Best Ball Fantasy Football: Raybon’s Tight End Sleepers

Fantasy football experts Chris Raybon and Sean Koerner are bringing their rankings and analysis to FantasyLabs this summer. Get a sneak peek as Raybon breaks down his top fantasy sleepers at the tight end position based on their current ADP on Underdog Fantasy.

The bad news? Drafting a tight end after the top options are off the board feels like more of a crapshoot than usual, which is saying something. The good news? The added uncertainty means more potential tight-end sleepers capable of crushing their ADP.

Tight End Sleepers for Underdog Fantasy Best Ball

Pat Freiermuth, Steelers (ADP TE16)

With the trade of Diontae Johnson, George Pickens will draw a ton of coverage as Pittsburgh’s new WR1, and the Steelers no longer have an established WR2 on the roster (though I do like rookie Roman Wilson as a sleeper for that role). The Russell Wilson-Justin Fields quarterback situation is dicey but Freiermuth showed in 2022 that he could post top-10 fantasy TE numbers amid shaky quarterback play. That season, he recorded 63 catches for 732 yards and two touchdowns with Kenny Pickett starting 12 games and Mitch Trubisky starting the other five. Freiermuth has been targeted on a robust 19.6% of his career routes, which is higher than Pickens (16.8%), as well as every other wide receiver and tight end currently on Pittsburgh’s roster.

Hunter Henry, Patriots (ADP TE20)

Henry was a top-15 TE in per-game fantasy scoring last season, and his quarterback situation can’t possibly be any worse with Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett than it was with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe last season. Working in Henry’s favor is a Patriots wide receiver depth chart that is easily the worst in the NFL. Henry won’t turn 30 until December and has averaged at least 7.0 half-PPR points per game in six of his seven pro seasons (excluding 2018, which he missed due to injury).

Jonnu Smith, Dolphins (ADP TE22)

Smith finished as the fantasy TE17 last season despite being the No. 2 tight end on his own team. In coming over to Miami from the Falcons, Smith now gets a chance to start for one of the NFL’s top passing offenses. Most of the TE2s going ahead of him find themselves either starting for a passing offense that is inferior to the Dolphins (Pat Freiermuth, Cade Otton, Hunter Henry) or are likely stuck in a committee role (Cole Kmet, Luke Musgrave, Michael Mayer, Isaiah Likely). I’m not saying Smith should be going ahead of all of those guys – as mentioned above, I like Freiermuth and Henry as sleepers, too – but I am saying you’re not sacrificing much by waiting until TE22 to grab Smith as your TE2.

Mike Gesicki, Bengals (ADP TE27)

When Tanner Hudson got signed to the Bengals roster for good over the final 10 games of last season, he posted four top-15 finishes and two more inside the top 20 as the Bengals’ pass-catching specialist tight end, catching four or more passes 60% of the time over that span. Judging by Gesicki’s contract (one year, $2.5 million, $400K guaranteed) compared to Hudson’s (one year, $1.3 million, $167.5K guaranteed), the Bengals view Gesicki as an upgrade here. Gesicki, who can’t block worth a lick and has lined up in the slot on over 60% of his career snaps, saw his potential role get a lot more interesting when it became official that the Bengals would not be bringing back longtime slot receiver Tyler Boyd, who signed with the Titans this offseason.

Zach Ertz, Commanders (ADP TE30)

Is 33-year-old Ertz cooked? Probably. Was he cooked last year? Probably. Did that stop him from earning over 8 targets and 6 catches in 42.9% of his games with the Cardinals? Can he post similar numbers as Washington’s likely starter? Probably. Even if he doesn’t, does it matter at this price? Nope.  

Greg Dulcich, Broncos (ADP TE35)

Dulcich finished as a top-20 TE in per-game fantasy scoring in 2022 before missing all but two games in 2023. This is a guy who was being drafted as a top-15 TE last season, and he still has the upside if he is able to stay healthy – a big if. The uncertainty surrounding the Denver pass offense (in regard to both quarterback play and available targets) is our friend at this price. With next to no risk at his current ADP, Dulcich is worth a post-hype, bet-on-talent buy-low in spots where you plan on rostering three TEs.

Editor’s note: Use the Underdog promo code LABS to get a bonus up to $250 for your best ball fantasy football drafts.

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