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.
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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.
This week, we're rolling through Underrated Tight Ends. We started on Monday with Fringe TE1s with Upside. Tuesday, it was Forgotten TE1 Upside. Today, we'll look at a pair of tight ends who are . . .
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.