Fantasy Football 2024: Sleeper Tight Ends to Target in Drafts

The sleeper picks at tight end are a bit different than any other position in fantasy football.

There's a clear top few tiers at the position that possess Sam LaPorta, Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews and others.

The goal of any fantasy football player should be to nab a top-10 tight end at some point in the first few rounds of the draft.

Finding a backup can be far more difficult because of the drop off in production between the top tight ends and the average ones on paper.

A few offenses without a superstar tight end have the potential to develop the breakout fantasy stars at the position. The players on those teams could be the best sleeper targets before Week 1.

Luke Musgrave

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ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 14: Luke Musgrave #88 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates after scoring a touchdown during an NFL wild-card playoff football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium on January 14, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

You could argue the Green Bay Packers offense has too many options for Jordan Love to pass to.

No player in the Packers offense recorded more than 800 receiving yards last season, but six pass-catchers had at least 300 yards.

Tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft each had over 30 receptions and 350 receiving yards in 2023.

Green Bay's pass-catching hierarchy was affected by injuries, and if Christian Watson stays healthy, he's the No. 1 to start the season, but the abundance of options should intrigue fantasy football players at the back end of their drafts.

Musgrave is currently in front of Kraft on the depth chart, but he only had six more targets than Kraft last season because of injury.

But it is important to note that Musgrave had 34 receptions on 46 targets in 11 regular-season games.

There's a clear comfortability established between Love and Musgrave, and if the tight end stays healthy, he could has the potential to be a breakout star in the second tier of fantasy tight ends.

Mike Gesicki

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CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 10: Tight end Mike Gesicki #88 of the Cincinnati Bengals in action during the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium on August 10, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)

The messaging around Mike Gesicki's latest career stop should be more positive than his previous situation.

Gesicki has a real chance to flourish inside the Cincinnati Bengals offense as a No. 3 option with Tyler Boyd no longer on the roster.

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will still take up a bulk of the target share from Joe Burrow, but the Bengals need a third option to emerge.

Gesicki could fill that role and surge past the numbers he combined for in the last two seasons with the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots.

Gesicki did not fit the Dolphins offense once Mike McDaniel took over and the Patriots already had Hunter Henry at tight end last season.

The fantasy football opinion on Gesicki might have soured because of those two seasons, but he could be poised for a bounce-back campaign with a defined role and a top-10 quarterback throwing him passes.

Cade Otton

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DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 21: Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (88) is brought down by Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) after making a first down during the NFC Divisional playoff game between the Detroit Lions and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday January 21, 2023 at Ford Field in Detroit, MI. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Cade Otton has a very clear fantasy football ceiling.

Otton will be the No. 3 option at best in Tampa Bay once again, and his yardage total could be affected by the arrival of rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan.

Otton still carries some deep-round value, though, if he can find the end zone on a consistent basis.

He caught four touchdown passes last season to go along with his 47 receptions and 455 receiving yards.

Similar catch and yardage totals would make him a decent fantasy option, but if can find the end zone more, he could be an efficient bye-week replacement or weekly streaming option.

He's worth a late-round look because of the touchdown potential, which may increase if the Bucs running game headlined by Rachaad White does not live up to expectations.

Chigoziem Okonkwo

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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JANUARY 07: Chigoziem Okonkwo #85 of the Tennessee Titans runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium on January 07, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

The Tennessee Titans offense may take a few weeks to figure out.

Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd and DeAndre Hopkins will all demand targets from Will Levis, so that may make Chigoziem Okonkwo more of a weekly matchup-based target in fantasy football.

Okonkwo had at least 30 receiving yards in each of his last seven games of the 2023 season, but that was inside an offense that did not have as many options at wide receiver as it now does.

Okonkwo's inability to get into the end zone hurts his fantasy football stock. He scored once last season with an increased workload. He had three scores in his rookie season.

The lack of touchdowns will drop his fantasy draft position into the bottom few rounds, but if that can somehow improve to go along with his yardage production, Okonkwo has a chance to stick on fantasy rosters for multiple weeks.