Dynasty Tight Ends in the Final Year of Their NFL Contracts
As we know, there are a number of different approaches in dynasty football. Some owners like to come hot out of the gates with a “win now” paradigm, while others are content punting a few seasons in an attempt to build a long-lasting dynasty in the years subsequent. Forward-thinking “windows” may then subsequently be defined, be it one year, three years, or even farther out.
Regardless of tact, there is one commonality with any vision of the future – to some extent, you still need to plan ahead! None of us is Nostradamus, and there is always risk with making longer-term investments predicated upon scenarios for which you have no control. As an example, a prospective free agent may eschew goodness of team fit for greatness of money, thereby failing to provide return upon fantasy investment.
But this is no reason to play scared! To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “there is no knowledge that is not power.” With that in mind, this miniseries seeks to provide information and assessment on the 2026 crop of free agents – yes, a full year in advance, such that you can stay ahead of your league mates. Let’s conclude with the tight end position!
2021 and 2022 Rookie Tight Ends
As we know, every rookie drafted into the NFL is placed onto a four-year contract, with a team option for a fifth year for those selected in the draft’s first round. Given this, there exists the potential for members of the 2021 and 2022 rookie classes to join the ranks of free agency.
Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts was the only tight end selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Entering the league as a physical freak, Pitts has unfortunately seen a Benjamin Button-esque career arc, putting forth his fewest yards per game and fewest receiving yards in a fully healthy season in 2024. Easily the most unexceptional of the Falcons’ plethora of first round skill position players, Pitts has seen his dynasty value fall accordingly and comparatively.
To quote Randy Jackson, “yeah, that’s gonna be a no from me, dawg.” Even in a weak position he could only put up TE2 numbers last year, with accompanying reports noting that Pitts’ on-field effort was lacking. Perhaps his biggest saving grace is he’s still only 24 years old despite entering his fifth season in the NFL, but I’m not counting on a turnaround and would rather cash out on his remaining name-brand appeal.
While there were no tight ends selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, there was still plenty of talent, starting with dynasty TE2 Trey McBride. When healthy he’s been a dominant fantasy force, finishing as a weekly TE1 in nearly two-thirds of his games, and as a top-five positional play nearly 40% of the time. With another 15% in the weekly TE2 bucket, McBride rarely lost weeks for his owners, either. When I would personally have him just behind Sam LaPorta as the dynasty TE3, I view them as nearly indistinguishable.
So what’s the downside? For purposes of this article, I see little to no chance McBride isn’t re-signed or tagged in the future. If that doesn’t somehow come to fruition, I don’t see his value changing demonstrably – he’s likely be a team’s #1/1a target wherever he winds up and should continue to accrue robust statistics.
Tampa’s Cade Otton had a breakout as the PPR TE14, and TE10 in terms of points per game. He began to pick up the pace upon the team losing receiver Chris Godwin for the season, and really flourished when Mike Evans was sidelined for three weeks.
It remains to be seen where Godwin will wind up as the Bucs clearly want him to return. This could push Otton down to the team’s third target in 2025, which would actually make him a better trade target to me with the potential he’ll wind up somewhere with a larger target share in 2026.
Though he took a step back last season due to injuries, poor backup quarterback play and a shocking absence of even a single touchdown, Dallas’ Jake Ferguson has previously established PPR TE1 upside. The immediate concerns are the strides teammate Luke Schoonmaker made in his absence, potentially turning this into more of a timeshare in 2025. I’d actually be okay with this scenario – it could drive his price down in advance of a more favorable locale the following year. At this time Ferguson will have just turned 27, which is older for a 2022 rookie but should still allow for another contract full of viability.
Since entering the league, Chigoziem Okonkwo has caught passes from the likes of Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis, Joshua Dobbs, Will Levis and Mason Rudolph. He’s already had Allen Robinson’s full career in just three years! 2025 will bring even more change, as the Titans appear likely to nab a signal caller in the upcoming draft.
Thus far Okonkwo has bookended a wide swath of 2023-24 mediocrity with a solid rookie season and strong close to last year’s campaign, which coincided with the switch to the more accurate (by comparison) Rudolph. While I’m not counting on it, improved play under center could result in Okonkwo setting himself up for a nice 2026 payday. He’s a player I’d be looking at as a throw-in to larger deals this off-season.
Perhaps the biggest leap in 2025 may come from former seventh round selection Isaiah Likely. While there are few trades where he is the centerpiece, there are at least a pair of examples of owners looking to buy while a stock is relatively low. A second round pick in a superflex/TE-premium league isn’t trifling, but it’s a cost that could go even higher, especially if veteran teammate Mark Andrews is released (more on him later). A strong 2025 will see Likely become a dynasty TE1 moving forward.
I have little to no interest in Jelani Woods, Daniel Bellinger or Greg Dulcich. The tight end landscape is littered with athletic marvels who simply never panned out, and I’d be moving on to the next flyer. I have a little more intrigue in New York’s Jeremy Ruckert, who now stands atop the Jets depth chart following the release of Tyler Conklin. Ruckert was a former third round draft pick who hasn’t yet had a chance to shine due to being blocked by his teammates, and because of the sorry state of the Jets offense. The glacier of salt comes in the form of the team’s upcoming moves in both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, but as Ruckert isn’t being selected in mock drafts comprising the current DLF dynasty ADP, the upside is essentially free.
Depth chart courtesy of 4for4.com.
Unintriguing, but nonetheless present: Charlie Kolar, Armani Rogers, Grant Calcaterra and Connor Heyward.
The Future Hall-of-Famers
Is that good? It seems good.
Of course, that last TE5 finish in 2024 is a bit of a mirage, as Kelce had eight finishes of single-digit PPR points. In short he just wasn’t the force we’ve grown accustomed to, with the fewest yards and touchdowns of his career. He still received robust usage with 133 targets, but at 8.5 YPC was merely a catch-and-fall artist.
This is all to say I’m not thinking about his viability for 2026. It was already a challenging decision as to whether he wanted to return in 2025, and he’ll be 36 years old after the season. Clearly lacking the dynamic he’s shown in previous years, I’m not bullish on a mid-30’s turnaround.
Is that good? It seems good.
One of the most efficient players in the league, Kittle managed to turn a mere 94 targets into a finish as the PPR TE3 (TE1 in PPG) despite missing two contests. In doing so, he was a weekly TE1 in all but one game, except for a meaningless week 18 affair where quarterback Brock Purdy didn’t play. This has been a staple of Kittle’s game, as the imposing tight end hasn’t received triple digit targets since the 2019 season. Boasting a number of explosive weapons, the 49ers offense has never needed to feature a single player in the passing game.
Given this, along with the contests he’s missed, I’ve had some minor reservations about Kittle over the past couple years. But with Deebo Samuel shipped off to the Commanders and Brandon Aiyuk recovering from injury, those days are done. Passing the eye test in spades, Kittle will be a featured weapon out of necessity in 2025 – at 32 years old come 2026 age isn’t on his side, but I have no other reason to think he can’t keep it up, and anticipate he will remain in the fertile fantasy grounds in San Francisco.
The High-End Veterans
It sure seems like every fantasy relevant tight end is potentially available come 2026! In addition to the players already noted, this tier boasts another strong grouping of David Njoku, Jonnu Smith, Dallas Goedert and Mark Andrews.
Starting with Njoku, I’ll have to take a medium-sized “L” on this one. Even with missing six contests, he still finished the year as the PPR TE12, and on a weekly basis he was the PPR TE6. With little history of consistent production, I thought his run with Joe Flacco at the conclusion of the 2023 season represented something of a mirage. But while those splits still stick out, perhaps I was looking at the wrong player.
As anyone who watched the Browns over the past three years can attest to, quarterback Deshaun Watson was an unmitigated disaster under center. Given this, it might be unsurprising that Njoku was 4.1 PPR PPG better when Watson was sidelined, which will again be the case in 2025. As either the clear #1 option or 1a/b with receiver Jerry Jeudy, Njoku should see a robust workload next season, which should see him continue to climb the dynasty ladder. As he will be just under 30 years old prior to 2026, I’d be a buyer now in the hopes he’ll continue his strong play.
One of the most surprising stories of the 2024 season was the reemergence of Smith, who after a steady upward trajectory in Tennessee languished for two years in New England, before putting together something of a bounce-back with the Falcons in 2023.
Smith’s eight scores might be unsustainable, but on 88 receptions don’t represent a massive anomaly, especially compared to when he did it on only 41 receptions in 2020. And even with a receiving corps boasting Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins are sneakily short on ancillary pass catchers. Given this I’d anticipate a strong 2025, but would worry if he chases the dollar in 2026 when he’ll be over 30. Admittedly subjectively, he’s not a player I’m chasing in the longer term for that reason.
Goedert, already rumored as a potential cap casualty this season, has functioned as a peripheral TE1, but in truth is more name than game.
Yes, injuries have played a role, but the fact is he’s only cleared 150 seasonal PPR points once, never averaging 12.0 PPR PPG in a season. If he’s retained in Philly for 2025, I believe it will be more of the same – he will need one of AJ Brown or DeVonta Smith to miss time in order to be fantasy relevant. Turning 31 before the 2026 season, it’s hard to assert the trend will reverse.
In a recent edition of the DLF Mailbag I discussed my surprise at Sam LaPorta’s 2024 finish as the PPR TE7 following a slow start to the year. Doing him one better is Andrews, who barely cleared 20 aggregate points through the season’s first five weeks only to conclude the year as the PPR TE6. To be clear, there are warning lights here – Andrews failed to command his usual slice of the pie, compiling a miniscule 69 targets, 20th amongst tight ends. He countered this with a whopping 11 scores, best of his career.
The touchdowns clearly aren’t sustainable, and as such Andrews will have to navigate a new-look Ravens offense that funnels touches through Derrick Henry and the wide receivers, and splits time amongst the team’s tight ends. Perhaps a rumored release would actually be in his best interest, though I still think he has enough game have another fine season in 2025. But given the uncertainty and his mediocre (by his standards) numbers, I’m only lukewarm on Andrews despite the fact he’ll only be 29 entering the 2026 season.
The Mildly Intriguing Dart Throws
When is a 48-500-1 seasonal line good? When it becomes at least slightly more projectable due to a complete offensive overhaul. Enter Noah Fant.
Long a tease since entering the league as a first round pick, Fant at least has the potential for opportunity in 2025 due to the release of Tyler Lockett and rumored trade of DK Metcalf. While the quarterback situation still needs to be squared away following the trade of Geno Smith (seriously Seattle, we get it, you’re bored), Fant surprisingly enters the new season as the team’s second target in the passing game. If nothing else, he’s done slightly better without Geno Smith than with him, which perhaps could serve as a decent stepping stone for a late-career breakout.
Let’s be honest, Tyler Higbee is about as boring a dynasty asset as they come. As shown below, the vast majority of dynasty owners have agreed throughout the duration of his decade in the league.
Still, boring can be okay, particularly with a player who can routinely provide an acceptable fantasy floor. And with the likely departure of Cooper Kupp, combined with the retention of Matthew Stafford, it’s possible Higbee can continue to function in his boring, safety blanket manner as depth on your bench. If nothing else, the 22 targets he received over the Rams’ final three games of the season (including playoffs) may be projectable. And if Higbee can keep doing what he does and then stick around in LA for another year, the smart money says he’ll do it again in 2026.
Included for Completeness: Foster Moreau, Durham Smythe, Josh Oliver and Adam Trautman have all had a few moments in the sun and should be on the edge of your radar, but are not players I’m seeking to roster.
Taysom Hill
I’ve said before in multiple articles that there really isn’t a player quite like Taysom Hill, and as such he deserves his own space here.
This is just silly. As a Swiss Army Knife, Hill scores points both on the ground and through the air, with the latter occasionally including function as a passer. For a player classified as a tight end, you don’t need me to explain how unusual that is.
The other side of the coin is twofold. First, Hill has called New Orleans his home for the entirety of his career, meaning his usage and volume might not be replicated on another team. Secondly, and while there’s not necessarily a direct correlation to his running back-esque style of play, Hill missed significant time with injury in 2023. Given he’s already 34 years old it’s hard to imagine this gets better as the hits continue to accumulate.
As a true fantasy revolutionary, I want to give Hill his due. When healthy and getting quarterback/running back usage at tight end, Hill was a legitimate cheat code in your lineup. But as much as I’d like to see him continue to rage against the fantasy football machine, he will be 35 entering the 2026 season, and it’s already rumored New Orleans might cut him as soon as this year. As such I’d view him as a nice end-of-bench stash, but also someone I wouldn’t hesitate to drop if and when circumstances change, or if I need the roster spot.
