The 2026 NFL Draft is still several months away, but this is the ideal time of year to get caught up on the prospects who will make an impact on the fantasy football landscape for redraft and dynasty leagues.
With the main fantasy season complete, I’ve had time to go over game tape, collegiate production, interviews and more, in order to project what this incoming crop of rookies will become at the next level.
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We’ll get more precise athletic testing numbers to work with at the NFL Combine in late February, before eventually finding out how NFL front offices value this class when draft day arrives in April.
Consider this a starting point in the pre-draft process, while understanding that landing spots will have an important impact on the fantasy value of each player. Once we know which organization they’ll be joining, it reveals a larger part of the puzzle in terms of their opportunity, coaching, scheme and team culture.
For now, we’ll continue this series by focusing on the incoming tight ends who have the best chance to become fantasy relevant in the NFL.
Prospect Fantasy Outlooks
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Alone at the top
Much like this year’s quarterback class, the tight ends have one prospect who stands far above the rest and will likely be a first-round pick in April’s draft.
Sadiq is slightly undersized at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, but so was Harold Fannin Jr. last year and we all saw how that worked out.
While Sadiq might not be a truly elite prospect, he’s not far off. He excels as a pass-catcher with incredible hands who catches like a wide receiver. Whether he’s hauling in tough contested passes, making receptions in traffic amidst multiple defenders or sacrificing his body on diving grabs, Sadiq is a dangerous weapon.
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The 20-year-old has smooth athleticism that lets him glide around the field making plays. Though he’s not much of a tackle-breaker, Sadiq is shifty enough to juke defenders and create more yards after the catch.
Blocking can often be an issue for younger tight ends and sometimes causes them to lose playing time. It’s possible that could be the case for Sadiq. He’s more than willing to square up with defenders, but sometimes lacks the strength to get the job done. That might be even more of a concern at the next level.
Even so, Sadiq is a potential star in the making. If he gets the expected early draft capital and lands in an offense that provides him with the necessary volume, I see him becoming the kind of fantasy starter Jordan Reed could have been if he had stayed healthy during his career.
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Fantasy Outlook: There’s a reason why Sadiq led Oregon in catches and touchdowns last season, after being stuck behind Terrance Ferguson for two years.
Sadiq is a talented receiving threat who brings a vertical element that not all players at his position offer.
We’ve seen many rookie tight ends make an instant impact in recent years and Sadiq has all the tools to join that club. He should be viewed as a legitimate future fantasy TE1, who could return value immediately in the right offense.
In what projects to be a weaker class overall, Sadiq is locked in as a mid-first-round pick in dynasty rookie drafts.
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Dynasty rookie value (Superflex): 1.06-1.08
Classic TE options
While this year’s crop of rookie tight ends might not feature much obvious high-end talent outside of Sadiq, there are a number of players at the position who could develop into meaningful NFL starters and fantasy options.
This trio of Klare, Royer and Endries are all built from the standard tight end mold with textbook frames and good pass-catching skills that should have them in the mix as Day 2 or early Day 3 selections.
Klare has solid hands and route-running ability, but he’s a little stiffer in his movements like what you’d normally expect from a prototypical tight end. It’s also worth highlighting that while his numbers declined after transferring to Ohio State this year, he dealt with a lot of target competition from the Buckeyes’ outstanding receivers. In the one game where Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate were sidelined, Klare flashed his upside by stepping up with seven receptions, 105 yards and a touchdown.
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Royer is someone I’m very interested in, depending on his landing spot. The 23-year-old is a versatile player who uses his agility and feistiness to gain extra yards with the ball in his hands. Though he was productive in his final two seasons with the Bearcats, there’s a ceiling that hasn’t been unlocked with him yet.
Endries might be the least exciting name in this section, but he’s sort of an arbitrage play on Klare. While he doesn’t really have an elite trait to highlight, Endries is a quality all-round prospect who will do most of his damage in the short and intermediate areas of the field.
All three players in this group have work to do in order to improve as blockers, so keep that in mind as they’re fighting for playing time early in their careers.
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Fantasy Outlook: It’s possible we could see Klare, Royer or Endries get in the mix as low-end TE1 fantasy options in the coming years, but a lot of that will depend on volume.
We’ve seen these types of tight ends from Jake Ferguson to Dalton Schultz to Cade Otton, all become fantasy relevant when given enough targets. Unfortunately, that normally occurs when their teams are thin at receiver due to weak depth charts or injuries.
While Klare is the safest bet to emerge at the next level, Royer’s movement and competitiveness spark my interest and will keep him on my radar in the later rounds of this year’s dynasty rookie drafts.
Dynasty rookie value (Superflex): Third-to-fourth round
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Intriguing but imperfect
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Justin Joly, North Carolina State
All the prospects in this section have aspects of their game that make them interesting as deeper dynasty stashes, but they have a long way to go in order to prove themselves as potential starters in the NFL.
Stowers is more of a receiver than a tight end, but he’s been busy the last two seasons amassing 1,407 yards and nine touchdowns as a key part of Vanderbilt’s passing attack. Despite some awareness issues at times, he’s shown more than enough playmaking ability, especially up the seam, to generate some interest from fantasy managers.
Joly is on the shorter side, but had multiple productive years in college and can be used all around the formation. While he lacks high-end speed, he makes up for it with fluid movement and good run-after-the-catch skills. Though I worry he might be a better real-life contributor than a high-volume fantasy option.
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Bentley is a great athlete for his size and carries himself confidently on the field. He offers sneaky YAC ability lowering his shoulder to shed tackles and having enough juke moves to shake defenders. However, he only has one notable season on his résumé.
Trigg may develop into a significant pass-catching threat, but he seems to lack the kind of aggressiveness you find in most stars. Whether he’ll be able to match the physicality in the pros is something to monitor. If he’s going to hit, it will likely be as a big-play threat and red-zone option, rather than a volume player.
Raridon has a huge frame at 6-foot-7 and was one of the more effective blockers I watched in this tight end class. He profiles as a reliable target thanks to his strong hands, just don’t expect much after the catch. He also suffered two torn ACLs on the same knee, which has to be mentioned when considering his long-term outlook.
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Fantasy Outlook: Draft capital is an invaluable aspect when breaking down the future fantasy potential for deeper prospects like the ones highlighted in this range.
At the moment I’m viewing them as Day 3 picks, which means nothing will be handed to them and earning a roster spot is the first step in their journey before we can even contemplate them emerging as starters. It also might take a year or two before they work their way into a top role.
Only consider drafting them in dynasty leagues that have deep benches and/or TE premium scoring. Otherwise, your bench spots are better used on more valuable fantasy positions.
Dynasty rookie value (Superflex): Fourth round or later, but most likely future waiver wire adds
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Prospect Fantasy Outlooks
