RELATED: See Underrated Tight Ends here.
Some tight ends don't get enough credit. Others get too much. Avoiding those overrated players is what keeps your roster contending for a championship.
We asked the Footballguys staff which NFL tight end they think is the most underrated. Here's what they said.
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A quick note on staff opinions: One of the strengths of Footballguys is the range of opinions across our staff. Features like this one are designed to show you where individual analysts differ. But we don't waffle. For our final say on where we see a player, check the Footballguys Consensus Rankings, where we bring the staff together and plant a flag on how we think the players should be ranked.
Overrated Tight Ends With 4 Votes
Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland
Jason Wood: Harold Fannin Jr. is an unquestionably talented player with a bright future. But the draft community is ignoring the red flags, focusing instead on his rookie breakout and assuming it represents the baseline. Last year, Fannin led all NFL tight ends in targets per route run largely because Cleveland's wide receiver corps was historically bad. With the additions of Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion, the wideouts can and will demand a much higher target share. Additionally, head coach Todd Monken's offenses have averaged fewer than 500 pass attempts per season, even with All-Pro Lamar Jackson under center.
Jeff Tefertiller: Harold Fannin Jr. has immense long-term appeal for fantasy, but the combination of poor quarterback play and the addition of two quality rookie receivers should limit Fannin's fantasy upside. None of the Cleveland quarterbacks have played well this preseason, and I doubt that trend will change. Fannin will be frustrating for fantasy managers who draft him as an every-week starter.
Gary Davenport: I have been railing against drafting Harold Fannin Jr. of the Browns at cost all summer long, and now that the team has named Deshaun Watson the starting quarterback, his fantasy funeral has begun in earnest. It's not just Watson's wormburners, either. There's a new head coach and offense. Rookie wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston give Cleveland far more depth at that position than a year ago. There is just too much working against Fannin this year—especially in Cleveland, a vortex of suck so intense that no hope, joy, or fantasy points can escape.
Jeff Blaylock: While I'm still interested in acquiring Harold Fannin Jr. in dynasty, I am staying away from him in redraft. Even though David Njoku is gone, Fannin will face more competition for targets with the arrivals of first-round rookies KC Concepcion, a star of training camp so far, and Denzel Boston. Cleveland's wobbly revolving door at quarterback further dampens Fannin's 2026 outlook. It's hard to score fantasy points when Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders can't hit you even when you're wide open.
Overrated Tight End With 3 Votes
Tyler Warren, Indianapolis
Maurile Tremblay: Tyler Warren's 76-catch, 817-yard, four-touchdown line as a rookie comprised a lot of 10-yard catches and almost no end-zone equity. The Colts' offense hands most of its goal-line work to Jonathan Taylor, and quarterback Daniel Jones ran for five scores in 13 games himself. Warren also compiled that volume while defenses had to account for Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce; with Pittman traded and Pierce still not practicing after ankle surgery, Warren will draw extra attention in coverage. The groin injury suffered in training camp merits concern as well.
Matt Waldman: Tyler Warren can catch and run, but when JJ Watt interviews you on TV and asks how it felt to consistently catch the ball with no defender around you in at least a 10-yard radius, it's a strong indication this dynamic will be temporary. The Steelers defense shut down this dynamic last year and dismantled the Colts offense, and that game will be the template for an effective game plan in 2026. Warren was never a top route runner who can be a primary option like Kelce, Kittle, Loveland, or Bowers. Expecting a second step forward to elite production is overrating a good player in a system that isn't that tricky.
Ben Cummins: Tyler Warren is a good player but not an elite talent, and I can't justify his ADP being much more expensive than Tucker Kraft, Sam LaPorta, Dalton Kincaid, George Kittle, etc. The opportunity cost is too high in the earlier rounds when these other options are cheaper. I have Kraft straight up ranked ahead of Warren and feel great about it. Sure, Warren's target volume looked tantalizing earlier in the offseason, but Keenan Allen was recently signed, and Alec Pierce was just activated off the Physically Unable to Perform list.
