2025 Fantasy Football: 5 Late Round Tight End Targets

I recently revealed my updated tight end rankings along with some draft strategy tips for how I approach the position. I mentioned that in most instances, I would rather draft a top tight end than try to mix and match between two borderline starting options. In many cases, I will forego drafting a backup tight end altogether if I can secure an elite option. If you do draft a backup tight end, you should chase upside. The reason is that the deeper you get into the weeds with tight ends, the lower the floor gets. Of course, that goes for all positions, but more so with tight ends. Therefore, when it comes to backup tight ends, I prefer the “go big or go home” method. Below are a few late-round tight end targets I like for the 2025 fantasy football season.

League sizes and roster configurations vary, so what may be considered “late” for some may not be for others. For this column, I am going with players drafted outside the top 180 overall based on recent data from multiple outlets. One hundred eighty players encompass 12 rounds in 15-team leagues, 15 rounds in 12-team leagues, and 18 rounds in 10-team leagues. I am basing these on PPR rankings and ADP, so adjust accordingly based on your league specifications. Per the ADP, fantasy managers are currently drafting 20 tight ends inside the overall top-180. I believe the tight ends below will surpass their current ADP value and have a chance to finish as starter-worthy contributors when all is said and done in 2025.

5 Late Round Tight End Targets

Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans (ADP: TE25, 226 overall; Mick’s Rank: TE16)

Chig Okonkwo has been a decent fantasy commodity in his three NFL seasons. He has finished as the overall TE25, TE21, and TE21 in PPR leagues. Those results are in line with his current ADP. However, there is some upside here. Okonkwo has not benefited from great quarterback play in his three years in Tennessee. The Titans have ranked 29th in the NFL in both passing yards and passing touchdowns since Okonkwo entered the league in 2022. Tennessee drafted quarterback Cameron Ward with the first pick in this year’s draft. Ward could benefit Okonkwo in multiple ways. First, Ward might already be the best quarterback Okonkwo has played alongside in his NFL career. Secondly, rookie quarterbacks tend to rely on their tight ends as safety valves. It would not be a stretch to consider Okonkwo Ward’s second-most reliable target behind wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

Okonkwo finished last year strong, which could be a good omen heading into 2025. Excluding a Week 18 contest where he played just three snaps, Okonkwo was targeted seven or more times in three straight games to close out the year. That had happened just twice in 47 NFL games before that stretch. Okonkwo was up to the task, recording double-digit fantasy points in all three contests. Okonkwo has a solid athletic profile, and the depth behind Okonkwo at the tight end position in Tennessee is mediocre at best. That should keep Okonkwo on the field often. Even if he cannot replicate his elite three-game stretch for a full season, Chig Okonkwo has an excellent chance to exceed expectations this year.

Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals (ADP: TE26, 228 overall; Mick’s Rank: TE20)

Fantasy football managers seemingly want as much exposure to Cincinnati’s offense as possible, and rightfully so. Quarterback Joe Burrow, running back Chase Brown, and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins all have ADPs below 40 overall, with Chase as the consensus overall number-one pick in PPR formats. Most of us expect the Bengals to perform close to last season’s level from an offensive standpoint. If that is the case, I am not sure why fantasy managers are treating tight end Mike Gesicki like he has the plague. Gesicki finished as the overall TE13 in PPR leagues last year. And he did so while scoring just two touchdowns.

Sure, there are arguments to be made against Gesicki. First and foremost, his production spiked noticeably whenever Tee Higgins was out. He scored 69.2 PPR points in the five games Higgins missed, while adding just 72.3 in the other 12. So, Gesicki may be a better Best Ball pick than Redraft. Having said that, is everyone sure Chase and Higgins are playing 17 games this year? We have already seen Gesicki’s upside when one of Burrow’s receivers is sidelined. The 29-year-old also has a history of past productivity and owns one of the best athletic profiles ever seen at the tight end position. There is significant upside here that is lacking among many tight ends in this ADP range. If you need a late-round tight end target, there are few players I recommend more than Mike Gesicki.

Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP: TE24, 198 overall; Mick’s Rank: TE22)

Brenton Strange is yet another in the long list of tight ends to come out of Penn State. While his production was not elite, he did improve during each season at Happy Valley. Jacksonville selected Strange in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft. Strange was mainly a bystander during his rookie campaign. He caught just five passes, while fellow tight end Evan Engram was among the league leaders with 114 grabs. Strange took a second-year leap that was precipitated by Engram missing multiple games due to hamstring and shoulder injuries. The former Nittany Lion acquitted himself nicely in Engram’s absence. In the eight games Engram missed last year, Strange scored 66.5 PPR points. That per-game pace would have made Strange a top-20 fantasy tight end in 2024. Engram signed with Denver in the offseason, leaving Strange with the opportunity to fulfill that potential.

Now working in new head coach Liam Coen’s offense, Strange should have a career year in his third NFL season. Coen was instrumental in getting a top-15 fantasy season out of Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton last season. Strange could enjoy a similar bump. He played over 71 percent of the snaps when Engram was inactive last year. Strange should be on the field a ton and will be on the receiving end of passes from former number-one overall pick Trevor Lawrence. There are certainly worse positions a tight end can find himself in. Even with Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter in the fold, Brenton Strange is an ideal target late in drafts if you are seeking upside at the tight end position.

Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ADP: TE23, 199 overall; Mick’s Rank: TE23)

ADP has Cade Otton ranked as the overall TE23, and so do I. So I am not going to pretend I am overly bullish on him. But there is value here, perhaps even some that I am overlooking myself. Otton finished as the overall TE14 in PPR leagues in 2024. He averaged exactly 10 PPR points per game, which was the 12th best at the position. However, that may be misleading. Much like Gesicki, Otton was the beneficiary of injuries to wide receivers last year. Chris Godwin was lost for the season in Week 7, while Mike Evans was also injured in that game, resulting in three missed games. In the three games Evans and Godwin were both out, Otton scored an incredible 59.3 PPR points. In his other 11 outings, Otton scored 80.7 PPR points.

The challenge will be whether Otton can perform more consistently with other Buccaneers pass catchers on the field. Tampa Bay has no shortage of options for Baker Mayfield to throw to. Evans and Godwin are back, though Godwin is still not fully recovered from last year’s injury. The Buccaneers drafted Emeka Egbuka in the first round of this year’s draft, and second-half standout Jalen McMillan looks to improve on his rookie season. Running backs Bucky Irving and Rachaad White combined to catch 98 passes last year. So weekly consistently may not be Cade Otton’s calling card. However, there is reason to invest given the rapport he and Mayfield have developed in their two seasons together in Tampa.

Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins (ADP: TE21, 188 overall; Mick’s Rank: TE25)

Darren Waller is another example of a tight end whom I am not necessarily higher on than the consensus. But Waller’s ADP has risen of late, and with good reason. The upside is hard to ignore given the events of the past six weeks or so.

Back in June, most of us considered Jonnu Smith to be a top-10 fantasy tight end for 2025. Smith had just put up a career year in Miami, finishing as last year’s overall TE4. But a funny thing happened on the way to Smith being a locked-in TE1. On June 30, Miami traded him to a Pittsburgh Steelers team that already has last year’s overall TE9 (Pat Freiermuth) on its roster. The trade torpedoed the fantasy stock of both Smith and left a void in South Beach. The next day, the Dolphins announced they had acquired Darren Waller, who had retired from the NFL in June of 2024.

Miami has very little in the way of tight end depth, particularly from a receiving perspective. Julian Hill, Pharaoh Brown, Tanner Conner, and Jalin Conyers have combined for 90 career catches in 137 NFL games. There are also plenty of lingering questions as to the status of wide receiver Tyreek Hill, given how things played out towards the end of last season. Even if Hill stays in the team’s good graces, Waller should have an essential role in Miami’s offense. And if Hill misses time, Waller may become the team’s third option in the passing game. Waller was the overall TE14 on a per-game basis in 2023, his last NFL season. Once he shakes off the rust, he has the potential to produce at a similar level again this year. That makes Waller an ideal late-round tight end target.

For more great fantasy football rankings and analysis, make sure to check out the 2025 FantraxHQ Fantasy Football Draft Kit!