The 2026 NFL season is right around the corner, which means fantasy football drafts are in full swing.
The Seattle Seahawks will face the New England Patriots in the NFL's season opener on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the game nationally televised on NBC and available to stream on FuboTV. Leading up to that rematch of last season's Super Bowl, we will be unveiling our fantasy football sleepers at tight end, quarterback, wide receiver and running back. Today, we're taking a quick look at five sleeper tight ends.
For our purposes, a "sleeper" is a player we believe has a chance to significantly outperform their average draft position (ADP), making them a potential steal.
With that kind of definition, some "sleepers" could be well-known players — they're
just being drafted lower than they should be and could end up being steals at their ADP. With that context in mind, here's a look at our five sleeper tight ends for the 2026 NFL season.
5 sleeper tight ends in fantasy football
1. George Kittle (ADP 100): It feels odd listing Kittle as a "sleeper," but he could be a great value at his ADP. Kittle missed six games last season and still ended the season as TE13, and he's now being drafted as TE11. All signs seem to point toward Kittle suiting up in Week 1, and if he returns to his old form, he could easily be a top-10 TE.
2. Kenyon Sadiq (ADP 157): The rookie tight end is coming back from hernia surgery, and he plays for the Jets, which helps explain why he's being drafted as TE20 despite setting TE records at the NFL combine this spring. The blazing-fast rookie is an amazing athlete, and he has the potential to become the NFL's next breakout TE.
3. Chig Okonkwo (ADP 162): Now getting a fresh start with the Commanders, Okonkwo will team up with quarterback Jayden Daniels. Zach Ertz drew 91 targets in Washington's offense in 2024, and he had another 72 targets in 13 appearances last fall. They're obviously different players, but Okonkwo should get plenty of looks in 2026.
4. Terrance Ferguson (ADP 168): The Rams used a second-round pick to select Ferguson last year, and he finished his rookie season strong. Ferguson drew four targets in both Weeks 16 and 17 (scoring touchdowns in each game) and another five targets in L.A.'s first playoff game. Rams coach Sean McVay has praised Ferguson's versatility, noting that the tight end "plays every single skill position except for halfback for us." We'll see if that leads to a fantasy breakout in 2026.
5. Evan Engram (ADP 299): The veteran tight end largely underwhelmed in his first season with the Broncos, but Denver's new offensive coordinator, Davis Webb, is one of Engram's old teammates and a good friend. Will that lead to more targets for Engram this season? Perhaps. He's being drafted as TE35 after finishing last year as TE29 without Webb calling plays. Expect more targets for Engram in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Fantasy Football: 5 sleeper tight ends for 2026 NFL season
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