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Once you reach the late rounds of drafts, everyone wants to draft high-upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. You can afford to take risks on a variety of different players, including prospects, forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even skilled players with potential playing time concerns.
It's essential to have at least a handful of sleeper targets at each position heading into your fantasy football drafts, no matter the format. Here are some late-round tight ends for you to consider drafting this season.
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Noah Fant, Seahawks, Fantasy Football Outlook
Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant is looking to make a splash with his new team this season. He was traded to the Seattle Seahawks by the Denver Broncos earlier this offseason, involving star quarterback Russell Wilson.
Throughout his career, he has played in 46 games and has caught 169 passes for 1,889 yards and 10 touchdowns while owning a 17 percent target share.
He will be sharing the field with veteran wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Both of them are very skilled at stretching the field, which could leave openings over the middle of the field for Fant to work. Quarterback play is the major question mark in Seattle.
The team is either going to roll with Drew Lock or Geno Smith. No matter who is under center for the Seahawks, they will have incredible options in the passing game to throw the ball too.
Fantasy managers should concentrate on Fant's 148.45 average draft position, making him a borderline free asset in drafts. His 98th percentile size-adjusted speed score combined with his 97th percentile burst score makes him one of the most athletic tight ends in the league. Fant will be a trendy last-round option in drafts this season.
Hayden Hurst, Bengals, Fantasy Football Outlook
The Cincinnati Bengals upgraded many positions on both sides of the football this offseason, but the acquisition of tight end Hayden Hurst is particularly emphasized from a fantasy football perspective. C.J. Uzomah opens up 63 targets for Hurst, who only saw 31 in 2021.
Hurst is going from the TE2 behind top-five rookie draft pick Kyle Pitts to the TE1 on a Super Bowl-caliber offense led by third-year quarterback Joe Burrow.
Before the arrival of Pitts, Hurst saw 88 targets as the Falcons' TE1 and converted this target share into 56 receptions for 571 yards and six touchdowns.This was good enough for Hurst to finish as the TE10 in total fantasy points during the 2020 season.
Expect a similar output for Hurst with the Bengals, as their wide receiving corps will demand coverage, and Burrow's accuracy will allow Hurst to rack up chunk yards after the catch.
He's a massive value as the TE23 and is worth acquiring in the 15th round of fantasy drafts as a late-round TE1, allowing fantasy managers to use earlier picks on high-floor running backs and wide receivers.
Irv Smith Jr., Vikings, Fantasy Football Outlook
Entering 2021, Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. held a lot of promise because of his opportunity for targets, high draft capital (50th overall in 2019), and athletic profile.
Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending meniscus injury during the preseason, ending his chance for a breakout. While the 23-year-old is still recovering from the injury, the expectation is that he will be healthy for Week 1 and could be ready for training camp in late July.
In 2020, Smith Jr. played behind Kyle Rudolph, limiting his involvement to only 30 receptions; however, he still managed to accumulate 365 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns, utilizing his 6'2", 242 lb frame to showcase his red-zone prowess.
Since 2020, the team has let Kyle Rudolph and Tyler Conklin leave, cementing the Alabama product atop the depth chart. Additionally, many expected the Vikings to bolster their offense.
Yet, they neglected to add a wide receiver and did not draft a tight end until the seventh round, placing Smith Jr. behind only Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen as the third target in an offense that ranked 11th in passing attempts last season. Smith Jr. is currently ranked 17th in Rotoballer's rankings with an ADP of 147 overall, requiring a minimal investment for a tight end who will receive increased volume and red-zone targets, with top 12 upside.
David Njoku, Browns, Fantasy Football Outlook
It was four years ago, but David Njoku does have a TE1 season under his belt. In 2018, he ran as the starter for the Browns. He caught 56-of-88 targets for 639 yards and four touchdowns, finishing the season as TE9. It's been a couple of years of sharing the field with Austin Hooper, but Njoku finally gets another shot at returning TE1 value in 2022 with Hooper now in Tennessee.
It's a small sample size, but Njoku played on 100% of the snaps in Week 15 last season without Hooper. He ended up seeing just five targets but ran 29 routes in that game, which was his second-highest total on the season.
With Jarvis Landry now in New Orleans, Njoku's biggest target competition is Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and rookie wide receiver David Bell.
Adding more fuel to the fire is the quarterback upgrade in Deshaun Watson as well as the $56.75 million endorsement by the Cleveland Browns in the form of a four-year contract extension.
There's a lot to be excited about when it comes to Njoku playing a full-time role once again in 2022. Don't be surprised if he finds himself as one of the 12 best tight ends as he did in 2018.
Robert Tonyan, Packers, Fantasy Football Outlook
The Green Bay Packers have retooled their offense under third-year head coach Matt LaFleur. The departure of superstar wideout Davante Adams leaves 169 vacated targets to distribute throughout the offense. Insert fifth-year tight end Robert Tonyan. The Packers' starting tight end burst onto the scene in 2020 with an impressive 11 touchdown performance to wind up finishing as the TE4 in PPR formats.
Unfortunately, injuries limited Tonyan to eight games in 2021, where he only drew 29 targets and caught 18 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns. A young receiving corps will need time to develop chemistry with back-to-back MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers. At the same time, Tonyan will be the security blanket for the savvy veteran early and often in 2022. Tonyan is currently the TE14 and is available to draft in the 12th round of fantasy drafts.
He's an ideal TE1 when healthy and plays in an offense with a top-three quarterback and offensive play caller. They will scheme up plenty of opportunities to replicate another double-digit touchdown season for Tonyan. Even a five touchdown season with 50 receptions and 600 receiving yards returns enough value at the TE14 position to climb into a TE1 finish by the end of the year.
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