In this piece, I highlight tight ends that 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.
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You can also combine them to create your own aggregate projections:
Top NFL DFS Tight End Picks in the FantasyLabs Models
On DraftKings, there are two tight ends near the top of the individual Sean Koerner, Chris Raybon, Cash Game, and Tournament Player Models.
- Jake Ferguson
- Cade Otton
We’ll discuss why these two are popping in our models, as well as take a look at some other tight ends.
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Top Model NFL DFS Tight End Picks
Jake Ferguson ($4,000 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel): Dallas Cowboys (+3) at Philadelphia Eagles (47 total)
Jake Ferguson’s role has steadily climbed all year, much to my liking. He ran a route on 85% of the dropbacks last week, seeing 12% of the team targets. He caught four balls for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Philadelphia has been vulnerable against tight ends, as they’ve given up the ninth-most DraftKings points to opposing tight ends on the year.
Ferguson is also seeing a whopping 35% target rate per route run in the end zone, showing his targets have value. He feels slightly underpriced, as he has a good matchup in a good role on a potent offense.
He’s the top option in our Cash and Tournament Model while also being the top tight end in Sean Koerner’s Pro Model.
Cade Otton ($3,000 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel): Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3) at Houston Texans (40 total)
Cade Otton has seen six targets in back-to-back weeks. He caught four balls for 27 yards while also catching a two-point conversion en route to 8.7 DraftKings points.
He’s not the sexiest click, and his ceiling isn’t anything to yearn for. However, his usage is pretty steady, and his price is very cheap. Houston has allowed the eleventh-most DraftKings points to opposing tight ends on the season. Otton is also tied for second at the position in Points/Salary.
Otton checks in as the top tight end in Chris Raybon’s Pro Model.
Other Notable NFL DFS Tight End Picks
Mark Andrews ($6,800 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel): Baltimore Ravens (-6) vs. Seattle Seahawks (44 total)
Mark Andrews found paydirt once again last week, catching four balls for 40 yards as well en route to 14.0 DraftKings points. He’s caught four balls in three straight games but has scored three touchdowns to total 47.3 DraftKings points over that span.
Andrews gets a matchup with a middling Seattle defense, who has allowed the eleventh-most yards per target to opposing tight ends. Andrews boasts the highest ceiling projection on the slate by 2.5 points and is one of the few tight ends who can separate from the position.
He’s a strong option this week, and depending on your settings in the SimLabs tool, you may get some exposure to Andrews:
Trey McBride ($3,700 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel): Arizona Cardinals (+9) at Cleveland Browns (38 total)
Trey McBride is coming off of a stellar performance last week, catching 10 of 14 targets for 95 yards and a touchdown. He ran a route on 88% of the dropbacks, fully taking advantage of Zach Ertz’s absence. Josh Dobbs being traded isn’t great news for McBride, as Dobbs targeted tight ends on 32% of his attempts.
Regardless of whether Kyler Murray or Clayton Tune starts, McBride has shown an ability to earn targets and is still fairly cheap. The matchup isn’t great, with Cleveland allowing below six yards per target. However, McBride is cheap, and this is a thin week at the tight end position.
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My Favorite NFL DFS Tight End Leverage Pick(s)
Mike Gesicki ($2,600 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel): New England Patriots (-3) vs. Washington Commanders (41 total)
This is a pretty gross play, but I think Mike Gesicki has merit, especially in larger field tournaments. To be fully transparent, Jake Ferguson is my favorite tight end play on the slate. But outside of him, Gesicki makes a lot of sense in large field tournaments.
New England’s receiving room is in transition with Kendrick Bourne now on injured reserve, and we’ve seen Gesicki run routes out wide and be a big part of receiving games in the past. His usage has been forgettable thus far, as he has seen no more than three targets in a game over the past three weeks.
However, he’s extremely cheap, and there’s room for the role to grow. He ran just 12 routes last week, as he was out-snapped by Hunter Henry and Pharaoh Brown. This is not a play for those with weak stomachs.
Gesicki will be borderline unowned, which will allow you to play some higher-owned, better-projected plays at other positions. If in desperate need of a punt, I like Gesicki this weekend.
