The tight end position in fantasy football has seen an influx of talent over the past couple of seasons, with Colston Loveland (Chicago Bears), Tyler Warren (Indianapolis Colts), Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders) and Harold Fannin Jr. (Cleveland Browns) entering the league and immediately making an impact.
Of those four, three finished as TE1s last season, and Loveland came on strong toward the end of the season, posting double-digit fantasy points in three of the final four weeks in PPR leagues. Below, I’ll look at which tight ends from the 2026 NFL Draft class could make a fantasy impact in their rookie seasons.
Fantasy Football Rookie Tight End Targets
Kenyon Sadiq (TE – NYJ)
I’m a bit mixed on Kenyon Sadiq and his potential in 2026, but he was the first tight end off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft.
To start, let’s examine quarterback Geno Smith.
Over the last three seasons of his career, Smith has played in a combined 47 games with a 67.7% completion rate for 10,969 yards, 60 touchdowns and 41 interceptions. When targeting tight ends, he has a 76.9% completion rate for 2,552 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. A total of 21.6% of his attempts, 23.3% of his yards, and 25% of his touchdowns have gone to tight ends.
Smith is 35 and coming off a dreadful season with the Raiders. Still, he has a loaded offense around him, including Sadiq. The problem for Sadiq, though, is that not only does he need to compete for targets with Garrett Wilson, Omar Cooper Jr., Adonai Mitchell and Breece Hall, but also Mason Taylor, who was a big part of the Jets’ offense in 2025.
Sadiq has the athleticism and skill set to have a big impact, and I think his game lends itself well to short-area passes and racking up receptions.
Eli Stowers (TE – PHI)
Eli Stowers is another player, similar to Kenyon Sadiq, who doesn’t have a clear-cut No. 1 TE role. We know Stowers will be the heir apparent to Dallas Goedert, who’s on a one-year deal, but how will he perform this season?
It remains to be seen exactly what new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion will want to do, but early indications are that he’ll want to run a Sean McVay-style offense, meaning plenty of 12 and 13 personnel. This will allow for Stowers to be on the field alongside Goedert, though he’ll need to improve in the run game.
Stowers was an athletic specimen at the combine, and that alone will make him an intriguing target in any passing game. Based on the Eagles’ depth chart, it won’t be difficult to get DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Goedert, Stowers and Saquon Barkley on the field at the same time.
I’ll be intrigued to see what the young offensive coordinator does.
Justin Joly (TE – DEN)
As for a bit of a dart-throw, I like what Justin Joly can bring to the Denver Broncos’ offense. In 15 games last season, Evan Engram had just one touchdown catch. While I don’t expect Joly to catch many passes, his athleticism and “basketball body” allow him to jump at the high point, making him a nice red-zone threat.
Joly was productive all four years of college football, at both UConn and NC State. Across 49 games, he caught 166 passes for 1,978 yards and 15 touchdowns.
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