Rookies to Know for 2023: Tight Ends

Photo: USA Today Sports

In this position-by-position series, we'll look at rookies that should be on your radar before you begin your fantasy draft. It's important to understand that sometimes patience is required when selecting someone brand new to the league, but we want to be actively targeting players with a path to meaningful playing time. After a slow start to the season, Christian Watson was the WR9 after Week 8, while Garrett Wilson was the WR19 over that span. Brock Purdy didn't take over as a starter in San Francisco until Week 13 but was the QB12 to finish out the season - ahead of Justin Herbert and Deshaun Watson. If you had the good fortune of relying on Tyler Allgeier during your playoff run last year, he averaged 18.3 points, good enough for the RB8 spot. Teams have invested draft capital into their rookies, and eventually, they'll want to see if they have what it takes on Sundays.

Certainly, not every rookie mentioned below is worthy of being selected in your draft, but the aim here is to give you an edge over your leaguemates so you'll be ready to pounce before the rest of the league has had a chance to pick them up.

Quick links to all positions: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End

While rookie tight ends tend to struggle to find fantasy relevance, this year's tight end class has the potential to be historic. It's one of the most talented groups we've ever seen at the position, and several of them are already in line for major involvement within their respective offenses.

Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills

Drafted as the first tight end off the board in April, Kincaid landed in a great situation with the pass-happy Buffalo Bills offense. While there's still an incumbent starter at the position (Dawson Knox), the theory has always been that Kincaid will see plenty of snaps lined up in the slot. His receiving profile is certainly his strength as he still has some ground to make up as a blocker, but his talent to this point has been undeniable. He's currently being drafted at the beginning of Round 11. It will be interesting to see if his usage pays off that cost, but he has the highest ceiling among rookie tight ends this year.

Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers

Musgrave only played in two games for the Oregon State Beavers last season, so you'd be excused for not knowing who he was until recently. Reports from training camp indicate that he won't be lesser known for much longer. The Packers haven't had much production from the tight end position over the last few years, but Musgrave should provide new starting quarterback Jordan Love with a security blanket with rare athleticism at his size. Musgrave is currently being drafted as the TE25 behind Zach Ertz and Mike Gesicki. He's the rookie tight end with the best chance to outperform his ADP in a major way.

Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

The lone bright spot on the Iowa Hawkeyes offense last season, it has not taken long for LaPorta to claim the starting job in Detroit. He's been making plays all throughout training camp, and Lions staff and beat writers have been raving about him all along the way. Don't draft him to be your fantasy starter early on, but keep an eye on how the Lions are utilizing him as the season goes along.

Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders

Mayer was the popular choice to be the top rookie tight end this time last year but seems to be the forgotten man here. He's currently slotted behind Austin Hooper on the depth chart. There are too many mouths to feed in Las Vegas for Mayer to make much of an immediate impact, but he's capable of stepping up if called upon.

Luke Schoonmaker, Dallas Cowboys

Though perhaps drafted too early, the Cowboys used a second-round draft pick on Schoonmaker after losing Dalton Schultz in free agency. After missing some time early on in training camp, his competition for playing time includes second-year tight ends Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot. Ferguson has had a strong preseason, but Schoonmaker should still be a factor toward the back half of the season.

Darnell Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington is an intriguing talent. He's unlikely to make a fantasy impact this year with Pat Freiermuth securely ahead of him on the depth chart, but he should still see the field a healthy amount. He's legitimately big enough to be an offensive tackle. His physical blocking style will get him on the field in short-yardage situations, which could lead to some red-zone targets as well.