Drafting tight ends in fantasy football is kind of like Michael Scott hosting a meeting—there’s a 50% chance it’s completely off the rails, a 30% chance it turns into a personal meltdown, and maybe a 20% chance of accidental genius. More often than not, you’re just sitting there wondering what you got yourself into. But for savvy managers who know which veteran tight ends to target, there’s treasure to be found beyond the usual suspects like Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, and George Kittle.
This season, three veteran tight ends stand out as potential league-winners with the right mix of opportunity, redemption arcs, and good old-fashioned talent. Whether it’s a comeback tour, a breakout encore, or finally finding QB stability after years of chaos, these veteran tight ends are flying under the radar—and straight onto my draft board.
“The worst thing about prison (fantasy football) was the Dementors (tight ends). They were flying all over the place and they were scary and they’d come down and they’d suck the soul out of your body and it hurt!” —Prison Mike
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3 Undervalued Veteran Tight Ends
Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
In August 2024, just weeks before the NFL season kicked off, Mark Andrews got into a car accident on his way to the team facility. Although reports said he walked away without any major injuries and even attended team meetings later that day, you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise if you watched him play during the first month.
Through the first four weeks, Andrews vanished from the stat sheet, coming in as TE41 in Half-PPR and TE39 in full PPR. Something clearly wasn’t right.
If you’re anything like me, you probably bailed after two brutal goose eggs in Weeks 3 and 4. With Isaiah Likely making noise and Andrews disappearing like a magician’s assistant, I had no choice but to cut bait. And boy, did he make me pay for it.
Come Week 5, Andrews looked like the fully operational battle station we all remembered. From that point on, he averaged 11.7 points in Half-PPR and 13.6 in full PPR, finishing the rest of the season as the TE5. Yeah… that one hurt.
Now 29 years old, the former Oklahoma Sooner still has gas in the tank—and maybe even his best football ahead of him. I predict he’ll reclaim his spot as a weekly Top-3 tight end and might even challenge for the TE1 crown.
Give me Lamar Jackson’s favorite target in the middle rounds every day of the week… and twice thrice on Sundays.
Predicted Stat Line: 145 targets, 101 receptions, 1,198 yards, 8 touchdowns
Evan Engram, TE, Denver Broncos
Evan Engram’s 2024 season? Cursed. He played just nine games, trying to gut it out through a laundry list of injuries that would make an orthopedic surgeon wince. He started the year sidelined with a nagging hamstring issue that cost him four games. Just when it seemed like he might turn things around, he tore the labrum in his left shoulder during a game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14. That injury required surgery and ended his season.
Oh, and as if that wasn’t enough, he fought through thumb issues most of the year, which made catching footballs (or a break) even tougher. Still, Engram pulled in 47 receptions for 365 yards and a touchdown. Not bad for a guy who held himself together with tape and pure determination.
Call 2024 what it was: an outlier. A brutal, injury-riddled season that doesn’t reflect his talent. Before that, Engram averaged 121 targets, 94 receptions, 865 yards, and four touchdowns across two years. Those are legit TE1 numbers, and there’s plenty of reason to believe he bounces back in 2025.
Now with the Denver Broncos, Engram finds himself in a sneaky-good spot. Bo Nix is under center, and while he’s only in his second year, the kid’s got poise. Outside of Courtland Sutton, the Broncos’ pass-catching corps is wide open. Marvin Mims Jr. is a fun dart throw, but Engram brings the resume. He’s proven, he’s motivated, and if he stays healthy (yeah, that’s a big “if”), he could become Nix’s safety blanket early and often.
Yes, the injury history is scary. But in the middle to late rounds? I’m rolling the dice. High risk, high reward—and who doesn’t love a comeback?
Predicted Stat Line: 125 targets, 99 receptions, 901 yards, 5 touchdowns
David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
David Njoku has weathered what can only be described as a quarterback apocalypse in Cleveland. Seriously—if I tried to list every QB who’s thrown him a pass, we’d need a spin-off podcast (and maybe a therapist). It’s been a rotating cast of mediocrity, injuries, and chaos. And yet, Njoku keeps flashing elite talent.
Here’s the good news: his old buddy Joe Flacco is back in town, signing with the Browns this offseason. That alone gives us reason to feel cautiously optimistic, especially after what we saw down the stretch last year.
In the final four games of 2023, Flacco took over for an injured Deshaun Watson, and Njoku exploded. He averaged 10.5 targets, 7.3 receptions, 93.8 yards, and scored two touchdowns. That’s elite tight end production, and it came with a QB who isn’t afraid to sling it and trust his big-bodied playmakers.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Don’t the Browns have, like, a million quarterbacks fighting for QB1?” And yeah, they do. It’s basically a reality show at this point. But even if Flacco doesn’t hold the job all season, I fully expect him to open the year as the starter or shortly after. And as long as he’s in, Njoku’s value stays sky-high.
With Jerry Jeudy now in the mix, some might worry Njoku’s role shrinks. But Jeudy hasn’t exactly proven himself as a consistent alpha. That opens the door for Njoku to be a focal point—a reliable target in the middle of the field and a red zone threat, no matter who’s under center.
Given his late-round ADP, Njoku is a no-brainer flier. If he picks up where he left off with Flacco, he could be this year’s tight end sleeper-turned-star.
Predicted Stat Line: 111 targets, 85 receptions, 889 yards, 5 touchdowns
In a position full of question marks, Mark Andrews, Evan Engram, and David Njoku offer rare upside without the premium price tag. Whether it’s a bounce-back, a breakout, or just a better situation, these veteran tight ends are primed to outplay their ADPs. Draft smart, stash with confidence—and let your league mates chase tight end touchdowns on the waiver wire.
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