Three must-draft tight ends in fantasy football

After seeing a number of players break out in 2023, the tight end position is arguably the deepest it has ever been from a fantasy football perspective.

In all likelihood, there won't be a late-round pick who emerges as a fantasy superstar like Detroit's Sam LaPorta did last season. Still, there are plenty of tight ends who aren't considered the top options at the position but have massive upside.

With that in mind, here are three tight ends being selected outside the first four rounds you shouldn't leave your 12-team ESPN PPR league draft without. 

Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills 

Outside the Big Three tight ends -- LaPorta, Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews -- Kincaid might be the player in the best position to finish as the TE1 overall this season.

Although LaPorta was the top rookie tight end in 2023, Kincaid still showed flashes of elite fantasy upside. The former first-round pick finished as the TE11 overall in PPR scoring formats last season, catching 73 of his 91 targets for 673 yards and two touchdowns. Kincaid flourished when fellow Bills tight end Dawson Knox was sidelined with a wrist injury from Weeks 8 through 12 last season, ranking as the TE4 during that span.

It's a bit concerning that over a third of Kincaid's 2023 yardage total came in that stretch (281 yards), particularly since Knox is still in Buffalo. However, Kincaid's role as a rookie was likely limited due in part to Buffalo's crowded wide receiver room and because tight end is one of the most difficult positions to transition from college to the NFL.

Fortunately for Kincaid, his role is set to expand dramatically after the Bills lost their top two wideouts (Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis) this offseason. Diggs and Davis combined for 1,929 yards and 15 touchdowns on 152 receptions last season.

While Khalil Shakir and new additions Curtis Samuel and Keon Coleman will undoubtedly see their fair share of targets, Kincaid should be the biggest beneficiary of Diggs and Davis' respective departures. After all, Kincaid already has a strong rapport with star QB Josh Allen, as he finished second on the team in targets during his rookie season. With the versatility and impressive route running he provides, expect Kincaid to draw at least 100 targets this season, which should help him live up to his fifth-round price tag. 

Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars 

Engram, last season's TE2 overall, is one of the safest picks in PPR scoring format drafts, especially considering he's coming off the board as the TE6 on ESPN.

In addition to racking up 963 receiving yards and scoring four touchdowns, Engram ranked first among tight ends in targets (143), receptions (114) and target share (23.6%) in 2023. It's worth noting that Engram saw a significant uptick in targets after WR Chrisitan Kirk suffered a season-ending core muscle injury early in the first quarter of Jacksonville's Week 13 loss to Cincinnati.

Expecting another 100-catch season from Engram might be unrealistic now that Kirk is fully healthy. Not to mention that the Jaguars bolstered their receiving corps this offseason, signing Davis in free agency and selecting Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of April's draft.

Nonetheless, since Davis and Thomas were brought in to replace field-stretching wideouts Calvin Ridley — Jacksonville's leading receiver in 2023 — and Zay Jones, Engram should still serve as QB Trevor Lawrence's security blanket. In turn, this should give Engram a high floor for fantasy, and it's possible he could have more opportunities to score touchdowns thanks to Jacksonville's offensive additions, raising his ceiling. If he can improve on last season's touchdown total, Engram could be on his way to another top-three fantasy finish. 

David Njoku, Cleveland Browns 

The 28-year-old was one of the biggest breakout stars at the tight end position last season, setting career highs in targets (123), receptions (81), receiving yards (882) and touchdowns (six). Njoku, who led all tight ends in yards after the catch in 2023 (599), notably thrived down the stretch, finishing as the TE1 on a points-per-game basis over his final four games.

Of course, it's impossible to overlook the fact that Njoku started to make a major fantasy impact once Joe Flacco, who is now with Indianapolis, took over at quarterback. Deshaun Watson is set to return as Cleveland's starting signal-caller, which raises concerns about Njoku's fantasy outlook for 2024. In six games with Watson last season, Njoku only averaged 8.67 PPR points per game.

Even so, while Watson might not pepper Njoku with as many targets as Flacco did, there's reason to believe that the Pro Bowl tight end will still be a fantasy standout this season. With RB Nick Chubb (knee) expected to miss the start of the season, the Browns will likely shift to more of a pass-first offense under new OC Ken Dorsey. Njoku has already raved about Dorsey's "juicy" offense, and Browns HC Kevin Stefanski appears determined to put the ball in his tight end's hands frequently.

“You go into every game thinking specifically about your guys and Dave’s top of the list with who we’re trying to get the ball to…" Stefanski told reporters in July. "...No secret that we’re trying to get Dave the ball.”

Assuming Njoku still receives a substantial target share, he should outperform the TE9 pre-draft ranking ESPN has given him, making him an ideal target if you decide not to select a tight end early in your draft.