The tight end position in fantasy football has always been a rollercoaster of emotions, with managers desperately searching for consistent production from what many consider the most volatile position — this week brought some fascinating developments that could reshape how we view the landscape moving forward.
While some players are emerging as must-start options with their explosive performances, others are quietly fading into irrelevance despite preseason expectations. These shifting dynamics present both golden opportunities for savvy managers and potential landmines for those holding onto the wrong assets.
Risers: Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
Despite being one of the best teams in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers aren’t a fantasy goldmine. No wide receiver is consistently startable every week.
Yet, as the Packers rotate wide receivers, there is a stabilizing force among their pass catchers. It comes at tight end in the form of Tucker Kraft.
Have a game, Tucker Kraft!
Touchdown + Lambeau Leap to make it 24-10
WASvsGB on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/hKDSBKAVqE— NFL (@NFL) September 12, 2025
Nicknamed “Baby Kittle,” the young talent sure does look like the next great tight end. He finished Sunday as the overall TE1 on the week with 24.4 fantasy points. Kraft caught six of seven targets for 124 yards and a touchdown.
With Jayden Reed out for half the season and Matthew Golden looking nowhere near ready for a featured role, Jordan Love should continue to rely on his tight end. He is a locked-in every-week TE1.
Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
It’s only been two weeks, but I’m ready to anoint Tyler Warren as the next elite tight end. For years, we saw Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham dominate the position. They gave way to Travis Kelce and George Kittle. Warren is next.
Prayers to everyone who benched Tucker Kraft tonight 😭 pic.twitter.com/146Tql12oE
— Sleeper (@SleeperHQ) September 12, 2025
The first-round rookie has been nothing short of spectacular to start his young career. Warren is still looking for his first touchdown, but has posted double-digit fantasy points in back-to-back weeks. That is not something many tight ends can do.
If you drafted Warren, congratulations. You have an every-week no-doubter TE1. He is Daniel Jones’ top target and is a strong bet to finish as a top-three tight end on the season.
Fallers: Evan Engram, Denver Broncos
This is as bad as it gets. Evan Engram isn’t even the TE1 for the Denver Broncos. Supposedly brought in to be Sean Payton’s “joker,” Engram has been nothing but a joke.
Through two weeks, the former Jaguar and Giant has seen a whopping six targets. In Week 2, he played a mere 42% of the snaps, running a route on fewer than 60% of Bo Nix’s dropbacks.
While Engram led the Broncos’ tight ends in routes run, he played 12 fewer snaps than Adam Trautman. That’s just not a tenable situation.
Fantasy managers who drafted Engram should not only cease starting him, but they should drop him entirely.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
Hunter Henry is still the New England Patriots’ TE1. However, his role is nowhere near strong enough to justify fantasy consideration anymore.
Henry played 85% of the snaps, which is a great number. Unfortunately, he only ran 22 routes, a mere eight more than Austin Hooper. And it was his supposed backup who actually out-targeted him.
In a game where the Patriots scored 33 points and Drake Maye threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns, Henry managed one reception for nine yards. What are we supposed to do with that? The answer is leave it on the waiver wire.