Undervalued Players: 5 Tight Ends to Target

The tight end position has always been tough to navigate in fantasy drafts. In past years, a premium pick was needed to secure a player with league-winning upside like Travis Kelce. Otherwise, fantasy managers spent later picks hoping to find a player who could challenge Kelce or a tight end in a breakout situation. In this article, we'll look at five tight ends that can be found in various stages of drafts that can outperform their draft cost. 

Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens

Andrews missed the last seven weeks of the 2023 season due to a broken leg. After several young tight ends finished the season on a high note, Andrews is not currently being viewed as an elite option in fantasy drafts. Frequently, the former Oklahoma Sooner is being selected as the fifth tight end off the board. In terms of excellent tight end play, Andrews has provided that for years. 

Even though the tight end missed Week 1 and didn't seem to hit his stride until Week 4, Andrews was on pace for a 900-yard season in 2023. If we take out last season and his 2021 career year, and use an average of 2019, 2020 and 2022, Andrews has averaged 800 yards and seven touchdowns. Sure, those are not Travis Kelce numbers, but they are outstanding. 

What the fantasy community seems to be ignoring is that as Lamar Jackson became more comfortable in the first year with offensive coordinator Todd Monken, he showed improved passing production in the latter part of the season. With Andrews back in the fold and likely the top receiver on the team, the tight end will benefit by being a part of this improved passing attack. Andrews may not be in Kelce's class, but he could easily finish as the TE2.

Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons

Do we know what Pitts is as a player after three years? The answer is likely 'no.' In 2022, Pitts suffered a knee injury. He is on record as saying the knee was an issue in 2023. Also, former coach Arthur Smith used his tight end far too often as a deep threat. Not only did Pitts have an average depth of target (aDOT) at the 99th percentile, but those passes were coming from the forgettable quarterback duo of Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. 

Now that former Sean McVay disciple Zac Robinson is running the Atlanta offense and Kirk Cousins is under center, we may finally see what Pitts is capable of. Aside from Drake London, Pitts could be the No. 2 option in the passing attack. Also, if the Falcons use some of those Rams' offensive concepts, we could see very creative usage of the talented tight end. Since we haven't seen a great fantasy season from Pitts since his rookie campaign, there is some risk. For those who believe it was the former situation that caused the former Florida Gator to struggle, this is a great opportunity to buy.

Luke Musgrave, TE, Packers

The fantasy world is sleeping on Musgrave. He suffered an injury in Week 12 last season but returned in Week 18 and the playoffs, where he averaged 14 snaps. The former Oregon State standout was likely rushed back and not fully healthy. Otherwise, Musgrave posted at least 49 yards in four of his first nine games with a 59th-percentile yards-after-the-catch rate. However, the Packers' passing attack didn't fully hit its stride until the second half of the season. As a result, we may not have seen Musgrave used optimally when he was healthy. Although Tucker Kraft played well in Musgrave's absence, Kraft was mostly the defined blocker when both players were available. If Musgrave is the lead tight end in this emerging offense, a top-10 finish at the position is possible.

Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots

Yes, Hunter Henry's yardage totals have fallen over the past few years. It was disappointing to see the tight end finish with just 419 yards last season. Over the past two years, the veteran is averaging 464 yards. So why the optimism? We all know the Patriots' offense was mostly dysfunctional during the last two seasons. Still, Henry had a pair of stretches last year that show he is still talented. Through Week 4, the pass-catcher reached 51 yards three times. Then, in his last two games, Henry averaged 53 yards. If the duo of Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye can give the Patriots a functional passing attack, Henry still can finish as a top-12 tight end.

Noah Fant, TE, Seahawks

Fant is a player to consider in leagues that require multiple tight ends. He averaged 672 receiving yards in his final two seasons in Denver. However, he was in a three-way committee during his first two seasons in Seattle. As a result, Fant's targets fell from the 90 range (in Denver) to an average of 53. During the offseason, the Seahawks parted ways with Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson, who averaged a combined 64 targets since 2022. Not all of those vacated targets will go to Fant, but even if half do, the veteran would move back to a solid target range. Even though we haven't seen the tight end used much as a weapon during his time with the Seahawks, Fant is very athletic for his position. A 700-yard season is in his range of outcomes.