Tight ends can be tricky.
That's a first sentence if there ever was one. Sounds like a Sir Mix-A-Lot lyric.
Tight end is the most difficult position to navigate in fantasy football—for multiple reasons. It's easily the shallowest position on offense—whether 12 reliable weekly starters even exist depends on how you define "reliable." Consistency can be difficult to come by as well—every year multiple players go from the outhouse to the penthouse and vice versa.
Add it all up, and have a position that has been known to drive fantasy managers a little crazy. And not the good, Seal kind of crazy either.
Oh yeah.
However, the flip side of that coin is that choosing well at tight end can make all the difference in the world in fantasy leagues. Travis Kelce didn't come cheaply for fantasy managers in 2022, but he made up for a second-round ADP by obliterating the No. 2 tight end by almost 100 PPR points. As a rookie in 2023, Sam LaPorta of the Detroit Lions had an ADP of TE16 and then finished as the No. 1 tight end overall. Last year, Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals laid waste to the position, topping the fantasy runner-up to the tune of over 105 PPR points.
Draft the right tight end, and fantasy managers can be a big step closer to a championship season. Acquire the wrong one, and it can leave a hole in the roster that could leave the 2026 season flat on its grill.
Y'all know what that means.
One more time, we ride.
League-Winning Tight Ends
Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta
After three straight seasons of making fantasy managers regret ever speaking his name aloud on draft day, Pitts finally recaptured some of his rookie magic last year—the 25-year-old was second among all tight ends in catches, receiving yards and PPR points. It was a performance that has Footballguys' own Jason Wood bullish on Pitts in 2026 despite all the changes in Atlanta this offseason.
"The top two tight ends are arguably in a tier of their own," Wood said, "but there's no other tight end I'd rather roster after them than Pitts. Everything is aligned for Pitts to dominate this year. Kevin Stefanski has a long history of maximizing tight ends, and Tua Tagovailoa has the efficiency to sustain a high-volume target like Pitts. With the Falcons' wide receiver group appearing thin outside of alpha Drake London, Pitts will be a top target in nearly any game script and should have the volume needed to finish at or near the top of the positional rankings."
Don't argue with Jason. Trust me on this. Turns out he knows Kung Fu.
The talent is there with Pitts—he was the fourth overall pick in 2021 for a reason. Stefanski's offense got a big season out of Harold Fannin Jr. last year. And two years ago in Miami, Jonnu Smith was a top-five tight end with Tagovailoa starting under center the majority of the year.
Pitts in 2026 is Charlie Brown finally kicking the ball.
Jake Ferguson, Dallas
Ferguson inspires about the same level of enthusiasm among fantasy managers as having to attend traffic school. But despite a pedestrian 600 receiving yards in 2025, Ferguson was a top-five fantasy option in PPR leagues, and Mauricio Rodriguez of A to Z Sports believes that the fifth-year pro can not only match that production but potentially better it.
"Though we are three years removed from Ferguson's breakout 2023 season, I am buying his stock going into 2026 for three big reasons. Firstly, Ferguson remains a red zone threat and one that quarterback Dak Prescott clearly trusts. Secondly, he remains a threat running routes down the seam and making tough catches. I believe one way the Brian Schottenheimer offense can evolve is by expanding how they use Ferguson. And lastly, there are 2025 flashes that suggest Ferguson can return to his former YAC monster self."
Yes, Ferguson is the clear No. 3 option in the Dallas passing attack behind wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. But it's not like he appeared from nowhere—Ferguson has triple-digit targets in two of the past three years and was third among tight ends in red zone targets last year after Lamb returned from injury.
Isaiah Likely, NY Giants
After four seasons playing behind Mark Andrews in Baltimore, Likely followed John Harbaugh to New York, agreeing to terms with Likely on a three-year, $40 million contract to ostensibly serve as the team's top tight end. While talking to reporters, Harbaugh said he expects quarterback Jaxson Dart and the 26-year-old Likely to develop a quick rapport.
"He's gonna bring a lot to the table. He's a talented football player. He's a playmaking football player," he said. He's gonna make plays for us. I think Jaxson's gonna really like him, running the routes, and, you know, being in his line of vision–he's got a big catch radius. He can, he can make plays after he makes a catch, and he makes people miss. He can run people over. He's a very good perimeter blocker. You'll see that that'll be good for our run game."
Likely has never posted big numbers—he has never had 45 receptions or 500 yards in a season. But the Week 1 status of Giants wideout Malik Nabers is uncertain at present, so Likely's first chance to be a No. 1 tight end could come toward the top of the target tree for a team that led the NFL in snap percentage played in "12" personnel in 2025.
