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:
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Trey McBride ($6,000 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel)
McBride remains the gold standard at the TE position in 2025-26. There is simply no safer bet in fantasy at the moment. He provides the top utilization at the position, racking up a 28% target share and 28% air yards share. He’s responded with an average of 16.2 PPR points per game, despite playing for an underwhelming Cardinals’ offense.
McBride’s numbers have only taken a step forward with Jacoby Brissett at QB. His target share has increased to 32% in his three games with Brissett, and more importantly, he’s been far more likely to get into the end zone. He has four touchdown catches in his past three outings, which is more than he had all of last season.
There’s no reason to expect much different from McBride moving forward. His matchup vs. the Seahawks in Week 10 is also a good one. They’ve allowed the 12th-most PPR points per game to the position, and they’ve been a major pass funnel on defense. They’ve been extremely stout against the run, so opposing QBs have averaged the fourth-most pass attempts a game when facing Seattle. The Cardinals haven’t been shy about letting Brissett air it out, so McBride should be able to put together another strong performance.
George Kittle ($4,500 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel)
While McBride has the top ceiling and median projections at TE by a pretty comfortable margin, Kittle stands out as arguably the better pure value. He leads all TEs in projected Plus/Minus on DraftKings at a very reasonable $4,500 price tag. Kittle has not seen a comparable price tag very often throughout his career, but he’s averaged a +4.06 Plus/Minus when he has (per the Trends tool).
Kittle returned to the lineup for San Francisco three games ago, and his production in those contests has been pretty minimal. He’s seen just 11 total targets in those outings, and he’s finished with just eight total catches for 75 yards. He did manage to find the paint vs. the Texans, but other than that, it’s been pretty dismal.
Still, Kittle has a proven track record, and the underlying signs are encouraging. He’s posted an 86% route participation since returning in Week 7, which is an excellent mark for the position. He was as high as 93% in Week 8 before coming back down in a blowout win over the Giants last week.
Kittle does draw a tough matchup vs. the Rams, but it figures to at least be a strong game environment. The total for this contest sits at 49.5 points, which is the second-highest mark on the slate. The 49ers are also listed as six-point underdogs, so they’re likely going to need to throw the ball more than they did last week.
Now available: our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
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Hunter Henry ($3,500 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel)
Henry has been a boom-or-bust type of option at TE this season. He only has one finish inside the top 10 at the position, but it was a TE1 performance back in Week 3. He torched the Steelers for eight catches, 90 yards, and two touchdowns, so that’s the type of upside he brings to the table.
The Patriots could lean a bit more on their tight end in Week 10. They’re going to be without Kayshon Boutte, who leads the team’s pass-catchers in route participation. He’s third on the team with a 13% target share, so those looks are going to have to go somewhere.
This is another contest with a solid total (48.5 points), and Henry stands out as the best cheap TE on the slate. He trails only McBride and Kittle in DraftKings optimal lineup rate in Sim Labs, and he’s fifth at the position on FanDuel.
Theo Johnson ($3,800 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel)
Johnson has become an integral part of the Giants’ passing attack since Jaxson Dart took over at quarterback. He owns a 20% target share since Week 4, and he’s caught five touchdowns in those six outings. Ultimately, he’s been the No. 9 TE in PPR points per game during that stretch.
Johnson’s role in the offense only figures to grow. The team is without arguably their two best playmakers in Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo, and someone has to catch the ball when Dart drops back to throw it.
Johnson also draws a phenomenal matchup this week vs. the Bears. Their pass defense has been dreadful for most of the year, and they’re 23rd in pass defense EPA overall. They’ve also allowed the 10th-most PPR points per game to opposing TEs.
Johnson is still priced very reasonably on DraftKings. His $3,800 salary comes with a 95% Bargain Rating, and he provides the sixth-highest ceiling projection at the ninth-highest price tag. That’s a solid combo.
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David Njoku ($3,200 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel)
Njoku has been part of a TE committee in Cleveland this season. Harold Fannin Jr. has also been a big part of the equation, and Fannin has seen the majority of the opportunities of late. Njoku has posted just a 47% route participation over his past two contests, and he has just a 14% target share.
However, Njoku has been dealing with injuries during that stretch, and he sat out against the Dolphins in Week 7. With the team coming off a bye in Week 9, Njoku appears to be much closer to full strength. He’s not listed on the team’s injury report, so he should see an uptick in responsibilities.
There’s also a chance that Fannin is out of the lineup vs. the Jets. He’s currently listed as questionable, though he was able to get in a limited practice on Friday. Regardless, Njoku should be a much bigger part of the offense than he’s been in recent weeks, and the Jets have been an exploitable matchup all season. After trading away their two best defenders, they could be even worse moving forward.
Zach Ertz ($4,000 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel)
Ertz has been a rock-solid producer at the TE position this year. None of his numbers are going to blow you away, but he’s posted an 18% target share for the year and averaged 9.6 PPR points per game. Ertz’s target share has been at 20% or higher in four straight outings, and he has the chance for another expanded workload in Week 10. Terry McLaurin remains out of the lineup for Washington, so Deebo Samuel will be his only real competition for targets.
Ertz stands out as an excellent value on FanDuel, where his $5,100 salary comes with an 83% Bargain Rating. That’s tied for the second-best mark at the position. He also has the fourth-highest optimal lineup rate at TE.
Mark Andrews ($3,400 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel)
No TE features a bigger gap in pricing this week than Andrews. He owns a 99% Bargain Rating, and he stands out as undervalued in Sim Labs. He has the third-largest gap between projected ownership and optimal lineup rate, so he’s still flying under the radar despite the significant discount.
Andrews has become a part-time player for the Ravens, with Isaiah Likely also seeing plenty of snaps at the position. While that limits his ceiling, Andrews makes up for it by scoring touchdowns at an elite clip. Both of his catches went for touchdowns last week, and he had another multi-TD performance with Lamar Jackson in the lineup earlier this season. Before that, Andrews posted a career-high 11 TDs in 2024-25, so he has as much touchdown potential as just about anyone. The Vikings have allowed 0.6 receiving TDs per game to opposing TEs (tied for seventh-most), so it’s a great spot for Andrews to potentially get back in the paint.
Pictured: Theo Johnson
Photo Credit: Imagn
