Tight end is one of the most frustrating positions in fantasy football. Everyone would love to have Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews as their starter, but what other options do managers have if they choose to wait?
Looking ahead, fantasy managers have a difficult decision deciding what to do on TE between spending an early draft pick on one of the few elite options and getting positional advantage or punting the position, hoping to hit in the later rounds.
Come draft time, here are some fantasy football TE sleepers to remember who I feel strongly will outperform their current ADP and make you look like a genius to your league-mates.
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Fantasy Football 2023 Sleepers
One way to win in fantasy is to buck some trends known in fantasy football. For instance, rookie tight ends are hard to trust as a fantasy option, but is this the year to get different?
Here are two “forbidden” and one “boring” sleepers you can pivot to this year, available in Round 10 and later.
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
Typically, rookie TEs rarely make an impact their first year in the league, with a few exceptions like Kyle Pitts in 2021 (TE6) and Evan Engram in 2017 (TE5).
However, the Buffalo Bills traded up to draft Dalton Kincaid at No. 25 overall in this year’s draft after catching 70 passes for 890 yards and eight touchdowns in his final college season. The Bills believe in Kincaid’s talents, and he’ll be able to contribute in Year 1 of his NFL career.
MORE: 2023 TE Fantasy Football Rankings
Additionally, the Bills are not using Kincaid like a traditional TE. Instead, they have the 6’4″ 240-pounder lining up in the slot, giving Buffalo’s starting QB, Josh Allen, a quick and big-bodied weapon for a pass-happy team in need of a secondary option after WR Stefon Diggs.
The Dalton Kincaid thesis playing out as expected:
1. #Bills knew they desperately needed another weapon to compete with KC, CIN
2. WR free agent class was brutally bad
3. WR draft class was relatively poor, not worth trading way up for
4. Trade up moderately in draft for… https://t.co/6wva6MrFvt
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) August 20, 2023
It’s worth noting that Kincaid has drawn positive remarks in camp. Along with the Bills’ TE play being one of the few bright spots in their preseason loss to the Steelers last week, it wouldn’t be too farfetched to see Kincaid as the team’s second-most-targeted receiving option by the end of the season and beat his current ADP as the TE12 and 126 overall.
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
Unsexy, reliable, strong…and available late!
If you were to quiz anyone on the top four tight ends in targets last year, how many would have guessed Los Angeles Rams TE Tyler Higbee? He finished fourth in targets with 108 behind only Kelce, T.J. Hockenson, and Andrews and ended the season as the TE6 in full-PPR scoring formats.
You should know that Higbee has spent his entire career with the Rams. During his last four years, he’s averaged between 500-700 yards, along with three to five touchdowns. With that said, Higbee knows the system and is trusted by his team.
What helped Higbee see such a massive 20.9% target share last season was a lack of WR options not named Cooper Kupp. Allen Robinson failed to make an impact after signing with L.A. in the offseason, while Van Jefferson was held out until Week 8 recovering from knee surgery.
Fast forward to this year, the Rams’ WR depth behind Kupp is again suspect. He’s also dealing with a hamstring injury. Should that continue into the regular season, more targets could head Higbee’s way.
As the TE15 in drafts, Higbee offers fantasy managers a heavily targeted option with a solid floor at an inexpensive draft price. He provides more peace of mind for consistent points instead of other options that give you a TD or zero points at the position.
Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers
Let us go back into the rookie well again and talk about Green Bay Packers TE Luke Musgrave.
From Inside Training Camp: My interview with #Packers coach Matt LaFleur, who talks expectations for Jordan Love, the high upside of Christian Watson and the fastest man in camp — 6-6, 253-pound rookie TE Luke Musgrave. pic.twitter.com/x7OtQQeOn2
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 3, 2023
It’s never a bad thing when Packers head coach Matt LaFleur talks about Musgrave looking like the fastest player in camp at 6’6″ and 253 pounds. Musgrave gives QB Jordan Love’s first season as Green Bay’s starter a big target to enjoy.
Through joint practices and preseason games, Musgrave looks to have the starting TE gig locked up, having taken most of the snaps with Love under center. With the lack of competition behind Musgrave and how much he’s excelling not only as a pass catcher but also as a blocker, he should be on the field a ton.
Furthermore, the Packers’ top 2 WR options — Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs — are only into their sophomore seasons. Hence, the door is wide open for Musgrave to come in and make an immediate impact should his continued chemistry during camp and preseason with Love continue to grow.
MORE: Fantasy Football TE Busts 2023
Green Bay wants to make the most out of Musgrave immediately, as evidenced by making creative plays with him during camp — like jet sweeps and running seam routes — something they never had the luxury of having at the TE position for years.
Musgrave is currently the TE34 in drafts, but with how excited the Packers are about what they have in him, fantasy managers could strike gold at the end of their draft.