Brenton Strange, Theo Johnson, and Three More Tight End Sleepers to Target in your Fantasy Football Drafts

We covered what it means to be a “sleeper” in our quarterback and running back sleeper articles. But in case you missed those, we landed a generic definition of a “sleeper” being a player with upside who has a clear path to significantly outperforming their ADP.

While tight end is a position with no shortage of sleeper options, there are five players who are sticking out like a sore thumb in our preseason rankings. And you can get all of them at the end of your drafts! Let’s dig in and take a deeper look at the tight end sleepers you shouldn’t leave your drafts without.

TE Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars

Currently TE20 in our preseason rankings, Brenton Strange will assume top tight end duties for the Jaguars now that Evan Engram is in Denver. The 24-year-old didn’t exactly light the world on fire last year in putting up 40 receptions for 411 yards and two receiving touchdowns, but he showed promise as he had six games where he put up nine-plus PPR points. His high-water mark was an 11-catch, 73-yard performance in Week 15 against the Jets, so he’s shown he can put up big numbers when given the opportunity. With just Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter likely ahead of him in the target pecking order, Strange has TE1 upside and a solid TE2 floor.

TE Theo Johnson, New York Giants

Theo Johnson is a bit more of a lottery ticket than Strange, but you can get him much later in drafts as he’s currently TE35 in our preseason rankings. The second-year player from Penn State caught 29 passes for 331 yards and one touchdown in 13 games before undergoing season-ending surgery and is poised to see a bigger role in the Giants offense. Johnson saw at least five targets in each of his last four games in 2024, and that type of usage should be his floor in 2025. Johnson sets up to be a steal even if he returns TE2 value, and he could be an absolute home run if he takes an even bigger step this year.

TE Mason Taylor, New York Jets

Mason Taylor has a great opportunity to be known as more than just Jason Taylor’s son as the Jets don’t have much in terms of receiving options this year. One could easily make the argument that Taylor will see the second-most targets behind Garrett Wilson in the Jets offense this season, as players like Allen Lazard and Josh Reynolds don’t exactly demand targets based on their talent. Justin Fields’ lack of passing ability could limit Taylor a bit, but there’s also a world in which Fields has to rely on the rookie tight end as a security blanket. While there’s a bit of risk here, Taylor is currently TE26 in our rankings and provides potential TE1 return.

TE Elijah Arroyo, Seattle Seahawks

Elijah Arroyo is another rookie tight end who is in a situation to return solid value compared to his TE24 preseason ranking. Ranked as a low-end TE2, Arroyo doesn’t have much competition for tight end targets in Seattle with Noah Fant gone. The 22-year-old is raw, but is also set up to see plenty of targets once Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp are fed. While the odds are that Arroyo ends up as a mid-range TE2 this season and sets up better as a dynasty option, he’s more than worth a late-round flier to see if he can exceed expectations.

TE Hunter Henry, New England Patriots

Hunter Henry seems like he’s been in the league forever, but he’s still only 30 years old and seemingly hasn’t lost his step yet. While he’s languished in the Patriots subpar offense for the last three seasons, Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels is back, and Henry had one of the best seasons in his career under McDaniels in 2021 when he set his career-high in touchdown receptions with nine. Henry will again assume the TE1 role for the Patriots and should push for 100 targets this year after seeing 97 in 2024. Henry and Drake Maye have developed a chemistry that could easily see the veteran return weekly low-end TE1 value after starting the year ranked TE17.