There was a time when a fantasy player could find unknown players ready to explode. These unrecognized players were dubbed "sleepers" because the rest of your leaguemates were not yet awake to them.
And we also got our fantasy stats out of the next day's newspaper. Yes, fantasy games used to be scored over a period of days.
Things change.
Today, the stats are instant, and everyone knows about everyone. As such, the definition of a sleeper has evolved. To be clear, we define sleepers as players who we think will perform better than most expect and be undervalued at their average draft position.
RELATED: See 3 Underrated Tight Ends here
RELATED: See 4 Overrated Tight Ends here
Our staff recently gathered to offer up their sleepers. Only two tight ends made the list. Here they are.
Sleeper TE Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jeff Haseley: Evan Engram signing with Denver in the offseason raises fresh expectations that Brenton Strange, the former second-round pick from Penn State, will step up as the Jaguars' primary tight end threat. Strange will enter his third year in 2025 and has shown signs of being a player that Jacksonville can rely on, proving he can be productive when targeted.
Often, we see players elevate to a new level when they become "the next man up" in a role that sees increased volume. Strange logged more snaps than Evan Engram in 2024, mostly because Engram missed time due to injuries.
In the final four games of the season without Engram, Strange recorded 17 receptions for 155 yards. Johnny Mundt trails Strange on the Jaguars' depth chart, and he has never exceeded 20 receptions in seven seasons in the league.
Assuming Strange earns and keeps the full-time role as the team's tight end, he should produce similar, if not better, numbers compared to the end of last season. Strange is a player to target as a late-round flyer who could yield strong returns in what is shaping up to be a thriving young offense in Jacksonville.
Colton Dodgson: When talking about draft investments made by former regimes, it's important to stress that those who saw the value in a player might not be around anymore. Outside of Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter, there is plenty of ambiguity when it comes to the Jaguars' skill players under new leadership.
Still, the personnel decisions and lack of movement at tight end this offseason should serve as an indication of how James Gladstone and Liam Coen view former second-round pick Brenton Strange.
Evan Engram and Christian Kirk vacated 44.6 percent of Jacksonville's targets from last season. Travis Hunter figures to take his piece of the pie. Still, Strange could operate as Trevor Lawrence's third option.
It also helps that Strange's usage took a step forward in his second career season. His routes jumped from 78 to 255, and his expected points added per target also leaped from -0.10 to 0.33.
Coen's offense didn't heavily feature tight ends last season. The Buccaneers targeted tight ends at the fifth-lowest rate in the league. However, Strange caught 17 passes out of a slot alignment last season. He's versatile with top-12 positional upside.
Julia Papworth: When it comes to tight ends in 2025, I'm going great or late, and Brenton Strange is a great late option. Evan Engram is now gone from Jacksonville, signing with the Denver Broncos, and Strange becomes the Jaguars' starting tight end.
During his three years in Jacksonville, Engram averaged 101 targets a season, including 2023, when he had a remarkably high 143 targets. These targets are open for the taking heading into 2025.
The Jags will be highlighting their superstar wide receiver duo of Brian Thomas Jr. and rookie Travis Hunter, and they still have Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby in the running back room. They also added rookie Bhayshul Tuten, but past that, Strange has a big opportunity to grab targets.
The Jags welcome in new head coach Liam Coen, who has enjoyed highlighting tight ends in the past as an offensive coordinator; Cade Otton had 87 targets in 2024 in Tampa Bay, and the Rams' Tyler Higbee had 108 targets in 2022, both under Coen. Strange doesn't need to do tons to outperform his ADP. He is going to go undrafted in most leagues, but he is worth a flyer in drafts.
Andy Hicks: Brenton Strange had strong development in his second year. The second-round pick from the 2023 draft went from five receptions in his rookie year to 40 in his second.
He made an elite player at the position, Evan Engram, change teams to Denver. With journeyman or underachievers behind him on the tight-end depth chart, Strange is assured of a strong workload.
New head coach Liam Cohen used Cade Otton effectively last year in Tampa Bay and had Otton finish as the 12th-ranked fantasy tight end. Strange does have that kind of upside this year, but touchdowns may be his Achilles heel.
Receptions and yardage are where he has value for 2025, and given the lack of strong options for Trevor Lawrence outside Brian Thomas Jr., there are reasonable odds that he can be as good as Otton was in 2024. Every year, we see tight ends come out of nowhere or develop steadily into fantasy options. Strange could be a bit of both, but his clear trajectory is all upside from his current draft expectations. If he adds touchdowns this year, he smashes that trajectory to a stratospheric level.
Maurile Tremblay: Brenton Strange has quietly stepped into a clear every-down role at tight end after Jacksonville released Evan Engram in March and watched the veteran sign with Denver.
That move vacated more than a hundred short-to-intermediate targets and leaves Strange, a 2023 second-round pick, atop the depth chart entering Year 3. He already flashed starter capability in 2024, turning 54 looks into 40 catches for 411 yards and two scores while starting 10 games, a solid foundation for a player likely to earn significantly more snaps in 2025.
The ecosystem around him is also trending up. New head coach and play-caller Liam Coen, fresh from the McVay tree, has a history of featuring tight ends (Tyler Higbee logged 72 receptions in Coen's lone season coordinating the Rams) and brings that middle-of-the-field emphasis to Jacksonville.
Strange's own efficiency suggests real upside: he averaged 4.7 yards per grab after the catch, delivered a 107.9 passer rating when targeted, and drew rave reviews in May minicamp. Strange has also reportedly developed strong chemistry with Trevor Lawrence, who has historically targeted tight ends heavily in critical situations. Strange is an ascending 24-year-old athlete with an every-down pathway in a tight-end-friendly scheme.
Phil Alexander: Brenton Strange is a tight end sleeper with a clear path to relevance in 2025. The Jaguars let Evan Engram walk in free agency, opening the door for Strange to take over as the starting tight end in an ascending Trevor Lawrence-led offense.
A second-round pick in 2023, Strange showed flashes last season when pressed into action, finishing with 40 catches for 411 yards and even posting an 11-catch game — intriguing production for a young tight end seeing his first real snaps.
This year, Strange will benefit from improved spacing created by the growth of Brian Thomas Jr. and the arrival of Travis Hunter. With defenses keying on Jacksonville's top two receiving threats, Strange should find himself in favorable matchups underneath and in the red zone.
He also brings the athletic traits to win those matchups. At 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds, Strange boasts impressive size-adjusted speed and elite burst. New head coach Liam Coen also helped Cade Otton overachieve in Tampa, and Strange is a more talented player.
Consider Strange a strong late-round dart throw with a chance to become a consistent safety valve and touchdown threat in Jacksonville.