free agents.

Washington Commanders

Washington has almost $74 million in cap space. They have overhauled their coaching staff and only have Logan Thomas, Cole Turner, and John Bates under contract. Thomas could be cut and the other two are more depth pieces than full-time starters. Washington could look to add a tight end.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers have just over $28 million in cap space. Their tight ends include Hayden Hurst, Tommy Tremble, and Ian Thomas. Needless to say, this position could benefit from increased competition.

Houston Texans

The Texans have just over $57 million in cap space. Their primary tight end, Dalton Schultz, is a free agent. Brevin Jordan is the only other tight end of note under contract.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers are almost $46 million over the cap. However, they can cut Khalil Mack and Mike Williams. Corey Linsley’s pending retirement, along with those moves, would give them $6 million in cap space. Gerald Everett is a free agent, which leaves them with Donald Parham Jr. and Stone Smartt.

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle is just over $4 million over the cap, but they have plenty of easy moves they can make to create cap space. One of them is cutting Will Dissly, which would save them almost $7 million. Noah Fant is also a free agent, as is Colby Parkinson.

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams have almost $28 million in cap space. They wouldn’t normally be listed here, but due to Tyler Higbee’s torn ACL and his age, they could seek out a ready-to-play replacement. They have Hunter Long and Davis Allen also under contract at tight end.

Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans

Schultz is the best tight end available on the free agent market. He’s a good, all-around tight end who is a capable run-blocker and a quality pass-catcher. Out of 74 tight ends with at least 125 run-blocking snaps, Schultz earned a 59.7 grade from PFF. This ranked 19th. In 2022, he ranked eighth with a 65.9 PFF run-blocking grade out of 72 qualified players. He can play in-line, but as you can see from the table below, he can also be a weapon in the passing game.

He has three straight seasons with a target share of 16% or higher, a target rate of 22% or higher, has essentially averaged six targets per game all three seasons, and has a yards per route run average of 1.50 or higher. Schultz is consistent and reliable. Six targets per game equates to 102 over 17 games. The past two seasons he’s averaged around 40 yards per game or 680 yards over 17 games. He’s a good run-blocker and he’s a good pass-catcher who can operate as a team’s No. 3 or even No. 2 target-earner.

For fantasy purposes, he has three straight seasons of averaging 7.5 half-PPR PPG or better. He’s been a back-end TE1 for each of the past three years. Surprisingly, he didn’t garner a lot of attention last year and had to settle for a one-year deal. I’d expect Schultz to finally cash in this year.

A return to Houston makes the most sense for both Schultz and the team. Houston has the money to re-sign him and it’s a great fit for him, fantasy-wise. He’d operate as the No. 3 option behind Nico Collins and Tank Dell.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see New England have an interest in Schultz. His run-blocking skill set is likely to be valued there. Also, the new Washington head coach, Dan Quinn, could be interested in Schultz. They were in Dallas together from 2021-2022. While the offensive structure in New England is likely to be subpar at best, Schultz could also establish himself as a top-two option in the passing game.

Schultz is likely to be valued as a mid-TE2 this upcoming season, somewhere in between TE14-18. The tight end position is looking deep for 2024 with plenty of exciting younger players. Their upside will end up pushing Schultz down draft boards a bit.

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots

Henry could almost be described as a poor man’s Dalton Schultz. Or Schultz could be described as a younger version of Hunter Henry. Take your pick. Henry, like Schultz, does not excel in any one area. He’s not a great or even very good run-blocker. He ranked 34th out of 74 qualified tight ends in PFF’s run-blocking grade this season and 57th last year out of 72.

As you can see from the table below, Henry hasn’t been a huge piece of his team’s passing offenses even with New England desperate for pass-catchers. His targets per game average has remained incredibly consistent, which makes sense. At this stage of his career, he is who he is. He’s best viewed as a team’s fourth pass-catching option, but can still be a regular player at tight end. He’s an experienced player who is average in both run-blocking and pass-catching.

Henry’s best days are behind him and because of that, his free agency interest won’t be very high. He’s not going to command a huge salary. Cincinnati would make a lot of football sense. The Bengals need a tight end and one who can play right away since they’re in a Super Bowl window. Henry checks that box. He can play all three downs as well. For fantasy, this would be an optimal landing spot.

Due to his age, he may focus on winning teams with Super Bowl chances. He’s never really had that. Cincinnati, once again, qualifies. Houston could also be an option if Schultz takes a bigger contract away from the Texans. The Rams would be another alternative. They could look for a cheaper, ready-to-play option with Higbee likely out most of 2024 with his torn ACL.

Regardless of where Henry signs, he won’t crack the top 20. If he were to land in Cincinnati, Houston, or with the Rams, he’d have some sleeper appeal as a potential mid-TE2 if touchdowns run hot. The most likely outcome is Henry being a streamer. It’s hard to predict a landing spot outside of these three teams where Henry would have any relevant fantasy value.

Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks

If you’re holding out hope for any of these free-agent tight ends -- outside of Schultz -- to become fantasy-relevant in 2024, Fant is the best option. He’s just 26 years old and had back-to-back seasons of 90+ targets, 60+ receptions, and 670+ yards in just his second and third seasons in the NFL. That was in 2020-2021 when he was with Denver. Then he was traded to Seattle where he fell into a tight end committee and found himself competing for targets with D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

From the table above, you can see the major shift in Fant’s usage and production from 2021 to 2022-2023. In 2020, Fant posted an 18.3% target share and a 24.2% target rate. Both of these numbers were top-10 among tight ends. He also averaged 6.2 targets, 4.1 receptions, and 44.9 yards per game. He had a 1.75 yards per route run average and a 7.2 yards per target average. From an efficiency standpoint, Fant posted top-10 numbers across the board from 2020-2021.

His landing spot will be crucial and it’s fair to expect Fant to be on the lookout for a place that will utilize his strengths. Seattle did not do that. If Fant were to go to Houston and be Schultz’s replacement or Cincinnati to catch passes from Joe Burrow, his fantasy value would increase. Even the Chargers with Justin Herbert or the Rams with Matthew Stafford would be appealing.

He finished 50th out of 72 tight ends in 2022 in PFF’s run-blocking grade but was much better this past season. He finished 20th out of 74 qualified tight ends. That will help his market, especially for teams like the Chargers and Rams, who despite their star quarterbacks, still like to establish a strong running game.

It’s possible Fant could be on the David Njoku career trajectory. Njoku popped off early, too, then faded, and just had a sixth-year breakout. Don’t be surprised if, in the right situation, Fant has the best season of his career. He’s still super young and has been cast in several poor situations. In his first three seasons with Denver, he primarily caught passes from Joe Flacco, Drew Lock, and Teddy Bridgewater.

If Fant has a best-case scenario free agent landing spot, he’ll likely flirt with a top-20 ranking, but otherwise won’t find himself inside the top 25. If he ends up in one of the previously mentioned four spots, Fant could have a career season and will likely be a trendy, late-round sleeper selection.

Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers

Everett was in Seattle in 2021 and operated as their primary tight end that season. From 2022-2023, Everett was with the Chargers. Despite the two different franchises and considering how different their offenses are, it's uncanny just how similar Everett’s numbers are across the board. However, after having already played four seasons with the Rams before joining Seattle, Everett was who he had always been.

Everett is not a good run-blocker. He finished 50th out of 74 tight ends last year in PFF’s run-blocking grade and just 58th in 2022 out of 72. He’s also not used down the field in the passing game. Over the past three seasons, his average depth of target has not surpassed 5.6 yards. He’s generally been used on dump-offs, screens, and other short routes in an attempt to get him in space and give him a chance to make a play after the catch.

Due to this utilization, the teams interested in him are going to need to have a very specific vision for him. Considering that he’ll turn 30 this summer and has mostly been a mediocre performer, it’s highly unlikely any team is going to choose to make Everett a regular part of their passing attack.

At this stage of his career, he is likely looking at being a timeshare tight end. This already started last year in Los Angeles. He’ll have a very specific role, but his days as a full-time or regular player are likely done and with it, his fantasy relevance is all over as well. He might not even crack the top 30 at tight end after free agency and the draft are completed.

Mike Gesicki, New England Patriots

Choosing which fifth tight end to feature here between Gesicki, Adam Trautman, and Austin Hooper was a difficult decision, but it was a decision that didn’t come with any consequences. The chances of either of these three being fantasy-relevant in 2024 are slim to none. However, if there’s one that could get there, it’s most likely Gesicki. He had several seasons in Miami where he was a focal part of their passing offense.

In 2022, while still with Miami, Gesicki was mostly benched by then-new head coach Mike McDaniel. McDaniel comes from the Kyle Shanahan tree and in their offense, the tight end needs to be able to block. Gesicki cannot do this, not even a little bit. He fell out of favor with the staff because of it. In 2023, he signed with New England and that entire offense was a disaster. Due to the awful quarterback play, the offense focused on the running game, which again, phased Gesicki out of the game plans.

For fantasy, we can at least hold a glimmer of light to his 2020 and 2021 seasons with Miami. In 2020, Gesicki finished with 85 targets, 53 receptions, 703 yards, and six touchdowns. He had 112 targets, 73 receptions, 780 yards, and two touchdowns in 2021. Recording over 700 yards in back-to-back seasons is no small feat for a tight end.

He also had a really good sophomore season back in 2019, finishing with 89 targets, 51 receptions, 570 yards, and five touchdowns. That gave him three straight seasons of 85 or more targets. You can see the difference in the table below between his 2022-2023 stats and his 2021 stat line.

In 2020, he had an 18.3% target share and a 24.2% target rate, both ranked in the top 10 among tight ends. He also averaged 6.2 targets, 4.1 receptions, and 44.9 yards per game. All of those averages were in the top seven. His 1.75 yards per route run average ranked eighth that season. He’s shown to be a capable pass-catcher when deployed in a manner that best fits his strengths.

That’s why his landing spot will be super important for Gesicki and any hopes of him being fantasy-relevant in 2024. Much like Everett, since Gesicki has a super specific skill set, his market is likely to be much smaller. He’s also going to be 29 this year and he’s coming off the two worst seasons of his career. The best spot could be Cincinnati if they were willing to utilize him as a move tight end and maybe even as their Tyler Boyd replacement player in the slot. Realistically, Gesicki is going to be far removed from any fantasy football boards this summer and his free-agency destination won’t change that.

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