Late Round Tight Ends: AFC

Not one of these tight ends can currently be found inside the top 20 of draft rankings, but that doesn’t mean they can’t end up in the top 10. These late round picks offer all the upside without the high price tags…

Eric Ebron, Steelers
Ebron had his second best season as a pro last year with the Steelers(56/558/5), and he missed a game. Ebron’s floor was considerably high too, as he notched at least 5 targets in 13 of the games. With the addition of Najee Harris to the backfield, Pittsburgh’s offense has conceivably only gotten better so Ebron should be in for another fantasy worthy year.

Cj Uzomah, Bengals
There are a lot of mouths to feed in Cincy this season, but OC Brian Callahan has stated that 50 receptions for Uzomah is realistic. His rapport with Joe Burrows was on display in the only two games he played in in 2020, in which he had 5 and 6 targets, so there’s a solid chance he picks up where he left off before tearing his achilles last season – He’s been fully cleared for that injury.

Jared Cook, Chargers
Cook was who the Chargers brought in to replace Hunter Henry, after letting the young TE go to New England, and though long in the tooth, Cook should be considerably productive in Justin Herbert‘s high-flying offense – TE’s accounted for almost 25% of the Chargers targets in 2020. Cook averaged about 700 yards and 7.5 TDs over his last 3 seasons as a Raider and then a Saint, so if he stays the top dog in L.A., he should do at least that well with the ascending Herbert.

Anthony Firkser, Titans
There’s a chance the Titans bring back Delanie Walker to spend the twilight of his career in Nashville, and then it’s him we’ll take the wager on, but until that happens Firkser is the top TE in Tennessee. And though Julio Jones is now a Titan, Firkser has been getting the most targets thus far in camp. There’s a good chance that will change, but what it does mean is that Firkser is not just there for his blocking – He’s going to catch passes. With Jonnu Smith in New England, there’s currently no barrier to entry for Firkser’s fantasy prospects.

Tyler Kroft, Jets
Kroft hasn’t been fantasy relevant since 2017, when he went for 42 rec for 407 yards and 7 TDs as a Bill, but as a newly acquired Jet, he’s been running a lot with the first team and could actually displace Chris Herndon as the starter – Herndon has vastly underperformed since he landed in New York in 2018 as a rookie. OC Mike LaFleur wants to mimic the offense he had in San Fran, and that would include a major role for the TE. Keep an eye on Kroft, as he could be an almost free of charge fantasy get.