2026 Fantasy Football Tight End Sleepers: Draft Brenton Strange, Chig Okonkwo

The 2025 fantasy season was a good one for tight end sleepers. In fact, it can be argued that two of the top six tight ends and three of the top seven players by points could be characterized as sleepers (some would argue Tyler Warren and Harold Fannin Jr. broke out).

To me, a sleeper is a player who has never before been a reliable fantasy starter but is on the verge of statistical improvement. However, his final fantasy rank doesn’t project him to finish as a top-10 player (that characterizes a “breakout” player) at his respective offensive position.

In the case of Fannin Jr., he wasn’t considered a potential fantasy starter in 2025 drafts due to the presence of David Njoku. The rookie went on to finish sixth in fantasy points, while Njoku missed time due to injuries and became a secondary option in the Browns pass attack.

That made Fannin the epitome of a sleeper.

With that said, here are four tight ends I think you can get in the middle to late rounds of your 2026 drafts but could bring back plenty of fantasy value as the regular season wears on.

All Positions: QBs | RBs | WRs

TIGHT END SLEEPERS

Brenton Strange, Jaguars

Strange was one of my favorite sleeper tight ends of last season, but he missed five games due to injuries and finished 23rd in points. He averaged nearly 10 fantasy points per game when he did play, however. That would have projected him to finish in the top 12 among tight ends over a full 17-game slate. The Jags also showed their faith in Strange, signing him to a new contract that could be worth up to $48 million. He’s one of my favorite late-round draft targets.

Chig Okonkwo, Commanders

Okonkwo never averaged more than 7.3 points per game in his four seasons with the Titans, but landing in Washington could make him more relevant in fantasy leagues. Jayden Daniels always liked to throw the ball to Zach Ertz, who Okonkwo will replace, and the Commanders aren’t flush with reliable receivers behind Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs. This makes Chig a nice late-round dart throw.

Gunnar Helm, Titans

Helm quietly had a respectable rookie season with 44 catches and 91.7 fantasy points while playing second fiddle behind Okonkwo. But with the veteran now out of the mix, the door has been opened for Helm to absorb far more targets (Okonkwo left behind 79) in his second NFL season. It’s also notable that Helm was able to gain a good rapport with quarterback Cam Ward in their respective rookie seasons, making him even more attractive.

Greg Dulcich, Dolphins

Admittedly, I am really reaching with this one at what is not a deep tight end position. However, Dulcich does have the inside track on the top spot on the depth chart in Miami, and this offense is completely devoid of reliable pass-catchers. With Darren Waller no longer in the mix, there’s a world out there in which Dulcich could bring back some fantasy value either as a late flier or waiver-wire add during the regular season. It’s not the sexiest pick—most sleeper tight ends aren’t—but he’s a player worth watching this summer.

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