Tight end might be the hardest position to navigate in fantasy football if you don’t land one of the top tier guys like Brock Bowers or Tyler Warren. Ideally, if we could nab this year’s Dallas Goedert (TE2 in standard scoring) in the later rounds, we could rest easy and build a dominating force in the earlier rounds. I’ve got four tight ends outside of the top projected fellas (McBride, Bowers, Loveland, Warren) who could finish 2026 as the top-scoring tight end in fantasy. Thanks for reading!
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4 Darkhorse Tight Ends Who Could End 2026 as TE1
1) Sam LaPorta (Lions)
He did it in his rookie season (2023), so why not again? That season, he scored 10 touchdowns and surpassed 11 fantasy points (half PPR) in nine games. Of the 18 tight ends that caught 50 or more passes in 2025, only five of them averaged more than 11 yards per reception. LaPorta averaged more than 12 yards per reception in each of the last two seasons. In just nine games, he managed 40 catches and 489 yards, putting him on a 17-game pace of 75 receptions, 923 receiving yards, and 5.6 touchdowns. That would have made him the TE3 (164 points).
Detroit didn’t bring in any players that would eat into his potential usage. In fact, a good number of the 59 vacated targets from David Montgomery and Kalif Raymond should find their way to LaPorta. Additionally, the Lions gave up the third most receiving scores (350), the third most receiving yards (4567), and the third highest QBR (105.5) in the league in 2025. This is a defense that is going to give up points and will need to score a lot more to keep up. The former TE1 for fantasy is going to command significant targets this year.
2) Dalton Kincaid (Bills)
Many fantasy managers might be done taking chances on Dalton Kincaid, and I understand. His targets, starts, and games played have decreased every year. A big part of that, I believe, is that he never fully recovered from a PCL strain he suffered in late 2024. However, he did manage a staggering 14.6 yards per reception and five scores in 2025, both career highs. With Joe Brady moving up from offensive coordinator to head coach, the scheme likely doesn’t change much, if at all. Additionally, the acquisition of DJ Moore is also putting off fantasy managers.
Buy the dip! It’s not just a recommendation with your favorite tortilla chips, people! Kincaid is firmly entrenched in that “tight end dead zone” that so many people like to refer to. If you can land a TE with this high-end efficiency in the 10th round of your draft, take the shot. He could be a league-winning selection this year!
3) Harold Fannin (Browns)
Coming out of Bowling Green, a lower-tier Division I university, there were plenty of doubters that Fannin could stand out in his first year in the NFL. However, he got his opportunities and showed us what he can do. He caught 72 of 107 targets, registering 731 yards and six touchdowns, leading the team in all four categories. Down the stretch, Fannin averaged 11.2 yards per reception in the final five games of the year, scoring in four of them. Now, he becomes the primary tight end for Cleveland as David Njoku has moved on to Los Angeles.
It is by no means a stretch to predict that Fannin could/should be the first look for whoever starts under center. All the key members of the offense are returning, as well. Jerry Jeudy followed Fannin with 106 targets but caught 22 fewer balls, whereas Isaiah Bond and Cedric Tillman combined to catch 46.9% of their 83 targets. With the limited weapons in their passing game, the sophomore tight end is in a great position to excel in 2026.
For more great fantasy football rankings and analysis, make sure to check out the 2026 FantraxHQ Fantasy Football Draft Kit!
4) Chig Okonkwo (Commanders)
This one is a bit of a hot take, but hear me out. The last time we saw a full season from Jayden Daniels, we saw Zach Ertz finish as the TE8 in half PPR with 91 targets – more than two of the tight ends that finished above him – 66 receptions and seven scores. Chig Okonkwo is an athletic, younger tight end who caught 72.5% of his passes for Tennessee over the last two seasons. He joins an offense that is surely superior to the one he spent his first four seasons with.
Washington tight ends saw 24.1% of the team targets in 2025. Then, there are the 171 vacated targets – 13 of which were end zone targets (league most) – that Okonkwo is sure to see more than a fair share of this season. Add to all of that a strength of schedule (SOS) that is ranked as the fourth easiest in the NFL, and you’ve got some enticing reasons to believe in this offense and their new tight end.
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