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 the award-winning expert ranker, 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 within the FantasyLabs Models. Subscribers now have the option to purchase Derek Carty’s THE BLITZ from our Marketplace.
You can also combine them to create your own aggregate projections:
Top NFL DFS Cash Game Picks
Brock Bowers ($6,700 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel)
For the first time in more than a year, a new king sits atop the tight end position. Bowers was expected to occupy the throne in 2026-27, but his season got off to a late start. He had minor knee surgery right before the season started, which kept him out for the first two weeks.
Bowers made his debut in Week 3, and it was definitely worth the wait. He finished with 10 catches, 116 yards, and a score, resulting in 30.6 DraftKings points. It was not only the best game by a TE last week, but also the best game from a TE so far this season.
The underlying metrics are also excellent. Bowers racked up 14 targets, resulting in a massive 41% target share. He also had 40% of the team’s air yards and 50% of their end zone targets. McBride ranks second at the position with a 27% target share, so if Bowers can maintain that level all season, he’ll be a fantasy monster.
Bowers draws a matchup vs. the Chiefs in Week 4. Kansas City is a capable defensive team, but they’ve been merely average against tight ends. They’ve allowed 14.0 PPR points per game to the position, which ranks 15th through the first three weeks.
Ultimately, there’s no reason not to consider Bowers the top tight end in fantasy. He checks every box that you’re looking for: elite talent, minimal target competition, and a QB who leans on the position. The only question is whether or not you should pay up for him. It’s a no-brainer on FanDuel – he’s first at the position in projected Plus/Minus – but it’s a bit tougher on DraftKings. He still has the top raw projections, but his salary is tougher to fit, and he slips to merely seventh in projected Plus/Minus.
T.J. Hockenson ($3,300 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel)
Hockenson becomes the clear “TE value du jour” following the injury to Justin Jefferson. Dalton Schultz has occupied that role for the past two weeks, but with Nico Collins ready to return, Hockenson takes his spot for Week 4.
Hockenson hasn’t been particularly relevant for fantasy purposes since the start of last year. He was asked to do a lot of blocking last season, and most of his targets came near the line of scrimmage. That’s a tough way to make a living, even at tight end.
He’s been unleashed a bit more to start this season. He has a 76% route participation and 7.4 average depth of target through three weeks, and his aDOT has increased in each subsequent contest. He had an 8.8 aDOT in Week 3, way up from his paltry 5.2 mark last season. Hockenson has also posted an 18% target share, and he could improve on that mark sans Jefferson.
The matchup vs. the Dolphins is the cherry on top. The Dolphins have been an absolute disaster defensively this season. They’re dead last in EPA per pass, and they’ve allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to the position.
Hockenson ranks first at tight end in projected DraftKings Plus/Minus, and his salary allows you to load up on studs at the other positions.
Top NFL DFS Tournament Picks
George Kittle ($5,100 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel)
Kittle is a solid “middleground” option at tight end. He’s not quite as pricey as Bowers and McBride, but he carries more upside than the value options.
Kittle was a major question mark heading into this season. He has historically been one of the best tight ends in football, but he suffered a torn Achilles in the playoffs. That’s a brutal injury to come back from, especially in such a short time frame.
Not only has Kittle survived his Achilles injury; he’s thrived. He’s posted back-to-back games with at least 18.0 DraftKings points, including 26.2 last week. His target share was up to 28% in that contest, and he added two touchdowns.
The 49ers have needed Kittle due to their injury situation. They’ve already lost De’Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson, and Mike Evans is questionable for Week 4. Regardless of what happens with Evans, Kittle should get a big workload for one of the best offenses in football: their 25.25 implied team total ranks fifth on the slate.
Trey McBride ($6,500 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel)
McBride may not be Bowers, but he’s still pretty darn good. He posted his third straight game with a positive Plus/Minus in Week 3, despite failing to score for the first time all season. He had double-digit targets for the third straight game, and he finished with nine receptions for 75 yards.
With Bowers emerging, McBride could fly a bit under the radar this week. He’s projected for less ownership than Bowers, but there’s no reason he can’t go off vs. the Giants. They’ve been an above-average defense against opposing TEs this season, but it’s over a small sample size. Additionally, one of those games came against the Titans in a nor’easter, so it’s pretty safe to throw that one out as an outlier.
Contrarian NFL DFS Tournament Picks With Upside
Orande Gadsden ($3,600 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel)
The TE position is an intriguing one in Sim Labs. Most of the top options are expected to be overowned. However, there also aren’t a ton of appealing pivots. Only a few guys have an optimal lineup rate above 1% with an ownership projection below that figure.
Gadsden is one of them. He didn’t exactly dominate in his first game without David Njoku and Charlie Kolar last week, finishing with just three targets and zero catches. That said, his opportunities were way up. His route participation climbed to 74% after sitting at 45% and 14% the previous two weeks.
Gadsden could get more involved moving forward. Whatever the Chargers are doing isn’t working, and Gadsden clearly has some talent. Finding ways to get him the ball is something worth exploring.
Tucker Kraft ($4,400 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel)
Kraft is another interesting tournament dart throw. Like the Chargers, the Packers have pretty much been a disaster through three weeks. They did manage to escape with a win vs. the Jets, but it was extremely ugly.
Kraft was expected to be a big part of the equation this season. He was one of the best TEs in fantasy before getting hurt last year, and that was with Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks still in the equation. With those two now gone, Kraft’s role should have only grown.
That hasn’t been the case, but Kraft did finish with eight targets last week. The Packers have no run game to speak of, so Jordan Love may be forced to drop back and sling it a bunch this week vs. the Buccaneers. Kraft ultimately has the largest discrepancy between optimal lineup rate and projected DraftKings ownership, and he’s second in that department on FanDuel.
Kenyon Sadiq ($4,000 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel)
The Jets are running out of bodies. They lost Omar Cooper Jr. in Week 1, and Adonai Mitchell will miss his second straight contest. Breece Hall and Mason Taylor have also been ruled out vs. the Bears.
That opens the door for Sadiq to take on a larger role than usual. He’s a big-time talent at the position, with the Jets selecting him in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s already scored two touchdowns as a rookie, and he should see more snaps and targets than in previous weeks. He should be their second option in the passing attack after Garrett Wilson, making him an interesting target at a reasonable salary.
Pictured: Brock Bowers
Photo Credit: Imagn
