Fantasy Football Draft Steals: Tight End ADP Value Picks Featuring George Kittle & Terrance Ferguson
In this story:
Not every edge on draft day comes from finding a hidden gem before anyone else does. Sometimes the value is right in front of you, priced at an average draft position lower than that player's potential.
These four tight ends are not sleepers you need to reach for two rounds early. They are players whose average draft position undersells what they can return.
Let them come to you during your draft, and you may come away with production that outpaces the cost.
George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
Kittle carries an ADP of 96, the ninth tight end off the board, and that price exists only because he tore his Achilles in the wild-card round. The injury discount creates a great opportunity for fantasy managers.
When healthy in 2025, Kittle finished as the TE3 in half-PPR points per game at 12.1, and he closed the year on a heater, clearing 13.8 PPR points in five of his final seven games from Week 10 on.
He has finished as a top-five PPR tight end in each of his last six healthy seasons and has not averaged fewer than 10.6 fantasy points per game since his rookie year.
Reports point to a possible Week 1 return, and even a delayed debut would still get him back well in time for the fantasy playoff run. Pair him with a cheap bridge starter, and you get a difference-maker at a backup's cost.
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
At pick 138, the 17th tight end drafted, Strange's ADP reflects a season fantasy managers may only half-remember because a hip injury split it in two.
From Week 12 through the end of the year, the Penn State product played on a full-season pace of 63 receptions, 816 yards and seven touchdowns, production that made him the half-PPR TE8 down the stretch.
The red-zone usage is the tell. He drew a team-high 11 red-zone targets from Week 12 onward, after seeing none early. Jacksonville then signed him to a three-year, $48 million extension, cementing him as the clear No. 1 in Liam Coen's TE-heavy offense, which leans on 12- and 13-personnel.
His 1.89 yards per route run over that closing stretch could prove highly valuable. Despite being priced as a backup, Strange carries a top-10 ceiling.
Oronde Gadsden II, Los Angeles Chargers
Fantasy football managers are taking Gadsden at pick 143 as the 20th tight end, discounting him because David Njoku showed up on a one-year deal in May. That contract is exactly why the discount is a mistake.
Njoku is a short-term rental, while the Syracuse product is the long-term piece, and Gadsden already proved what he can do.
He wrapped his rookie year as the overall PPR TE15 and posted a four-game stretch from Weeks 6 to 9 with 24 catches, 377 yards and two touchdowns, good for TE1 scoring over that window. His 13.6 yards per reception led all tight ends with at least 50 targets.
New coordinator Mike McDaniel has coaxed fantasy production from tight ends at every stop, and one projection model sees the 23-year-old's target load climbing toward 85 looks. Drafted as a low-end TE2, he carries weekly TE1 upside.
Terrance Ferguson, Los Angeles Rams
Ferguson slips to pick 196 as the 29th tight end, a price that treats him like a dart throw, even as the offense around him is being redesigned in his favor.
Sean McVay has committed to more 12- and 13-personnel in 2026, and team sources point to the Oregon product as the centerpiece of that shift.
Ferguson averaged 20.8 yards per reception, the best mark at the position, and his 17.6 average depth of target was more than six yards higher than the next-closest tight end. He led the group in deep targets, drawing 12 looks on 37 deep routes at a 32.4% clip.
With Davante Adams aging and Tyler Higbee now 33, the vertical role belongs to the fastest tight end in the 2025 class, who ran a 4.63 forty.
More Fantasy On SI
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Matt De Lima has been covering fantasy sports for more than 15 years, contributing to top outlets such as Sports Illustrated, DraftKings, GiveMeSport and The Game Day. Known for his straightforward, actionable analysis, Matt specializes in start/sit calls, waiver wire pickups, IDP, and season-long strategies. His work has reached millions of readers and listeners through articles, podcasts, SiriusXM radio appearances and social media. Respected across the fantasy sports community, Matt combines deep football knowledge with a sharp editorial eye, delivering insights that help players win their leagues.
Follow mattkdelima