With all this year's organized team activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamps behind us, the NFL is about halfway through its annual break before training camps start rolling out later this month.
So far, there hasn't been much in terms of NFL news during this lull in the action. But for fantasy managers who take their preparation seriously, there is no downtime.
DON'T MISS OUT: Pre-Order the 2026 Footballguys Draft Guide before they are all gone.
That's why the Fantasy Notebook is using this time to roll out a position-by-position series on underrated players. Two weeks ago, it was Underrated Running Backs. Last week, we covered Underrated Wide Receivers.
Next up? We're rolling through some underrated tight ends who merit our attention, starting with . . .
Fringe TE1s with Room for More
If you find yourself thinking the number of draftable tight ends is deeper than ever, you're not alone. As Footballguy Jason Wood explained in the 2026 Footballguys Draft Guide, "As multi-faceted, game-breaking talents have flooded the league, the positional floor has risen." It's not as difficult as it once was to find high-end upside throughout your draft. Let's start at the bottom of the top, with a couple of fringe players who could provide solid TE production.
Time to Cowboy Up
While his TE11 Average Draft Position (ADP) suggests he's not totally overlooked, it's not hard to make the argument that Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson is underrated.
While he lacks the elite athleticism of up-and-coming stars like Brock Bowers and Trey McBride or the long-term success of veteran players like Travis Kelce or George Kittle, Ferguson has emerged as a reliable target for Dak Prescott in a high-scoring Dallas offense, which has led to solid fantasy production.
At times, it's been better than that.
Last year, Ferguson set career highs in catches and touchdowns on the same number of targets as he had in 2023.
In fact, Ferguson has handled a 17 percent target share each of the past three seasons, and he's coming off a 2025 campaign in which he ranked third among tight ends in receptions, touchdowns, and end-zone targets (10).
He finished the season as TE4 overall, and his nine top-12 fantasy weeks tied for second-most at the position.
So Why Isn't He Ranked Higher?
Assuming good health at wideout this season, it's fair for fantasy investors to wonder if Ferguson will continue to get the volume necessary to produce at a high level.
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens will continue to be Prescott's primary targets. They finished in that order in target share last season, with Lamb earning a 21.7 percent share and Pickens 21 percent.
Ferguson ranked third on the team last year, but Ryan Flournoy presents an increasingly solid third option at wideout who could make inroads on the tight end's workload.
But That's Not Guaranteed
According to FanSided's RJ Ochoa, this feels similar to 2021 when the Cowboys had a tried-and-true trio of Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Michael Gallup. We never really got to see the three of them shine on a game-by-game basis for a variety of reasons, but it led to the emergence of then-Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz.
That season was the first of consecutive campaigns in which Schultz averaged double-digit yards per reception. Ferguson did that as well in 2023, the first year that Schultz was gone.
Ochoa reminded readers that much of Schultz's success was due to all of the dangerous downfield threats that opponents had to deal with. It's easy to envision Ferguson benefiting from that this year.
Expectations Are Low
Even though he's being drafted at the tail end of TE1 territory, a third top-10 fantasy finish in four seasons is very realistic for Ferguson. In fact, an injury-marred, three-game 2024 season might have fantasy investors dialing back more than they should.
He might need another top-10 outcome to change that perception, but I'm already sold.
For me, a ninth-round pick is more than worth the price of admission for Ferguson, who is currently TE8 on my rankings.
Regression Coming, But How Much?
As Philly Voice staffer Jimmy Kempski reminded readers last week, Dallas Goedert was a force in the red zone in 2025.
After scoring 24 touchdowns in his first seven seasons (3.4 per year), Goedert inexplicably leaped to 11 scores in 15 games in 2025. According to ESPN's Mike Clay, Goedert's expected TD total was 5.1, and he saw only five end-zone targets (12 tight ends saw more).
Goedert also managed to stay relatively healthy in 2025, as he missed just one game due to injury after being a regular on the injury report the previous three seasons.
The touchdowns propelled Goedert to a TE7 finish.
That was great, but TDs aside, Goedert's overall receiving production in 2025 was down. He averaged just 39.4 receiving yards per game, his worst output since his rookie season.
Kempski contends Goedert also declined significantly as a blocker.
Will regression become the trend?
Goedert had never scored more than five times in a single season, and the five end-zone targets he garnered in 2025 were his most since he had six as a rookie in 2018. Per Clay, Goedert, who still has yet to finish a season top-10 among tight ends in end-zone targets, was targeted while within 10 yards of the end zone 15 times and scored on 11 of them, which hasn't been the norm.
Touchdown regression seems all but certain. But the yards-per-game dip will turn out to be an outlier.
Why?
Vacated targets should turn into more opportunities.
Turning Up the Volume
Over the years, Jalen Hurts has proven that he trusts throwing to three players -- A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Goedert.
Brown is gone.
"By my math," Kempski wrote, "Hurts is now down to two players that he definitively trusts in Smith and Goedert."
On top of that, the Eagles brought in a new offensive coordinator in Sean Mannion, who is expected to run a scheme that has historically featured tight ends.
This offseason, Goedert told NBCSports.com's Dave Zangaro that he studied players like George Kittle and Tucker Kraft, who have thrived in the same system.
We Know How the Pieces Fit
Meanwhile, even though the Eagles drafted tight end Eli Stowers in the second round of April's NFL Draft, the rookie will likely need some time to become a consistent contributor at the NFL level. Johnny Mundt, who was signed as a free agent, figures to be a blocking tight end.
Goedert will still be the team's second-most targeted receiver in 2026 after getting 82 last season, up from 52 in 10 games the previous year.
Yes, Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown, and Elijah Moore will also compete for a larger share of the passing game, but don't overthink this.
Smith is going to be the focal point of the Eagles' passing offense this season. But Goedert, whose 18 percent target share ranked third on the team during the 2025 campaign, could move into the No. 2 spot.
ADP is Still Bearish
Goedert, who's TE12 in my rankings, is being drafted outside TE1 territory -- he's TE14 going in Round 10 despite finishing 12th or better in points per game each of the past seven seasons.
Even with touchdown regression baked in, Goedert will get the workload to deliver fringe-TE1 numbers in 2026 -- and, as we've seen as recently as a season ago -- he's capable of more.
Forgotten TE1 Upside
Every year, we see players who performed at higher levels the year before fall down the ADP ranks. Sometimes, coaching changes, new schemes, or personnel adjustments explain the concerns. But there are times when the market is simply overlooking what it's already seen.
Steady, Well-Connected Producer Still Searching for Respect
Juwan Johnson may not be part of the elite fraternity of superstar tight ends dominating the NFL right now, but, as Bleacher Report's Alex Kay suggested last week, Johnson deserves far more respect than he's been getting.
The New Orleans Saints tight end has worked his way up the ranks after entering the league as an undrafted free agent. He rarely saw the field on offense during his first two years in the league and was mostly relegated to special teams work, but his determination paid off when he became the club's starting tight end in 2022.
Johnson has been a steady presence in New Orleans' offense over the past four seasons and even took another leap during his age-29 campaign last year.
The Oregon product delivered a 42-catch, 508-yard, seven-touchdown season in 2022, but few noticed it. His impressive progression continued in 2025, however, as the converted wide receiver posted career-high marks in targets, catches (77), yardage (889), and fantasy points.
All four were eighth or better among tight ends.
More importantly, Johnson produced nine top-12 fantasy weeks (including four top-five performances and a TE1 overall Week 1), which tied for second at the position, en route to a TE8 overall finish.
Of course, Johnson has another thing going for him . . .
A Quarterback on the Rise
With Tyler Shough cementing his status as New Orleans' QB1 with a better-than-expected rookie year, Johnson stands to benefit based on his status as the signal-caller's preferred safety valve and longtime friend.
As Kay noted, Shough looked for his top tight end -- one he roomed with during their time together at Oregon -- more than any other player outside of star wideout Chris Olave, with Johnson's 102 targets ranking well ahead of the rest of the field.
While the Saints did reinforce Shough's weaponry this offseason, most notably adding first-round pick Jordyn Tyson to the mix, Johnson should remain a focal point in head coach Kellen Moore's system.
Kay summed up: "Johnson's longstanding rapport with Shough gives him an advantage that could help him surpass the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the first time in his career."
Investors Are Missing It
The 29-year-old will need to fend off newcomer Noah Fant for work in 2026, but he very well could settle in as high as second in target priority in this offense.
Johnson currently has a TE17 Average Draft Position (ADP) with an 11th-round price, indicating fantasy managers aren't buying into the upside.
I am.
Johnson is TE14 in my rankings. The arrival of Tyson could change his role, but not materially. Drafting Johnson as your TE2 could create some difficult lineup decisions this season.
Maye Ready to Go on the Hunt(er)
After completing one of the most impressive second seasons by a quarterback in recent memory, expectations are extremely high for Drake Maye going into 2026.
Not only was he among the most accurate quarterbacks in the league last year, but he also fell just short of winning the MVP Award to Rams QB Matthew Stafford, which says a lot about the kind of season he had.
Going into Year 3, he will finally have the same head coach and offensive staff, which has many believing we have yet to see his best football. Knowing how well Josh McDaniels works with quarterbacks, it's fair to assume that Maye will continue his rise to superstardom this fall.
Even with the addition of new starters at wideout in A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, this is good news for tight end Hunter Henry, who quietly turned in one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2025, finishing as TE9 on the season after earning Maye's trust in the QB's first two seasons.
Henry's success included five TE1 finishes, two of them TE1 overall weeks.
Despite that production, his early 2026 ADP -- he's being drafted as TE18 in Round 12 -- suggests fantasy managers may be overlooking one of the safer veteran values at the position.
This Isn't New
As SI.com's Shawn Childs reminded readers, Henry was the focal point of New England's passing game in 2024, pacing the team in receiving yards (674) and targets (97) while tying for the lead in catches (66).
Henry had a career year in 2025, playing all 17 games and recording 60 receptions on 87 targets for a career-high 768 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns.
He finished as a top-10 fantasy tight end both seasons.
Yet Here We Are
How do we explain Henry going deep in TE2 territory?
Childs argues that Henry's decline in value shows strength in the tight end pool, which will have a lot of movement over the summer once the fantasy market catches up on its player research. Henry has a 60/650/6 outlook, with a chance to average five targets per game. Last year, he tallied a career-high 11 catches of 20 yards or more.
Despite the desirable usage, Henry has failed to finish in the top 12 in fantasy points per game since 2020 (he has never finished better than eighth).
But none of that accounts for Henry's role in this offense and the upside that comes with it. We've already watched Henry produce TE1 seasons in this offense. He's TE16 in my rankings.
Drafting him as TE18 means you're paying for his floor instead of the production he's already shown he can deliver.
On the Rise, But With Plenty to Prove
We've all taken shots on unproven players in good situations. We all want to draft tomorrow's breakout player. The problem is that once a breakout becomes obvious, the discount is gone. These two tight ends haven't proven enough to eliminate the risk -- but they may have already shown enough to justify the price.
Stranger Things Have Happened
Sports Illustrated's John Shipley contends that Brenton Strange has been one of the best draft-and-develop stories the Jaguars have seen in recent years.
A second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Strange caught just five passes as a rookie before seeing his numbers take a leap in 2024 with 40 catches, 411 yards, and two touchdown catches. Last year, Strange hit another level altogether despite missing five games due to injuries.
He posted career highs in receptions (46), receiving yards (540), and touchdown receptions (three).
His nine receptions of 20-plus yards ranked fifth in the AFC among tight ends in 2025, and he did all of this while only playing in 12 games during the regular season.
Strange was also the TE15 from Weeks 11 through 17.
Everything Strange has done to this point indicates he can be even better in 2026.
Why Isn't Fantasy Nation Buying It?
Some viewed the selection of two tight ends -- Nate Boerkircher in the second round and Tanner Koziol in the fifth -- as an indication that the Jaguars wanted to restack the deck at the tight end position, and they certainly did.
But even with two new tight ends added to the mix, the coaching staff values Strange, and local observers have expressed confidence in his role and likely production in 2026.
As Footballguy Jeff Blaylock notes, Liam Coen relied on a single pass-catching tight end as Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator in 2024, elevating Cade Otton to a TE14 finish. Otton accounted for 96 percent of tight-end fantasy scoring during the games he played.
A similar pattern emerged in Jacksonville under Coen, as Strange produced 83 percent of the overall tight-end PPR scoring.
But There Are Issues
There is a legitimate concern: Strange hasn't been utilized much near the goal line, as he's yet to clear three touchdowns or four end-zone targets in a single season.
Still, going as TE20 in the 12th round, Strange, who will play an integral role in an ascending Jacksonville offense, is well-positioned to outperform his price.
My own ranking, TE17, is one off Strange's TE16 Footballguys projection.
Gettin' Chiggy With It
Zach Ertz was a dependable option over the middle of the field and in the red zone for Jayden Daniels over the last two seasons. Unfortunately, a torn ACL suffered late last season ended his time in Washington.
Chig Okonkwo was signed to replace Ertz.
Okonkwo is more explosive than Ertz and a more dangerous runner after the catch. If everything goes well over the summer, Eric Berry of ESPN believes Okonkwo could emerge as a breakout sleeper in David Blough's offense.
Berry explained, "Okonkwo has a clear path to targets as the likely replacement for Ertz, who caught 50 of 72 targets in 13 games for the Commanders last season. Okonkwo is one of just six TEs with at least 50 receptions in each of the past three seasons. The Commanders also don't have many proven pass catchers behind wide receiver Terry McLaurin, giving Okonkwo a real path to sleeper value."
Berry's not alone. According to Bleacher Report's Alex Kay, Okonkwo is poised for a career year.
It's All About the Opportunity
This is the best situation Okonkwo has had during his career by a considerable margin. The scheme being devised by Blough will suit the newcomer. John Bates and Ben Sinnott will block, allowing Okonkwo to make plays with the football in his hands.
Assuming Daniels stays healthy, this could quickly become a profitable partnership.
Clay pointed out the 2022 fourth-round pick is one of only four tight ends who have appeared in all 68 games since he entered the league, and he's also one of only six tight ends who have registered 50-plus receptions each of the past three seasons.
On the other hand, Okonkwo has yet to clear a 16 percent target share in a single season, and he has been a non-factor near the goal line (eight TDs and 11 end-zone targets in his career).
Making the Case
As Kay explained, Blough will be able to get creative with Okonkwo's unique skill set. The Titans deployed Okonkwo as a move tight end in recent seasons to great effect, and he'll likely continue to line up across the formation for the Commanders.
Okonkwo's Footballguys projection calls for a TE21 finish, which aligns with his TE21 ADP.
My ranking for Okonkwo, TE18, is well ahead of both those numbers.
The anticipated role and the 13th-round price more than mitigate any perceived risk.
This and That: So, You're Telling Me There's A Chance Edition
There's a real opportunity to be had at other positions if you wait on your tight end. How long is too long? Well, waiting until the very end of the TE2 group -- or longer -- would be taking your chances. But I have some lottery tickets if you're willing to bet on traits, roles, or changing situations.
