The Tight End Position is so Back!
For years, the tight end position in fantasy football has been dominated by only a select few players. But in 2025, the tide is changing, and what was once one of the shallowest positions in all of football has turned into one of the deepest.
For years, dating back to the early 2000s, the tight end position has been one that has been dominated by a select few. The obvious names that immediately come to mind are Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, and of course Tony Gonzalez. This is not to say other tight ends haven’t also had their fair share of solid seasons. Even Gary Barnidge had his 15 minutes of fame back in 2015 when he caught for over 1000 yards and 9 touchdowns with the Browns. However, for the most part, the tight end position has been monopolized by a select few guys for the better part of the past 20 seasons. Despite this, it’s wonderful to report that the tight end position is no longer one that is only top heavy. Of course you still have your studs like Brock Bowers and Trey McBride. But no longer are you at such a significant disadvantage if you don’t end up with one of these big names. Here are three guys to target in rounds 7-12 who could end up providing you with a wonderful return on investment.
Evan Engram
TE • DEN
SEASONAL STATS
📈 2025 Season Projections
PPR Points
154.0
Receptions
68
Receiving Yards
640
Receiving TDs
4
Evan Engram finds himself in an ideal situation. In the 2024 season, the Broncos finally solved their quarterback issues that they had been having since Peyton Manning retired following the 2015 season, drafting Bo Nix 12th overall. Engram, despite coming off of a down year where he only played 9 games, seemingly resurrected what once looked to be a wasted career in Jacksonville. Now he enters a situation in Denver where he has the opportunity to be the main safety blanket and redzone target in this Broncos offense. With Courtland Sutton there to stretch the field and play outside of the numbers, that allows Engram to operate in the middle of the field where he provides a mismatch for almost any linebacker simply due to his elite speed and route running ability. Currently with an ADP of 82.2, Evan Engram is a guy you need to be considering.
David Njoku
TE • CLE
SEASONAL STATS
📈 2025 Season Projections
PPR Points
159.5
Receptions
69
Receiving Yards
685
Receiving TDs
4
Similar to Evan Engram, David Njoku finds himself in an ideal position to produce big numbers. The reason is simple: Joe Flacco. Flacco got the starting nod from Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, and in doing so, it automatically makes Njoku an elite tight end option. In 2023, Flacco took over as the Browns starting quarterback from weeks 13-17. In those 5 weeks, Njoku was a top 3 TE four out of five times. With Flacco, Njoku essentially put up video game numbers. While expecting that type of production this season would be unreasonable, even with the anticipated regression, it still makes Njoku a steal at his ADP of 91.9.
Zach Ertz
TE • WAS
SEASONAL STATS
📈 2025 Season Projections
PPR Points
123.9
Receptions
51
Receiving Yards
489
Receiving TDs
4
The final player we’ll look at sits with a current ADP of 153.0. He’s what we consider an emergency option if you find yourself without a tight end in one of the final rounds of your draft. Despite the unattractive ADP, Zach Ertz finished last season as TE8. Despite his age, as Ertz turns 35 in November, he emerged as one of Jayden Daniels’ favorite red zone targets this past season catching 7 TDs. Again, Zach Ertz should not be anyone’s primary tight end target entering their draft. However, if you find yourself in a jam, don’t be afraid to turn to a reliable option in Ertz.
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