Following the NFL Draft, the fantasy football tight end landscape has gotten a bit clearer for the 2024 season. In this article, we’ll look at the tight ends who have benefitted most from the offseason so far and are still affordable to acquire in dynasty fantasy football leagues.
Recently, certain players saw their quarterback situation drastically improve thanks to the 2024 NFL Draft and free agency. Even heading back to free agency when we saw the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons reshape the top of their quarterback rooms. Now, let’s take a look at seven tight ends staring down a bigger role in 2024 and who should be startable for our fantasy teams. More importantly, for your dynasty league football squads.
7 Tight Ends to Buy Low in Dynasty Fantasy Football Leagues
Welcome to our guide on dynasty league football trade targets, focusing on 7 promising tight ends. In dynasty leagues, identifying undervalued players can be a game-changer for building a championship-caliber team. Today, we’ll highlight seven tight ends who might be flying under the radar. Or, they have the potential to provide significant value to your roster.
Whether you’re looking to bolster your tight end position for the long term or seeking immediate contributors at a bargain price, join us as we uncover hidden gems in the world of dynasty fantasy football. Let’s get into the trade targets, starting with Kyle Pitts of the Atlanta Falcons.
Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
We’ll start this list with a couple of higher-valued names. Keep in mind, that these may be players that managers are willing to move on from due to early career returns. Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts had perhaps the greatest improvement in team situation on this list.
The Falcons adding both Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. this offseason will allow Pitts to have the most talented quarterback room he’s had since his rookie season. Additionally, the Falcons did add Darnell Mooney to the wide receiver room this offseason. However, otherwise did not add many offensive weapons that are likely to take targets from Pitts and Drake London. 2024 is a solid rookie draft class, so Pitts may be a great name to consider to round out your roster if you can pay a single first for him.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pat Freiermuth had his worst NFL season in 2023, with it being the first year in which he wouldn’t reach 60 catches. He started his career with a 60-catch, 7-touchdown season in 2021 and followed that up with 63 catches in 2022. Unfortunately, in 2023, he only caught 32 balls while struggling to find chemistry with the Steelers quarterback room as a whole.
Looking back, his most productive season came with Ben Roethlisberger during the twilight of the quarterback’s career. Moving forward, perhaps Friermuth can benefit from consistency with another veteran in Russell Wilson. Wilson can benefit from Friermuth’s size and dependable hands, so hopefully they can revitalize each other’s fantasy stock. Additionally, with the departure of Diontae Johnson, Friermuth may also be expected to take an extended role in the short-passing game in 2024.
Ultimately, Friermuth may cost a second-round pick of some sort, which isn’t cheap. However, he should find himself being a top-10 tight end once again potentially this year and beyond.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
The Patriots were focused on offensive additions in this year’s NFL Draft. However, an incumbent pass-catcher from last year’s roster may benefit most from the addition of Drake Maye. Tight end Hunter Henry not only got a potential upgrade at the quarterback position this offseason. More importantly, he secured himself a new three-year deal with the Patriots.
Furthermore, Henry has some continuity in the organization and showed a threat to score last season, providing six touchdowns in a poor offense. Henry provides security at his position, as the team only added the 7th-round pick and competition in Jaheim Bell, plus Austin Hooper from free agency. Additionally, he is the clear top tight end for this Maye-led offense, and at 29 there’s still a window of athletic prime for Henry to provide in. He also isn’t going to cost you much more than a third-round pick or mid-upside asset, securing you a low-end starter or flex for next year. All in all, he offers some decent upside.
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
New Cincinnati Bengal tight end Mike Gesicki has been on the verge of a buy low or not even buyable the last two seasons. This addition should leave managers with questions, as the Bengals haven’t shown an affinity for using the tight end position in the passing game. However, pairing the athletic Gesicki with Joe Burrow in a year when the Bengals also prioritized the position in the draft may signal a philosophy shift. We’ll see how this offense shapes up and whether or not Tee Higgins is back in 2024 or not.
Gesicki showed glimpses of greatness while in Miami, and even after a single-season detour last year in New England, the 28-year-old tight end might finally be ready to match consistency to his talent. The days of Gesicki costing a second or high-end third-round rookie picks are gone, but he could be worth a low-cost transaction this offseason.
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
New York Jets tight end Tyler Conklin proved to be a consistent receiver in a volatile 2023 Jets offense, providing 10 games with at least four catches. Conklin has also received 87 targets in each of his two seasons with the Jets, placing him as the clear leading man in the tight-end receiving hierarchy for New York.
Moreover, the prospect of the athletic and consistent Conklin playing with a healthy Aaron Rodgers should intrigue managers looking for a productive name that shouldn’t be costly. This is a player you can start discussions around a late third-round rookie pick and either gradually improve on that package or increase the pick. Still, Conklin is a player similar to Gesicki and Henry in that they have been around for a while. However, at 28 they still have plenty of time to affect fantasy football lineups for multiple seasons.
Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers spent multiple Day 2 NFL Draft picks on tight ends in 2023, and both Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave displayed flashes of fantasy upside in their debut season. Both Musgrave and Kraft found the end zone in their first career playoffs as well. Notably, Musgrave scored against the Cowboys and Kraft against the 49ers. With Musgrave seemingly taking on more receiving opportunities as the year went on, Kraft firmly appears as a secondary tight end option with ability for the Packers.
With the youth on Kraft’s side and the flashes he has shown, he’s a fantasy asset to consider buying and stashing while roles in Green Bay fully hash out. Kraft and multiple youthful receivers proved themselves with production for the Jordan Love-led offense. Ultimately, taking a shot at one of the cheaper options like Kraft may be a fruitful investment in due time.
Daniel Bellinger, New York Giants
The New York Giants drafted Penn State tight end Theo Johnson this past weekend, adding to the room as the status of last year’s opening-day starter Darren Waller remains unknown for 2024. While it seems like Waller’s days in the NFL may be coming to an end, even if he plays one more season, it may soon be time to invest in this skill position.
Daniel Bellinger showed some chemistry with Daniel Jones during his 2022 rookie season and will be looking to get his career back on track heading into 2024. While this Giants regime brought in a new tight end in the draft class, Bellinger is still ingrained as the current TE2 with a possibility to be the 2024 starter.
Moving forward, Bellinger likely shouldn’t cost you more than a fourth-rounder or a similar-level dart at this point. In some leagues, he may even be on the waiver wire. So while managers may chase the new addition from the Giants, going for an incumbent talent who has shown small flashes may be the savvy move to make in this cheap tight end room.
It’s no surprise, that the tight end position is fantasy football’s most frustrating position. It is a year-to-year debacle for dynasty managers. In some cases, going for the high-end guys and rostering them is the only way to thrive and feel comfortable. In other years, it seems a manager can ride a wave of bargain bin players at the position and get them to produce at the right time.
Outside of the top two names on this list, those are the types of talents this article was about. Talents who we look back on after the season and it appears clearer why they were able to rise above in their respective tight-end rooms. Finding those players is not easy but that’s why staying flexible and moving lower-level capital for more established players on the depth chart can prove vital. Even if they don’t look like the most future-driven move at the time of trading, they can end up being the depth we all crave by Week 12-15 of the fantasy football season.
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2024 NFL Draft Rankings:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | iOL | iDL | EDGE | LB | CB | S
