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The tight end position in fantasy football is always tricky to navigate. Travis Kelce has been a remarkably dominant presence and offered a unique advantage over the last half-decade. But there are usually only a few more players at the position that present real upside.
That said, not every fantasy manager will walk away from drafts with a must-start tight end capable of producing boom weeks regularly. However, it’s essential to identify late-round tight ends that can at least keep your team afloat and give your lineup a spike week every once in a while. Targeting players set to play on high-powered offenses with ample opportunity is crucial if you don’t land a top-tier guy like Kelce or Mark Andrews
We’re here to help with our deep league tight end sleepers for 2023 fantasy drafts. Some of the players mentioned in this article are late-round targets in 12-team leagues, while others are more suited for leagues with at least 14 teams. None of these players are pricey based on their current ADPs, but all have real paths to upside. Let’s get into it.
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Irv Smith Jr., Cincinnati Bengals
ADP: TE20 (FFPC)
Smith Jr. has been a flat-out bust since being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2019. However, a change of scenery could give his career new life at just 24 years old. Despite posting just 91 receptions for 858 yards and nine touchdowns over 37 career games, he's firmly on the fantasy radar heading into 2023.
Smith will play in one of the league's elite passing offenses led by Joe Burrow. Although Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tyler Boyd present fierce target competition, Smith could produce plenty of boom weeks in shootout game conditions. Last season, Hayden Hurst was a viable player at the position in Cincinnati's offense, posting his best season in terms of receptions per game and his second-highest yards per game total of his career.
Put simply, Smith likely wouldn't be a sleeper with upside on many other teams, but since he's set to be the clear lead tight end, he's a juicy target in the later rounds. His touchdown ceiling will be higher than ever before.
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
ADP: TE18
Everett was the overall TE13 in PPR leagues last season -- posting career-highs in receptions (58) receiving yards (555) and receiving touchdowns (four). Despite the addition of Quentin Johnston, he still has a path to being a borderline TE1 in 2023.
Like Smith in Cincinnati, Everett is tied to an elite pocket passer in what should be a high-volume passing offense. While his offense is crowded with Johnston, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams, Everett is a bargain-bin flyer with real upside. Additionally, the chances of Allen or Williams missing games in 2023 is high as ever as they both are past the age apex.
Everett will surely have quiet weeks, but it's tough to find a tight end with his spike week potential at this point in fantasy drafts.
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
ADP: TE23
Conklin posted eight top-15 finishes among tight ends in PPR formats last season. He did so despite catching passes from Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco. Whether Aaron Rodgers has taken a step back or not, the quarterback position in New York has clearly been upgraded. So, Conklin has a legitimate chance to finish the 2023 season as a TE1.
Garrett Wilson will operate as the team's No. 1 target, but the group of Corey Davis, Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman Jr., and Randall Cobb shouldn't scare anyone off of Conklin. None of those secondary options are high-end target-earners or established studs, so why can't Conklin be a consistent producer and red zone weapon for the future Hall-of-Fame QB? He most certainly can.
The 27-year-old tight end could be the next late-career breakout at the position and he's arguably one of the most undervalued players in all of redraft.
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
ADP: TE28
In 16 games last season, Hill completed 13 of his 19 passing attempts for 240 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 96 times for 575 yards and seven touchdowns while catching nine passes for 77 yards and two more scores. Once again, he was a unicorn who handled a ton of responsibilities, including blocking.
The BYU alum posted six top-five and 10 top-12 weekly finishes among tight ends in standard leagues. He also showed his massive ceiling in Week 5 when he delivered a monster performance with three rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown. Overall, he finished as the TE3 in standard leagues (behind only Travis Kelce and George Kittle) and the TE9 in PPR formats.
As long as he has tight end eligibility, he's worth consideration in deep leagues. Since he's inexpensive, he can be dropped without consequence if the Saints decide to cut him out of the offensive game plan.
Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys
ADP: TE21
Ferguson is far from an impressive athlete but he'll get the benefit of playing in the high-powered Cowboys offense led by Dak Prescott. As a rookie, Ferguson caught 19 of his 22 targets for 174 yards and two touchdowns, so he looks to be a reliable chain-mover and red-zone target in a starting role.
While there won't be a ton of targets available playing alongside CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, and Tony Pollard -- the 24-year-old is one of the last tight ends worth real consideration in 2023 fantasy football. It's tough to expect weekly production but he could be a solid one-to-two-week fill-in in the case of an injury to your starting TE.
Dallas has ranked inside the top 10 in total tight end targets in three of the last four seasons. Given the offense he's set to play in, a top-15 finish is well within Ferguson's range of outcomes.
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