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
Harold Fannin ($4,000 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel)
It looks like the Browns might have gotten a steal with Fannin in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He slid due to concerns about his size and underwhelming athletic testing numbers, but he absolutely balled out in college. He racked up 117 receptions and 1,555 receiving yards in his final collegiate season alone, and guys like that simply don’t grow on trees. Whether or not he’s an undersized TE or an oversized slot receiver, he’s getting the job done.
Fannin has established quick chemistry with his new quarterback. In Shadeur Sanders‘ three games this season, Fannin has racked up an elite 28% target share. His 5.3 Average Depth of Target (aDOT) isn’t anything special, but he did at least see a slight uptick in his last game. He was up to an 8.1 aDOT and a 28% air yards share, and he responded with 28.4 DraftKings points. It was enough to make him the top scorer at the position for the week.
Fannin’s price tag has come up a bit across the industry, but he still stands out as underpriced. He ranks fourth at the position in ceiling projection and second in projected DraftKings Plus/Minus, giving him a nice combination of value and upside.
George Kittle ($5,400 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel)
Kittle ascends to the top spot at the position on FanDuel. His $6,500 salary comes with an 84% Bargain Rating, and he leads the group in projected Plus/Minus by a pretty comfortable margin.
Brock Purdy has missed most of the year with an injury, but he has suited up in the team’s past three games. Kittle has been his clear No. 1 option in those outings. He’s posted a 26% target share and a 29% air yards share in those contests, and he’s racked up double-digit PPR points in all three. Kittle has posted a positive FanDuel Plus/Minus in five of six games since returning from an injury of his own, including four straight.
Kittle has also displayed a solid ceiling, including a TE2 finish in Week 11. He certainly has the potential for a ceiling game this week vs. the Titans, who have been dismal defensively this season. They’re 29th in pass defense EPA, and the 49ers are implied for 28.5 points. That’s the second-highest mark on the slate.
Now available: our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
Top NFL DFS Tournament Options
Theo Johnson ($3,500 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel)
Johnson is having a bit of a breakout in his second season, and he had to be thrilled to see Jaxson Dart back in the lineup in Week 13. The two have displayed excellent chemistry this season, and Johnson garnered a massive 33% target share in Dart’s return to the lineup.
Johnson was unable to make the most of his opportunities in Week 13, finishing with just three catches for 29 scoreless yards. However, that was against a tough Patriots’ defense. The team only mustered 239 total yards, which was their lowest mark since Dart took over at QB.
He draws a much friendlier matchup this week vs. the Commanders. They’re dead last in pass defense EPA, and they’ve allowed the sixth-most PPR points per game to the position. Johnson owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.8 on DraftKings, which is one of the best marks at the position.
Johnson ultimately owns the second-highest DraftKings optimal lineup rate in Sim Labs, trailing only Fannin. He’s a nice way to save some salary without sacrificing a ton of upside.
Mark Andrews ($3,900 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel)
Speaking of upside, it’s hard to look past what Andrews brings to the table in Week 15. He’s coming off a dismal showing last week vs. the Steelers, but there were still some positives to take away. Primarily, his route participation was up to 86% in that contest, which was his highest mark of the year. He had a 20% target share in three of his previous four games, despite a route participation of 70% or less in each outing.
More routes could lead to a massive day vs. the Bengals. They haven’t just been the worst team in fantasy against tight ends this season; they’ve been historically bad. They’re allowing 24.1 PPR points per game to the position, which is the worst in the league by nearly eight points. Jacksonville has been the second-worst team in that department (16.4), while Cincinnati was the worst team in the league last year at 16.6 PPR points per game. They’re allowing a ridiculous 7.5 catches, 96.8 receiving yards, and 1.2 touchdowns per game to the position, all of which are the most in the league.
Add it all up, and Andrews has a massive +6.9 Opponent Plus/Minus in this contest. He didn’t have a truly great showing in his first matchup vs. Cincinnati this season (six targets, four receptions, 47 yards), but it was still enough to pay off his meager price tag.
There are major question marks with the Ravens’ passing attack at the moment, but Lamar Jackson has a long track record of success. If he can flip the switch this week, Andrews could be one of the biggest beneficiaries.
Contrarian NFL DFS Tournament Options With Upside
Trey McBride ($7,400 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel)
It feels weird to have McBride down in this section. He has been the clear-cut top tight end in fantasy this season, and he has provided elite production at a remarkable rate. Heading into last week’s game, he had posted a top-six finish at the position in nine of 12 games, including six finishes of TE2 or better.
McBride slid down to TE12 last week, but he still had a respectable nine targets. The biggest issue was that he didn’t find the paint, something that he had done seven times in his previous seven games. McBride was able to survive without scoring in previous seasons, but at his current price tag, a touchdown is essentially necessary to deliver value.
That makes him a risky proposition in Week 15. He’s taking on the Texans, who have been the toughest defense in football this season. They’re first in pass defense EPA, and they’ve allowed the fifth-fewest PPR points per game to opposing tight ends. They limited Travis Kelce to just one catch for eight yards last week, so they’re as good as it gets.
Still, McBride is in a tier of his own at this point. Just because you’ve stopped other tight ends doesn’t necessarily mean you can stop him. He still has the top ceiling at the position, and he’s projected for minimal ownership across the industry. McBride is a bit more appealing on FanDuel, where his $8,000 salary comes with an 86% Bargain Rating.
Mike Gesicki ($3,300 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel)
With Tee Higgins out of the lineup for the Bengals, Gesicki could be looking at an uptick in production. That wasn’t exactly the case the last time that Higgins was sidelined – he had just a 40% route participation and 9% target share – but Gesicki followed that up with a much stronger showing in Week 14. He was targeted on 33% of his routes run, and he caught all six of his targets for 88 yards and a touchdown. Gesicki ultimately finished with 20.6 PPR points, making him the second-highest scoring TE of the week.
Gesicki has previous displayed solid chemistry with Joe Burrow, especially when Higgins was sidelined for a stretch last season. He had at least eight targets in three of his final four games without Higgins last year, and he managed 100 receiving yards and two scores in one of those contests. That gives him excellent upside at his current price tag, and he’s optimal lineup rate exceeds his projected ownership in Sim Labs. He’s an awesome pivot off someone like A.J. Barner, who is expected to be much chalkier but doesn’t possess the same type of ceiling.
Evan Engram ($3,100 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel)
Engram is another undervalued TE option per Sim Labs. He’s had a rough first season in Denver, and he’s coming off just two catches for eight yards in Week 14. However, he had nine targets the week prior, and he responded with six catches for 79 yards.
Engram has proven pass-catching chops, and there aren’t a lot of players in this price range with the potential for double-digit targets. There’s plenty of downside here, but there’s clearly some upside as well. He’s projected for roughly 2% ownership on DraftKings, where his price tag comes with an 88% Bargain Rating.
Pictured: Harold Fannin
Photo Credit: Imagn
