The immediate success of guys like Brock Bowers and Sam LaPorta has slightly skewed the perception of fantasy football managers. Those guys are still the exception, not the rule. Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange sat behind Evan Engram for two years and now gets his shot at the starting role. A third-year breakout would not at all be uncommon. Is there late-round sleeper appeal here?
Should You Draft Brenton Strange in Fantasy?
Strange is not about to become the next great fantasy tight end. We’re looking for replacement-level production, and I think Strange can manage that. His posting around 10 fantasy points per game would be a massive success. It’s certainly feasible.
Last season, Strange averaged 5.4 PPG as the Jaguars’ TE2 behind Evan Engram. We never cheer for injuries. However, Engram missing half the season gave us a pretty nice sample size of Strange in the TE1 role.
What we got was a player who averaged 5.0 targets and 34.4 receiving yards per game. He posted 8.6 PPG in eight games with Engram sidelined. That’s pretty close to startable back-end TE1 numbers.
Things are different this year, though. Even if we pencil in Strange as third in the target hierarchy, competing with Travis Hunter alongside Brian Thomas Jr. is much more of a challenge than the backup-level pass-catchers the Jaguars were deploying last season with the rookie.
At the same time, there’s reason to believe Strange can overcome the increased target competition. The Jaguars could need to score points to keep up in games. With a defense checking in at No. 31 in PFSN’s Defense+ metric, they may be throwing more than they want to.
Last season, the Jaguars only had a 64% pass rate when trailing by seven-plus points, the 12th lowest in the league. Even when losing, they ran more than they should have.
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We could be in store for more volume and better play calling from Liam Coen, a brilliant young offensive mind. Under new leadership, the Jaguars should be better offensively. This could be a case of a rising tide lifting all ships. Hopefully, it comes with improved play from Trevor Lawrence, who can best be described as a low-end NFL starter/high-end backup quality talent after his first four years in the league.
Lawrence will probably never live up to the expectations of a No. 1 overall pick and the hype surrounding him. Still, if he can emerge into an above-average starter, that would go a long way toward elevating his pass catchers, including his new starting tight end.
“My favorite thing about this offense is that they ask me to do everything.” #Jaguars TE Brenton Strange says he likes that this offense will showcase his versatile skillset.
He also notes “there’s a different type of discipline” in taking a bigger leadership role this year. pic.twitter.com/MceGMVAH5T
— Alessandra Pontbriand (@APontbriandTV) June 10, 2025
Strange carries an average draft position (ADP) of TE23. If you punt the tight end position, you can take your pick of any player ranked outside the top 15. I have Strange ranked as my TE16, but there’s not much separating those mid TE2s. There’s usually not much separating the players who finish from TE8 to TE18. Strange is as good a bet as any of them. You can easily replace him on the waiver wire if he doesn’t work out.
Mason LeBeau‘s Brenton Strange Fantasy Projection
I would never advocate for you to draft Brenton Strange. His current range in drafts makes him a low-end TE2 in 12-man leagues, meaning he’s unlikely to be drafted unless hype starts to develop. However, this is a sneaky player, I think you should keep an eye on, and consider using a late pick if you punted on the position.Â
In this range of tight ends, there aren’t many clear young starters on offenses potentially set to explode. It’s a lot of projecting to be sure — that’s why his price is low — but a few key things are lining up. Cade Otton was also an unknown commodity last year in Liam Coen’s Tampa offense, but entering his third season at 6’5, 250lbs, he had solid production in 14 games and in a crowded offense. Now, Strange enters his third season at 6’4, 250lbs, and carries little hype with a much clearer role.Â
The Jaguars’ offense looks exciting with the addition of Travis Hunter. He and Brian Thomas Jr. will be able to open up the field and create explosives at will, and they have a mobile quarterback with a big arm that should keep defenses honest. After moving on from Evan Engram and Christian Kirk, there’s little competition for that third target in the middle of the field. Strange has the versatility to move around the backfield so that a red-zone role could be in his future.Â
If Hunter moonlights on defense, Strange could spend spurts of time as the second option. It would require a legit breakout, but his floor and ceiling look appealing for a free lotto ticket.
