Colston Loveland, Tucker Kraft Among 2026 Fantasy Football Breakout Tight Ends

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The tight end position has become less valuable in fantasy football in recent seasons, to the point where I’m on board with making it a premium position or replacing it altogether with an additional flex spot. But for most leagues, tight ends will remain in starting lineups.

The good news is that we’re seeing more young tight ends making an impact, as a rookie has either led the position in points or finished in the top four in each of the past four years. We also saw last season, as Tyler Warren and Harold Fannin Jr. both finished in the top six in points at the position. Kyle Pitts Sr. also busted out (finally), posting a TE2 finish in PPR leagues.

True breakout tight ends are still elusive, however, so I’m listing five players who either fit the parameters of a breakout (a player on the verge of his first statistical explosion), or could turn into the best draft bargains, even if they’ve already had a previous top-10 finish.

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TIGHT END BREAKOUTS

Colston Loveland, Bears

Loveland is going to be the single most popular breakout tight end in fantasy football. While his rookie campaign started slowly, the Michigan product went off down the stretch. Over his final two games, he scored a combined 46.5 fantasy points, and that doesn’t include his postseason totals (16.7 PPG in two games). Loveland’s stock is so high, he’s coming in behind only Trey McBride and Brock Bowers based on early ADP data. Playing in coach Ben Johnson’s offense, which also benefited Sam LaPorta in Detroit, is another reason to “love” Loveland.

Tucker Kraft, Packers

Kraft was well on his way to breaking out last season, averaging 14.7 fantasy points per game before tearing his ACL in early November. That injury cost him the final nine weeks of the season, temporarily stopping his rise to stardom. Assuming he has no setbacks in his recovery (Kraft said he expects to be ready for Week 1), the talented pass catcher should resume busting out in a Packers offense that no longer fields Romeo Doubs or Dontayvion Wicks.

Isaiah Likely, Ravens

Likely has flashed statistical potential, but he never had a real chance to reach it playing behind Mark Andrews in Baltimore. Now in New York and reunited with coach John Harbaugh, Likely is in position to finally reach his ceiling. The veteran tight end should be no worse than second or third in terms of target share in the passing attack, and he could have a fast start to the season if Malik Nabers (knee) is forced to miss games. In all, Likely has TE1 upside in the Big Apple.

Dalton Kincaid, Bills

I’m on the fence about Kincaid, but the tight end position is thin and he did show some flashes of breaking out last season. Over the first nine weeks, Kincaid averaged an impressive 13.2 points per game. Unfortunately, injuries caused his stats to drop to 6.8 points per game over his final five contests. Kincaid, entering his fourth season, still has the tools to become a legitimate top-10 tight end. He does come with durability concerns, though, so Kincaid is better off being drafted as a high-end No. 2 fantasy tight end who could finish in the top 10-12 in 2026.

Kenyon Sadiq, Jets

Sadiq was the first tight end picked in the 2026 NFL draft, so he obviously comes into his rookie year with high expectations. While the landing spot might not be great on paper (the Jets have a lot of skill-position talent on offense), coordinator Frank Reich has helped plenty of tight ends reach fantasy success. It’s also notable that four different rookies have finished in the top six in points over the past three seasons, and Sadiq is the best bet to bust out from this class.

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