The key to winning fantasy football drafting is finding value players who will give you great return on lesser investments. That plan is most important to execute at tight end, a position rife with sleepers year after year.
There's no exception when it comes to 2025 redraft leagues, whether playing standard, half-point PPR, or full-point PPR. The best tight ends on the board come at heavy draft cost, with a muddled tier behind them.
If you choose not to address the position early (the first seven rounds or so), find sneaky picks in the middle or late rounds. Even if you choose to punt the position and go the streaming route, there can be some value near the end of the draft.
From medium to deep, here are this year's best fantasy football tight end sleepers. We're referencing average draft position (ADP) data from FantasyPros for point-per-reception (PPR) leagues in early August.
MORE 2025 DRAFT SLEEPERS: QB | RB | WR | DST
Undervalued TE sleepers in the middle rounds
Evan Engram, Denver Broncos (ADP 87.0, TE8)
Engram was an underrated offseason addition. Beyond top wideout Courtland Sutton, the Broncos are short on reliable experienced weapons to help Bo Nix.
The former Jacksonville Jaguar and New York Giant can be busy and build on a good training camp as developing key inside target and slot machine.
Evan Engram is going to be a problem for teams in the red zone 👀
— Denver Sports 104.3 (@DenSports1043) August 5, 2025
How many touchdowns will he score in his first season with the Broncos? 🤔#BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/3P7SAWE2Zr
Sean Payton and Joe Lombardi have a Joker to trust deploying often from the position for the first time in three seasons. Engram has looked healthy and should be effective in seeing a significant target share.
🏈 2025 DRAFT SLEEPERS: QB | RB | WR | TE | DST
Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts (ADP 112.8, TE10)
Warren keeps bumping up from being on the outskirts of a TE1 in 12-team leagues. The first-round rookie from Penn State, as expected, is being moved around as a focal point of the passing game as Shane Steichen looks to clean up the offense.
Either QB in the battle, Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones, will be called upon to not force deep balls and instead check down to short-to-intermediate routes more to Warren, Michael Pittman Jr., and Jonathan Taylor.
Warren may not explode to the level of previous rookies Sam LaPorta and Brock Bowers, but a top-8 finish among his peers is within reach.
Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys (ADP 135.0, TE15)
Ferguson's contract extension went under the radar with the noise about Micah Parsons not getting his deal dominating Cowboys news in camp.
The fiancee of athlete-influencer Haley Cavinder will try to live up to his 4-year, $52 million deal after a disappointing 2024. Ferguson went from the average TE9 in half-point to 29th, tumbling after Dak Prescott went down at midseason and he got hurt himself.
A healthy Prescott should bump Ferguson back up, playing now off CeeDee Lamb and new deep threat George Pickens as the key third target.
TE sleepers to wait on drafting
(Lon Horwedel)
Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders (ADP 156.0, TE18)
Ertz finished No. 10 in average TE half-point scoring last season in his first season with Washington, saddening Ben Sinnott enthusiasts.
There's some doubt he can keep producing at 34 years old and with the addition of Deebo Samuel. But he has proven to serve as a trustworthy outlet to quarterback Jayden Daniels and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
Samuel also has 117 vacated wide receiver targets from other past names from which to siphon, so he's not encroaching on Ertz's role. Ertz won't suddenly fade hard from the offense after he looked rejuvenated through the playoffs last season.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (ADP 171.8, TE19)
The Patriots have plenty of depth chart experience concerns at wide receiver after newcomer Stefon Diggs, who also turns 32 in November and is coming off a torn ACL.
Henry will be a key target through the red zone for second-year QB Drake Maye, with whom he showed developing chemistry last season.
Henry turns 31 in December but still can provide needed veteran punch, even if your expectations start out as a matchup play. With Josh McDaniels back as offensive coordinator to keep Maye from taking too many sacks, the tight-end position will gain a bigger spotlight as a designed read.
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP 202.6, TE21)
Strange will try to establish himself as the consistent third target in Liam Coen's offense for Trevor Lawrence after wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter.
Of the Jaguars' 212 vacated targets, 82 come from tight end, a group that no longer includes Evan Engram and Luke Farrell. Strange saw 53 targets last season.
With Dyami Brown being the best from the rest of the wideouts, Strange can channel Cade Otton, who was the TE14 on average for Coen in Tampa Bay in 2024.
TE sleepers: Late-round dart throws
Mason Taylor, New York Jets (ADP 244.5, TE29)
Mason is the son of one Dolphins defensive Hall of Famer (Jason Taylor) and the nephew of another (Zach Thomas). He hasn't wasted time showing some of that athletic NFL pedigree in camp on a team that is desperate for reliable targets after top wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
The LSU alum has shown a good early connection with Justin Fields that can carry over into some production to watch during the season. Despite a high-ankle sprain he suffered in early August, Taylor is widely expected to be ready for Week 1.
Ja'Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers (ADP 266.3, TE33)
Rookie Tetairoa McMillan looks every part as first-round No. 1 receiving option for Bryce Young, but after ageless Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette begins the big question at wide receiver.
Sanders is capable of being a key target with a little growth, especially because he already has a handle on Dave Canales' enticing passing game. The vibes from training camp point to a much increased role.
Elijah Arroyo, Seattle Seahawks (223.5, TE27)
The Seahawks said goodbye to Noah Fant and his 64 targets, leaving A.J. Barner atop the depth chart.
Arroyo is much more athletic as a complete receiver. New QB Sam Darnold liked throwing to the tight end (T.J. Hockenson) in Minnesota.
There's also a gaggle of uncertainty behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp at wide receiver. It's all there for Arroyo to ascend to notable target volume in the near future.