We are dawning on a new era in fantasy football as we welcome the Year of the Tight End.
Unlike year’s past, the top tier of the tight end position is more than just Travis Kelce.
In fact, many will argue that this year’s top tier runs five or six players deep.
If you are able to secure one in your draft, it is highly recommended, but if not, there’s no reason to panic, as the position is richer with talent than ever, and you can even punt all the way to the bottom of the player rankings and still find strength at the position.
The key to drafting a productive fantasy tight end is to find someone who ranks among the top two or three in targets on their respective team.
Elite wideouts such as Kelce or Dalton Kincaid show you just that.
But while others who miss out on the top-tier scramble to draft mediocrity in the likes of Cole Kmet or Dallas Goedert, you can wait even further and still find yourself someone who has the upside to be that top-two target in their offense.
Hunter Henry of the Patriots is a prime example.
New offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt is credited with elevating the game of David Njoku in Cleveland over the past two seasons.
With no clear No. 2 receiver on the team, Van Pelt adjusted his scheme to give Njoku a heavier target share, turning him into a top-five fantasy tight end.
Now in New England and with no clear-cut No. 1 receiver, Van Pelt is going to elevate Henry’s workload in a similar fashion.
You also can look for the changes in Los Angeles as Greg Roman brings his tried-and-true offensive scheme to the Chargers.
We all watched as he turned Mark Andrews into an elite tight end in Baltimore, and now we’re ready for him to help Hayden Hurst to the next level.
There may be some early competition with Will Dissly, but Hurst is the better route-runner and pass-catcher. In this scheme, he should see a heavy workload.
Even Greg Dulcich should prove to be a solid upside play in Denver.
There are no reliable receivers behind Courtland Sutton, and head coach Sean Payton, along with his coordinator Joe Lombardi, love to use what they refer to as a “joker” role.
It’s a player who has speed, can run clean routes, has good hands and can be a nightmare for smaller slot-corners to cover.
They did it with Jimmy Graham in New Orleans, and so far in camp it looks like they’re doing the same with Dulcich.
Ideally, we’d all love to draft a top-five tight end, but there simply aren’t enough to go around.
Don’t panic if you miss out, and don’t settle for mediocrity.
Find yourself a late-round player or two who has the upside you need and all the pieces to the puzzle should fall in line from there.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy: and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football news and advice.