Fantasy football managers are smarter than ever, so finding a player who’s actually being slept on can be difficult. With that in mind, we’re shifting our focus to late-round targets who could drastically outproduce their ADP in 2025.
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Over the next week, I’ll shine the spotlight on my favorite sleeper candidates at every key fantasy position. Today, we’re taking a look at tight ends.
Justin Boone's Fantasy Sleepers
Chig Okonkwo, Titans
When constructing my rosters this season, if I miss out on an elite tight end I normally aim for one of the promising young options like Tucker Kraft, Dalton Kincaid, Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland. Sometimes you end up on the wrong end of a position run and even those names are off the board before you can draft them.
That’s where this list comes into play.
Okonkwo has been one of my favorite targets in best ball this year after a very strong finish to his 2024 campaign. When his playing time finally ramped up from Week 12 on, Okonkwo averaged the 12th most fantasy points among tight ends, including top-seven weekly finishes in 50% of those outings.
It’s even more exciting to hear the positive reports from beat writers, with some suggesting Okonkwo looks like he has an extra gear entering his fourth NFL season.
As tight end guru Andrew Cooper of Fantasy Alarm always preaches, when looking for late-round breakouts at the position we should be searching for athleticism and opportunity. That means a tight end with a chance to be one of the top-two targets in their offense.
Aside from Calvin Ridley, the Titans are hoping to get contributions from a soon-to-be 33-year-old Tyler Lockett who dropped off completely in the second half of last season or one of their fourth-round rookies Elic Ayomanor or Chimere Dike.
After back-to-back seasons with at least 70 targets and 50 receptions, it’s not a stretch to project Okonkwo as the second option in this passing attack.
Okonkwo also gets over the athleticism bar thanks to a 97th percentile 40-yard dash and a 92nd percentile speed score.
There’s no doubt we’re digging deep into the barrel here in hopes of pulling out a starter, but I have Okonkwo as the TE17 in my rankings and truly believe he could contend for a spot as a back-end fantasy TE1 this year.
Elijah Arroyo, Seahawks
With Noah Fant out of the picture, the Seahawks have put their faith in Arroyo to play a big part in the passing game right out of the gate.
The second-rounder was overshadowed in a deep class of rookie tight ends, but with Fant being released, Arroyo might have the clearest path to Year 1 production among that group.
His teammate A.J. Barner should do the heavy lifting as a blocker, freeing Arroyo up to be featured where he’s strongest — as a receiving threat.
His skillset makes him a difficult matchup for defenses and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has been moving him around to take advantage of that, including lining him up as the “X” receiver where DK Metcalf used to play.
Volume could be an issue if Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp continue to earn targets like they have in the past, but Arroyo is going to make a fantasy impact as a rookie. Consider him a TE2 with low-end TE1 potential if he carves out a big enough target share.
Mason Taylor, Jets
Aside from Garrett Wilson, the Jets' receiving corps leaves a lot to be desired. Journeyman veterans like Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard and Tyler Johnson are decent contributors, but not players you want to rely on as your No. 2 pass-catcher. And though Day 3 rookie Arian Smith has impressive speed, he’s not likely to command a significant amount of targets.
That points to the Jets’ passing attack revolving around Wilson, running back Breece Hall, and their rookie tight end Taylor.
While Taylor might not have the same explosiveness as Arroyo, he’s a better all-round prospect and was making just as many plays in training camp until a recent high-ankle sprain sent him to the sidelines.
Rookies who suffer injuries in the summer miss out on valuable reps and can often start the season slow. So, keep that in mind.
However, once healthy, Taylor will be in the mix as one of the top targets In New York’s offense. He’s a late-round stash or at worst, a name to put on your waiver wire watchlist for early in the season.
Ja’Tavion Sanders, Panthers
As a fourth-round rookie last season, Sanders had to fight for playing time with veteran Tommy Tremble and battled through a neck injury which disrupted his campaign. There were flashes of fantasy potential though.
In the six games where Sanders played over 70% of the Panthers’ snaps last season, he put up at least 49 yards or a touchdown on four occasions.
To his credit, the 22-year-old worked on his conditioning this offseason and reported to the team 10 pounds lighter. That should only aid in his quest towards being the Panthers’ full-time starter.
It also helps that Tremble remains on the PUP list with a back injury and his return date is still unclear. In his absence, Sanders has been busy in practice, catching a lot of passes and adding yards after the catch, according to Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer.
Sanders is a long shot to become a consistent fantasy option, but he’s another name to remember at the end of your drafts.
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