Tight end is one of the most difficult positions to nail down each week. It’s a position where you can spend all the way up, pay all the way down, or look somewhere in between. Tight ends derive a bunch of their value from scoring touchdowns, which can be difficult to predict on a week-to-week basis.
In this piece, I highlight tight ends who stand out in our large suite of analytical fantasy tools, most specifically, our FantasyLabs Player Models. While the models are built for DFS contests, this is an all-purpose fantasy article with actionable information for all formats.
As news breaks throughout the week and we adjust our projections (powered by Sean Koerner), player ratings in our Player Models will change as the projections change. For updates, visit the models directly.
And don’t forget about the tools that FantasyLabs has to offer, like our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Or you can just use our NFL DFS sims to effortlessly create advanced lineups.
Finally, make sure to check out all the projections available for purchase (Chris Raybon’s come included with a FantasyLabs subscription) within the FantasyLabs Models. Subscribers now have the option to purchase Derek Carty’s THE BLITZ from our Marketplace. Projections from One Week Season and Establish the Run are available if you’re a subscriber to those specific sites (our optimizer is a separate add-on feature).
You can also combine them to create your own aggregate projections:
Top NFL DFS Cash Game Options
Trey McBride ($5,700 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel)
McBride has become one of the safest investments at the tight end position. In fact, he might be one of the safest investments, period. He had the best utilization among tight ends in 2024. He led the position with a 91% route rate and 29% target share, and he finished behind only Brock Bowers in terms of PPR points per game. The only real difference between the two was that McBride struggled to find the end zone.
Somehow, McBride has been even more involved to start the 2025 season. His route participation is up to a near-perfect 99%, while his target share currently sits at 30%. He’s garnered 16 total targets through two weeks, and he’s responded with 12 catches and 139 yards.
Unfortunately, McBride’s touchdown problems have yet to be rectified. No one underperformed their expected touchdown metric by a higher degree at tight end last season, and McBride is 0-2 in terms of finding the paint this year.
Perhaps that will change this week vs. the 49ers. McBride scored one of his two touchdowns against San Francisco last season, and he has 19.5 DraftKings points in two of their past three meetings (per the Trends tool).
It’s not easy to pay up for a tight end in cash games, but it’s worth doing so in Week 3. He leads the position in projected Plus/Minus on both DraftKings and FanDuel, and he owns the top ceiling projection as well.
Tyler Warren ($4,400 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel)
Tight end has historically been a tough position for rookies to make an impact, but we’ve seen a growing number of exceptions in recent years. Sam LaPorta was one of the top producers at the position two years ago, and Bowers was even better last year.
This year, Warren is attempting to do the same. He’s off to a solid start, posting a positive Plus/Minus in each of his first two games. He’s been the top option in the Colts’ passing attack, leading the team with a 26% target share. His role is also seemingly on the rise. He played on just 71% of the snaps in Week 1, but that figure was up to 94% in Week 2.
Warren has garnered at least seven targets in both outings, and he’s finished with at least 76 yards in both games. He’s also racked up three red zone targets in those contests, and he’s even gotten some work as a runner.
Ultimately, Warren could very easily finish the season as a top-three option at the position. His salary has yet to reflect his production, so he stands out as a quality option once again.
Now available: our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
Top NFL DFS Tournament Options
Jake Ferguson ($4,000 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel)
The Cowboys’ passing attack is off to a good start this season. They’re 11th in EPA per dropback, despite starting the year with a brutal matchup vs. the Eagles. Their numbers could be even better if not for a few disappointing drops in that contest, but they still moved the ball pretty well against the defending champs. They took things to another level in a much easier contest last week, racking up 478 yards and 40 points against the Giants. Overall, they’re in the top five in both points and yards per game through the first two weeks.
The Cowboys draw another fantastic matchup in Week 3. The Bears have looked like a shell of themselves on defense to start the season, and they’re currently 30th in pass defense EPA. This game leads the slate with a 50.5-point total, and the Cowboys have the top implied team total of the day.
Ferguson has displayed solid chemistry with Dak Prescott in the past, and the two have picked up right where they left off. Ferguson has a 22% target share so far this season, and he had 12 targets, nine receptions, and 78 yards last week.
The Cowboys and Bears will be popular targets this week, but Ferguson could be a bit overlooked. His ownership projection is slightly less than Warren’s, but he’s showing up with a higher optimal lineup rate in Sim Labs.
Brock Bowers ($6,000 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel)
Bowers has gotten off to a slow start this season. He’s been dealing with an injury, and he’s been limited to just a 63% snap share and 74% route share through the first two weeks. He’s still been targeted on a respectable 23% of his routes run, but his overall volume has been down.
The good news is that Bowers came off the injury report on Friday, so he could be poised for a spike in usage. If that’s the case, he brings fantastic upside to the table at a slightly reduced salary. Bowers’ price tag has come down by -$500 on DraftKings since the start of the year, but he’s still arguably the top producer at the position.
Bowers entered the league as an elite prospect, and he was virtually unstoppable as a rookie. He caught 112 passes – trailing only Ja’Marr Chase and Amon-Ra St. Brown – and racked up 1,194 yards despite dealing with subpar quarterback play. Geno Smith gives the team a significant upgrade at the position, so there’s no reason Bowers can’t improve upon his play in his second professional season. If he’s closer to full strength, this could be a breakout spot.
Contrarian NFL DFS Tournament Options With Upside
Juwan Johnson ($3,900 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel)
No tight end in football has better utilization numbers than Johnson to start the year. He’s been on the field for 94% of his team’s pass plays, and he’s racked up a 27% target share. He’s also been a frequent target around the goal line, earning 29% of his team’s end zone targets. Spencer Rattler has played much better than expected to start the year, and Johnson has been the biggest beneficiary.
Despite that fact, Johnson is still not garnering a ton of respect. His price tag remains below $4,000 on DraftKings, and he’s projected for less than 5% ownership. He owns the third-best projected Plus/Minus at the position, and his salary comes with an 87% Bargain Rating. Ultimately, there are plenty of reasons to be interested in him against the Seahawks.
T.J. Hockenson ($3,800 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel)
There will be a lot of backup QBs under center this week, including for the Vikings. J.J. McCarthy is currently dealing with a high-ankle sprain, which means Carson Wentz will start vs. the Bengals.
Backup QBs are normally not a good thing, but it could be a positive for Minnesota. McCarthy has struggled mightily to start his NFL tenure, ranking 29th out of 30 qualified quarterbacks in terms of EPA + CPOE. It’s possible that the more experienced Wentz could be an upgrade for the time being.
That makes Hockenson an interesting buy-low target. He hasn’t been quite as involved as usual to start the year, though his 18% target share is still reasonable. The Vikings simply haven’t thrown the ball very frequently, and when they have, it hasn’t gone well. Hockenson has had plenty of success with other QBs in the past, so there’s no reason he can’t improve moving forward.
Dallas Goedert ($3,700 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel)
Goedert will return to the lineup in Week 3 after missing last week’s contest vs. the Chiefs. Hopefully, he can pick up right where he left off. He was the focal point of the Eagles’ passing attack in Week 1, garnering a 35% target share vs. the Cowboys.
While that’s almost certainly an outlier, there’s no reason Goedert can’t continue to post figures in the 20-25% range. That’s historically what he’s done with Jalen Hurts under center. The Eagles’ passing attack has been nonexistent to start the year, but they might have to pass the ball a bit more frequently vs. the Rams. This game features just a 3.5-point spread, so the Eagles might not just be able to grind this game away on the ground.
Pictured: Trey McBride
Photo Credit: Imagn
