Win the TE Battle, Win Your League: How to Exploit the Most Overlooked Position

TE Production Falls Off Faster Than You Think

TE remains fantasy's shallowest position, so having a top weekly scorer gives you a clear edge.

Check out the averages for the top six TEs over the past two years vs. the next six …

That difference of over 2.5 PPR points per game would give your lineup a strong weekly boost. But, how can we identify the TEs who will emerge as those top-level performers?

Why Targets Remain the Clearest Path to TE Scoring

TDs matter for TE fantasy scoring, but the table above shows the top six and next six have produced similar TD totals over the past two seasons.

So what separates the top TEs? Targets.

Over the past three seasons, top-6 TEs averaged 119.28 targets per season with a median of 120. The next six TEs averaged 90.44 over the same period with a median of 90.

Because teams use TEs differently, identifying the ones who can stay on the field and get schemed open is crucial.

What Do Our Projections Say?

Our TE rankings project two TEs for 135+ targets:

• Trey McBride (142.8)
• Brock Bowers (136)

Both McBride and Bowers profile as top options for their teams' passing games with plenty of opportunities for receptions and TDs.

Five more TEs are projected for 100+ targets:

• Colston Loveland (125.8)
• Tyler Warren (119.2)
• Harold Fannin Jr. (111.6)
• Travis Kelce (107.9)
• Kyle Pitts (107.1)

Unsurprisingly, these constitute 7 of the top 10 TEs in our PPR rankings. Only Sam LaPorta (98.6), Tucker Kraft (97.7) and George Kittle (89.8) are missing from the 100-target list. But LaPorta and Kraft are close, while Kittle is currently projected to play 15 games.

Of course, drafting an early TE doesn't guarantee that level of production. 

Over the past three seasons, 66% of TEs drafted inside the top 12 in PPR ADP finished as top-12 scorers at the position.

That leaves room for TEs drafted outside the top 12 to climb into starter territory and deliver season-altering value.

Elite TEs Are Fun … But Are They Worth It?

Investing in a top TE gives you a positional advantage but comes at the cost of passing on a startable RB or WR.

Current ADP puts the TE1 and TE2 around WR8 and RB11, while TE9 goes around WR44 and RB35. 

Last season, TE2 outscored TE9 by 3.5 PPR points per game. 

The WR8-to-WR44 gap was 6.5 points, while the RB11-to-RB35 gap was 5.8.  

Going TE very early can cost you value at WR and RB…unless you get the production of the TE1 last season.

Trey McBride’s strong TE1 season (18.6 ppg) was 3.9 points per game higher than TE2 George Kittle, making McBride an outlier above the rest. That type of production would be worth a first-round fantasy pick because it was the highest ppg since Travis Kelce’s 20.8 in 2020.

That makes a repeat from McBride, or anyone else at the position, unlikely in 2026.

That generally matches our redraft PPR ADP Market Index. We see the top TEs as slightly overvalued, while the next tier (TE3-TE5) offers better draft value. 

Stay flexible, though. If a top TE falls past ADP, the opportunity cost drops with him.

We also like most of the TE12-19 range. Passing on elite TEs lets you scoop up one of those values later.

You can sync your league and use our Draft War Room to adjust your TE plan as the draft unfolds.

Can TEs Be Viable In the Flex?

If you're in a 3 WR PPR league, drafting a TE2 might be a viable way to fill your flex positions. We saw the gap close in PPR ppg last season between TE2s (TE13-24) and WR4s (WR37-49). Here's how many more ppg WR4s scored than TE2s over the last three years.

• 2023: 2.9
• 2024: 3.0
• 2025: 0.7

The one-year sample size is small, but there was only a small difference between the two in 2025.

The opportunity cost is much lower at TE than WR when you compare PPR ADP:

• WR37: 7.11 vs. TE13: 10.10
• WR49: 10.11 TE24: 15.1

The low cost of these TEs makes drafting a TE2 worthwhile, and they may even be viable flex plays week-to-week if you nab the right TE.

The TE Draft Verdict: Win Without Reaching

If a top-5 TE falls past ADP, consider grabbing him. That can give you a full-season positional edge with weekly target certainty.

Of course, it’s also OK to wait on TE, regardless of how the rest of your league treats the position. Sam LaPorta stands out as a high-upside target in the middle of TE1 range, for example.

The Numbers Say: Target TEs Earlier in TE Premium

TE premium describes leagues where TEs get extra scoring bonuses over other positions. The most common example is TEs earning 1.5 points per reception vs. 1 point for all others.

The strategy shifts in this format because the gap between elite and mid-tier TEs widens. Here, TE2 to TE9 is a difference of about 4.8 points per game, compared to 3.5 in regular PPR leagues. 

That said, don't reach for the "next guy" just because you're worried about running out of options. The format makes TEs more important, but it doesn't let the position dictate your entire season.

Make sure your TE pick fits both the value on the board and your overall roster construction.

Our TE Premium ADP Market Index already accounts for the extra scoring. We're lower on first-round TEs Bowers and McBride, but the rest of the top group looks undervalued right now. 

Undervalued TEs Poised to Beat Their ADP in 2026

Sometimes, taking a shot on a late-round TE pays off handsomely. Like Harold Fannin Jr. and Tucker Kraft last year, the right sleeper TE becomes an every-week starter.

These TEs have a shot to crush ADP and help your lineup.

Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

LaPorta was excellent when on the field last season.

He totaled 106.9 PPR points in nine games, averaging 11.88 per game. That ranked sixth among TEs in PPR points per game.

He caught 81.6% of his targets, posted a 17.8% target share (10th among TEs), averaged 12.2 yards per catch, and produced 2.00 yards per route run. He also didn't drop a pass.

LaPorta missed the final nine games with a fully herniated disc in his back. That absence pushed him out of the fantasy spotlight and could create value this year.

He ranked second on the team in target share (behind Amon-Ra St. Brown) in the nine games he played, at 17.8%. He also gets new OC Drew Petzing who helped Trey McBride break out in Arizona.

LaPorta sits at TE8 in current PPR ADP. He looks like a step below the top five TEs (Bowers, McBride, Loveland, Warren, and Fannin), but he could easily outscore some of them.

Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills

Kincaid had a frustrating 2025, but the underlying metrics still point to 2026 upside. 

Kincaid averaged 2.79 yards per route last year, tops among the 38 TEs with 40+ targets and nearly a half-yard better than any other TE.

In fact, it was the best mark from a TE with 40+ targets since George Kittle back in 2020.

Kincaid also led all qualifying TEs in targets per route (0.27) and fantasy points per route (0.70).

He was the most productive TE on a per-route basis last year, yet finished just 19th in total PPR points and 13th in points per game.

Kincaid's injuries drove much of that frustration. He missed five games with oblique, hamstring, and knee injuries, and his playing time was limited in the other 12 contests.

Kincaid played just 37.6% of Buffalo's offensive snaps in his 12 games. The bigger problem was his route rate: He ran a route on only 44.2% of pass plays, which ranked 40th among all TEs and 34th among those 38 TEs with 40+ targets.

Despite the strong per-route target earning, Kincaid finished just 26th among TEs in targets per game.

Kincaid will never be an every-down TE because he isn't a strong enough blocker.

But he doesn't need every snap to matter for fantasy. He just needs more passing-game work, and it sounds like the Bills want to make that happen in 2026.

"Our number one thing with Dalton is to see if we can get him in a healthier fashion this year, so that we don't have to A: miss games, and then B: limit how much he's playing," GM Brandon Beane said in February.

The takeaway: Kincaid’s injuries played a big part in his limited playing time last season.

That gives reason to take another chance on Kincaid this year.

Isaiah Likely, New York Giants

Likely spent the first four seasons of his career stuck behind Mark Andrews in Baltimore.

But when he has gotten opportunities, Likely has consistently flashed high-end receiving efficiency and difference-making fantasy production.

Now he lands in a Giants offense where he could quickly become one of the top receiving options.

That combination makes Likely one of the more intriguing late-round TE sleepers for 2026.

Mark Andrews prevented Likely from drawing big volume in Baltimore. But Likely's efficiency has been strong. He posted 11.6 yards per catch and 8.1 yards per target over the past four seasons. Both rank within the top-8 among 53 TEs with 100+ targets over that span.

Likely’s new situation with the Giants should finally give him that opportunity.

The offense probably won’t be as explosive as Baltimore’s was over the last four seasons. And the Giants are expected to lean run under HC John Harbaugh.

But there are reasons for optimism.

QB Jaxson Dart flashed as a rookie, completing 63.7% of his passes with 15 TDs vs. just 5 INTs, despite a shaky supporting cast.

The Giants’ current pass-catching depth chart still leaves a lot to be desired, giving Likely a chance to quickly emerge as one of Dart's top targets.

Likely is set to operate as the Giants' top TE after landing a three-year, $40 million deal in free agency, the league's fifth-highest average annual salary at the position.

That makes him worth a late-round stab for the potential upside as the No. 2 target on the Giants. 

Crush Your League with this Draft Tool

Drafting the right TE is crucial to winning your fantasy league. But how can you do that?

Utilize our dynamic Draft War Room, where you'll get custom player values for your specific fantasy league and scoring.