X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Biggest Fantasy Football Tight End Surprises: 2nd-Year TE Breakout Stars and Sleepers for 2025 Drafts

Jonnu Smith - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Top 2nd-year tight end breakout stars and sleepers for the 2025 fantasy football season. Target these top TE picks in drafts: Brock Bowers, Jonnu Smith, and Zach Ertz.

Usually, you know what you're getting at tight end. Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews finish top three at the position in fantasy football. Young guys struggle to get going. Jonnu Smith fails to live up to the hype that I've personally had for him for years now.

None of those things happened in 2024, though. Kelce and Andrews took a step back. A rookie finished as the overall TE1. Smith finally had the true breakout campaign that his truthers had been waiting on. It was a weird year for the tight-end position.

Below are six big surprises at tight end from the 2024 fantasy football season.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

We knew going into 2024 that there was a chance Brock Bowers broke out as a rookie, even if tight end is the skill position with the steepest learning curve for rookies. What we didn't know was that Bowers would finish as the overall TE1 in his first NFL season.

If you're a "points per game is what matters, not total fantasy points" person, Bowers falls one spot to TE2, behind only George Kittle. However you slice it, this was a special season for the Georgia product.

Again, we knew going in that Bowers was good. His versatility was a huge part of his game in college. Still, there's a reason young tight ends, especially ones who make their living on their receiver skills, usually take a bit to get going. The increased importance of blocking at the next level means young tight ends have more to learn than, say, an outside receiver or a running back.

But Bowers adjusted nicely to the league, catching six passes for 58 yards in Week 1 and following that up with nine catches for 98 yards in Week 2. Overall, Bowers had 50 or more receiving yards in 11 of his 17 games.

Bowers is a weapon that the Raiders can use in a variety of ways. While many thought it might take a bit for him to be fully unleashed, he was able to make an impact immediately and is the No. 1 dynasty tight end going forward.

 

Jonnu Smith, TE, Miami Dolphins

I'm sure that a thorough search of the RotoBaller archives will come up with numerous examples of me hyping up Jonnu Smith, but every year it seemed less and less likely it would happen. I'm fairly sure 2024 was the first year that I gave up on the dream.

But 2024 continued the pattern of me getting my Smith projection wrong. Just this time, it was because I stopped hyping him up and he responded by delivering his best NFL season, finishing as the overall TE4 behind Bowers, Kittle, and Arizona's Trey McBride.

Smith caught 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns this past season, by far his best NFL season. His previous high for receptions and yards came last year when he caught 50 passes for 582 yards with the Atlanta Falcons.

But between quarterback Tua Tagovailoa being limited to 11 games by injury and Jaylen Waddle having his worst NFL season, Smith became a reliable, go-to option for the Dolphins, leading the team in receptions and touchdowns.

Will it happen again? A healthy Miami offense should lead to Smith being the third option, which would reduce his production next season. However ... the words "healthy Miami offense" feel cursed, right? The Dolphins never seem to have everyone healthy at once, so don't count out another strong Smith season in 2025.

 

Zach Ertz, TE, Washington Commanders

If you thought the days of Zach Ertz being a reliable NFL tight end were over, 2024 proved that at least for one season, you were wrong.

After a frustrating 2023 season that saw him limited to just seven games and a career-low 187 receiving yards, most people didn't think much of his offseason move to the Commanders.

But Ertz looked reenergized in Washington, catching 66 passes for 654 yards and seven touchdowns. It was his most receptions and yards since 2021 and his most touchdowns since 2018.

Maybe it will wind up just being a one-year blip at the end of Ertz's career, but it was nice to see one of the best tight ends of the 2010s have one more big showing here in the 2020s.

 

Tucker Kraft, TE, Green Bay Packers

The Packers have a major issue with roster construction: they have too many pass-catchers. None are elite. There's just a lot of mouths vying for food in Green Bay.

So, give Tucker Kraft credit for managing to stand out for the Packers this past season. The second-year tight end caught 50 passes for 707 yards and seven touchdowns. He was fourth on the roster in targets, but only six back of Dontayvion Wicks, who led the team.

Kraft also finished second on the team to Jayden Reed in both receptions and receiving yards while leading Green Bay in receiving touchdowns.

On a per-play basis, Kraft was very good. Per PlayerProfiler, he ranked second at the position in yards per target and fourth in fantasy points per target. He may not have gotten as many looks as he would have on a team with less receiver depth, but he made the most of his chances.

 

Cade Otton, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cade Otton missed the final three games of the 2024 NFL season but still managed to finish as the overall TE13 because of what he did during the rest of the year.

Otton finished the 2024 season with 59 catches for 600 yards and four touchdowns. Those might not be the most spectacular numbers, but in a year where it felt impossible at times to find fantasy production at tight end, having Otton on your roster was nice.

Between Week 3 and Week 9, Otton was especially good. In that seven-game stretch, he averaged 6.1 receptions for 59.4 yards and 0.6 touchdowns per contest.

Otton's a pretty middle-of-the-road tight end when it comes to athleticism, but the Buccaneers gave him plenty of high-value opportunities where his lack of speed wasn't an issue. He had 15 red-zone targets, the eighth most among tight ends.

While he didn't have the most efficient season and had some drop issues, overall it was a successful year for the third-year player out of Washington.

 

Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals

No one would blame you for writing Mike Gesicki off before the 2024 season. After five seasons in Miami, Gesicki moved to New England in 2023 and promptly had his worst season since his 2018 rookie campaign, catching 29 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bengals signed Gesicki last offseason, but only to a one-year deal for $2.5 million. That's the kind of deal that says "Fine, we'll take a chance on you, but we don't feel good about it."

But Gesicki proved the doubters wrong in 2024, posting one of his best seasons. His 65 receptions were the second most he's had in a season and his 665 receiving yards were his third most. It wasn't an elite season for the veteran tight end, but it was a strong year overall.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brayan Bello55 mins ago

To Make Another Rehab Start On Sunday
1 hour ago

Kyle McCord Rising Up Draft Boards?
1 hour ago

Ashton Jeanty To Raiders Continues To Gain Steam
Ketel Marte1 hour ago

Diamondbacks Working On Extension For Ketel Marte
1 hour ago

Emeka Egbuka To Fall To Round 2?
Los Angeles Rams2 hours ago

Rob Havenstein Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Frankie Montas2 hours ago

Playing Catch From 60 Feet
Trea Turner2 hours ago

Returns To Wednesday's Lineup
Max Scherzer2 hours ago

Hopes To Resume Throwing On Friday
DL Hall2 hours ago

Scheduled To Throw A Bullpen On April 15
Aaron Ashby2 hours ago

Set To Throw Bullpen April 11
Derek Hill2 hours ago

Remains Out With Back Tightness
Jack Leiter3 hours ago

Removed From Wednesday's Start With A Blister
Michael Soroka3 hours ago

Listed As Sunday's Starter
Esteury Ruiz3 hours ago

Dodgers Acquire Esteury Ruiz
Kristian Campbell3 hours ago

Red Sox Sign Kristian Campbell To Eight-Year, $60 Million Extension
Cleveland Browns3 hours ago

Mike Hall Likely To Miss Offseason Program After Having Knee Surgery
New England Patriots3 hours ago

Christian Barmore Expected To Be Ready For Offseason Workouts
4 hours ago

Saints Expected To Visit With Quinn Ewers
Jake Moody4 hours ago

49ers To Bring In Competition For Jake Moody
Pittsburgh Steelers4 hours ago

Steelers In Play To Draft A Running Back
Tobias Myers4 hours ago

To Make First Rehab Start On Tuesday
Aaron Civale4 hours ago

To Throw Off A Mound On Saturday
Miami Marlins4 hours ago

Maximo Acosta Stellar In First Taste Of Triple-A
Christian Yelich4 hours ago

Out Wednesday Against Lefty
Bryan Reynolds4 hours ago

Dealing With Triceps Soreness
Luinder Avila5 hours ago

Strikes Out 11 In Second Triple-A Start
Alexis Díaz5 hours ago

Alexis Diaz To Begin Rehab Assignment This Weekend
Andrew Abbott5 hours ago

To Make Another Rehab Start On Sunday
James Triantos5 hours ago

Productive At The Start Of Triple-A Regular Season
Green Bay Packers6 hours ago

Packers Not Ruling Out Jaire Alexander Returning
Tennessee Titans6 hours ago

No. 1 Overall Pick Might Not Be For Sale
Kenny Pickett6 hours ago

Browns Feel Good About QB Situation, Kenny Pickett
Cleveland Browns6 hours ago

Browns Unlikely To Trade Up To No. 1 Overall For Cam Ward
Cincinnati Bengals7 hours ago

Bengals Still Working On Contract Extension With Trey Hendrickson
Dyami Brown7 hours ago

Jaguars Intrigued By Dyami Brown's Potential
Pittsburgh Steelers7 hours ago

All Options On The Table For Steelers At Quarterback
Jordan Mason7 hours ago

To Factor Into Short-Yardage, Goal-Line Situations
Bennedict Mathurin7 hours ago

Iffy For Wednesday
Joe Milton III7 hours ago

Patriots Have Received Multiple Trade Inquiries For Joe Milton III
Myles Turner8 hours ago

May Miss Another Game Wednesday
Al Horford8 hours ago

Considered Doubtful Wednesday
Jrue Holiday8 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Game
Kristaps Porzingis8 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Jaylen Brown8 hours ago

Could Remain On The Shelf Wednesday
Cade Cunningham8 hours ago

Likely Out For Fifth Straight Game
Anthony Davis8 hours ago

Probable Wednesday
Evan Bouchard10 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Victory
Jake Guentzel10 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Kirill Marchenko10 hours ago

Scores Hat Trick On Tuesday
Tage Thompson10 hours ago

Stays Hot On The Scoresheet
Lane Hutson10 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers In Overtime Victory
Alex Ovechkin10 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Victory
Cameron Young15 hours ago

A Player To Avoid At Valero Texas Open
Kurt Kitayama15 hours ago

In Search Of Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim16 hours ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valero Texas Open
Evan Engram16 hours ago

Sean Payton Excited About Evan Engram In Joker Role
Caleb Williams17 hours ago

To Spend More Time Working Under Center
Tom Hoge17 hours ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Daniel Jones17 hours ago

Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones To Split First-Team Reps This Offseason
Matt Fitzpatrick20 hours ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners20 hours ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay20 hours ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Gary Woodland20 hours ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia21 hours ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti21 hours ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
Guerschon Yabusele22 hours ago

Out Against Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns22 hours ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Jevon Carter22 hours ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry22 hours ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Julian Phillips22 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Jalen Smith22 hours ago

Available Against Raptors
Lonzo Ball22 hours ago

Still Out On Tuesday
Kevin Huerter22 hours ago

Cleared For Tuesday's Matchup
Josh Giddey22 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Dalano Banton23 hours ago

Starting Against The Hawks
Royce O'Neale23 hours ago

Unavailable Against Bucks
Jerami Grant23 hours ago

Out Again On Tuesday
Bradley Beal23 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud23 hours ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Jacob Trouba23 hours ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Troy Terry23 hours ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Jonathan Marchessault23 hours ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Alex Laferriere24 hours ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Luke Schenn24 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Dante Fabbro24 hours ago

Returns Against Predators
Olli Määttä1 day ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Greenway1 day ago

Remains Sidelined On Tuesday
Jordan Staal1 day ago

Doubtful For Wednesday
Matt Roy1 day ago

Not Traveling With Team
Josh Norris1 day ago

Not Traveling With The Team On Tuesday
Brady Tkachuk1 day ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Jordan Spieth1 day ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp1 day ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim1 day ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood1 day ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau1 day ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole1 day ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Casey DeSmith1 day ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Mason Marchment1 day ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Sam Stevens2 days ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA2 days ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman2 days ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland2 days ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg2 days ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall2 days ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara2 days ago

Gets Submitted
Édgar Cháirez2 days ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.2 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira2 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez2 days ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas2 days ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez2 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson2 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron2 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano2 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe3 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones3 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry3 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece3 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres5 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer5 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum5 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales5 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.5 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira5 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Draft Sleepers

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings: Overvalued, Undervalued Players (2025)

Dynasty fantasy football rankings constantly shift, especially as we inch closer to the new season and fantasy drafts. Dynasty managers know the importance of finding those underrated players who could be steals in drafts or trades. They also know some players are overhyped due to unsustainable trends or past production. I'll break down two overvalued […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best Fantasy Football Moves During 2025 NFL Free Agency

It has been a wild offseason so far in the NFL. Plenty of players have switched teams in free agency, and some stars were even traded. Deebo Samuel Sr. was dealt to the Washington Commanders, Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, and DK Metcalf has a new home with the Pittsburgh Steelers. These […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Three Aging Fantasy Football Players To Sell In Dynasty Leagues

It's hard to always know when to sell off your aging fantasy football players. Often, it's also difficult to accept that it's better to move on from a player when he's coming off a productive season and still has a lot left in the tank. But I believe it's better to be a year early […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]


Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Ashton Jeanty's Top Potential Landing Spots For 2025: Fantasy Football NFL Draft Outlook

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will enter the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the best prospects in the class. Jeanty just ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns across 14 games this past college season. Those 2,601 rush yards were the second-most of all-time in FBS history, only behind Barry Sanders's 2,628 rush yards […]