2026 Fantasy NFL Free Agent Tight Ends, come on down!
Ah, TEs…the black sheep of fantasy discussions. It’s like pineapples on pizza. Nobody wants to talk about them, but they get the job done. In this case, there are multiple fantasy-relevant TEs in this free agent class that we HAVE TO discuss.
Speaking of which…HAPPY 2026 NFL FREE AGENCY WEEK! Player movement, new contracts, fantasy implications…it’s glorious. Lastly, I just want to say that I hope you all have been enjoying these free agency positional previews here at FIF as much as I have, because let me tell you, I have had an absolute BLAST over the last couple of weeks. So from me to you, thank you.
David Njoku
Tight end David Njoku, who is scheduled to be a free agent, announced that he will not return to the Browns in 2026. pic.twitter.com/fvlCJ29QnU
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 10, 2026
Up until 2025, David Njoku had been a consistent, reliable veteran TE for fantasy managers. Last season, though, he was replaced immediately in Cleveland by an exciting rookie in Harold Fannin. Fannin played 76% of snaps, and Njoku was relegated to just 65% of snaps.
For additional context on the situation, from 2022-2024, the veteran TE averaged at least 8.1 fantasy points per game in a single season in Half PPR scoring. That number dipped to 5.8 in 2025.
Between the emergence of Harold Fannin and the arrival of a whole new coaching staff in Cleveland going forward, David Njoku announced on social media a few weeks ago that his time in Cleveland is over and that he will be moving on to a new team in free agency this week. I am personally of the mindset that Njoku’s days as a meaningful fantasy contributor are over, but if there was a team that he could go to where he could capture at least some of that past magic again, it’s the Miami Dolphins.
The Miami Dolphins will be very limited financially this offseason, so they will need to find cheap options to fill certain roster needs, specifically at TE. Under new head coach Jeff Hafley, the Dolphins have no options at TE besides Greg Dulcich, but he has shown nothing in his career. Over the last five years, Njoku’s average aDOT has been 5.9, and the downfield threat of Jaylen Waddle will open up a ton of middle-of-the-field opportunities for the player, no matter who is at QB for Miami in 2026.
Dallas Goedert
Dallas Goedert is a player that fantasy managers were very much overlooking in drafts last summer, but they shouldn’t have, because the veteran TE went out and put up a career high in receptions (60) and TDs (11), while also proving to be very versatile by having a 50% slot rate, which is pretty great usage for a TE. The fact of the matter is that Goedert has been extremely productive throughout his entire career with the Philadelphia Eagles, whether you want to believe it or not.
People aren’t going to like this, but to me, Dallas Goedert’s easiest path to continued fantasy success is a return to the Philadelphia Eagles. Think about it: the franchise is very likely going to trade away A.J. Brown in the coming weeks, opening up a ton of targets for the passing game to be built around DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert going forward. Even in a very run-heavy offense, Jalen Hurts still clearly loves Dallas Goedert down in the redzone area, plus the tush push wasn’t nearly as effective in 2025 for Philly as it has been in the past, so the veteran TE got a lot of those easy, gimmicky goal-line touches last season as well.
When I think of a team that Dallas Goedert could go to and have fantasy success as a free agent this offseason, I think of the Washington Commanders. Yes, it is very true that the Commanders need to get younger as a team, but as we discussed before, Dallas Goedert has been extremely productive in his career, so you could more than justify it.
Not to mention that Washington DESPERATELY needs a reliable TE this offseason, as there is no scenario where the franchise resigns a 35-year-old Zach Ertz coming off a torn ACL, and no shade, but let’s be honest…what has Ben Sinnott actually done through two years in the NFL thus far? Goedert would step in and become the IMMEDIATE #2 option for Jayden Daniels behind Terry McLaurin. There is a TON of target opportunity here.
Cade Otton
Baker to Otton for SIX
— NFL (@NFL) January 3, 2026
The @Buccaneers go right down the field for the first points of the game.
CARvsTB on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/dCzeDokPAH
Cade Otton has never been a high-level, consistently productive fantasy asset, but he has had spike weeks here and there in certain seasons when given the opportunity throughout his career. Otton played a whopping 93% of snaps in 2025 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so this is a player who quite literally never comes off the field, but that doesn’t always translate to fantasy success at the end of the day.
If Cade Otton were to resign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency this offseason, he would be the exact same player that he has been for the last few years now: a spike week guy here and there/bye week fill-in for fantasy managers at best. The veteran TE would be “lost in the shuffle” in 2026 in Tampa Bay. It’s just too crowded over there right now. Mike Evans may or may not resign with the team this offseason, the franchise is stuck with Chris Godwin’s contract whether they like it or not, and they have a stellar second-year WR in Emeka Egbuka.
Plus, Todd Bowles and Co. will want to get back to running the ball with Bucky Irving after the player dealt with injuries quite a bit last season. Just too much going on here.
The Denver Broncos are a great fit for Cade Otton if the player wants to pursue more opportunities outside of Tampa Bay. The veteran Evan Engram experiment couldn’t have gone any worse, as the player totaled 50 receptions for 461 yards and just one TD, and played fewer snaps than ADAM TRAUTMAN. The Broncos badly need another true, reliable target earner behind Courtland Sutton, as I have discussed this before, but all of the team’s WRs at the moment, outside of Sutton, are very niche, role-specific type players, I feel. In this scenario in Denver, Cade Otton would be in line for the most volume of his career by far.
Chig Okonkwo
Chig Okonkwo cannot be stopped!
— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025
NOvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/vrs4HBP8yx
Chig Okonkwo has always been such a fascinating player to me, and someone that I just cannot quit. The young TE has shown signs of greatness when given the opportunity, but the problem is that he never gets that opportunity consistently enough. This is a player who is much more talented than his playtime would suggest, in my mind at least.
The Tennessee Titans have a BOATLOAD of cap space this offseason, and if the team decides to bring back Chig Okonkwo on a new contract, that would be quite devastating for the player’s fantasy value if you ask me, as Gunnar Helm seems to be Tennessee’s TE of the future. In 2025, Helm played 54% of snaps as a rookie, and Okonkwo played 63% of snaps for the Titans. That’s too close together, and just not enough separation for Okonkwo to find consistent fantasy success.
Robert Saleh is also a defensive-minded head coach at heart, so he will want to run the ball and use Cam Ward’s legs on a weekly basis throughout the season. So there just won’t be enough passing volume for Chig Okonkwo to produce at a high level, like I know he can.
Whether Travis Kelce returns for one final season in the NFL or not, the Kansas City Chiefs need to bring in a young, high upside TE to build around for the future, and need to find a succession plan at that position. Kansas City will be in a very difficult cap situation this offseason, but luckily, Chig Okonkwo won’t cost that much, and the contract could be a great value for both sides. Rashee Rice is a great player when he is on the field (assuming he’s not suspended again), but Xavier Worthy hasn’t been near the player that he was drafted to be for the Chiefs through two years in the NFL thus far.
Whether it’s Patrick Mahomes or some other veteran QB to start the season next year, the team desperately needs more size and versatility in their offense. The Kansas City Chiefs would be wise to limit Travis Kelce’s snaps at this point in his career, so he could be the imposing blocker, and Chig Okonkwo could be the true flex TE and dynamic receiving threat at the position, and see a massive amount of targets for fantasy managers.
Isaiah Likely
Isaiah Likely has always been held back by his situation over four years in the NFL, but the player is now in line for a huge payday and opportunity as a free agent this week. The Baltimore Ravens are obviously a very high-powered offense, but Likely has been stuck behind longtime veteran Mark Andrews throughout his career, so he has never been able to show his full skill set. Case in point… this is a player who played just 57% of snaps in 2025 and had only one TD on the season.
Once Isaiah Likely signs with a new team in free agency this week, the meteoric rise within the fantasy community is going to be INSANE, but I’m going to be a bit more conservative with the player’s fantasy outlook going forward. I realize that I’m going to get flamed for this take right now, but I personally believe that the IDEA of Isaiah Likely has always been better than the actual PRODUCTION of Isaiah Likely.
I like Theo Johnson a lot personally, but the John Harbaugh connection just makes too much sense for Isaiah Likely not to sign with the New York Giants at this point. The new Giants head coach drafted and developed Likely in Baltimore over the last four years, and he has set the player up for success and secured him this big payday he is about to receive. Now, while on paper this fit seems great for both sides, the actual execution of it once the season rolls around may not be.
Isaiah Likely and Theo Johnson play very similar roles, as Likely had a 75% slot rate last season and Johnson had a 54% slot rate. They are both very versatile, hyper athletic TEs. When push comes to shove, though, John Harbaugh is going to use his guy, and that is Isaiah Likely, obviously.
I completely recognize that Isaiah Likely is in line for a huge payday and the most volume of his career by far, but I fear that the player will be overdrafted in fantasy drafts next year. Everyone is going to get hyped out of their mind without putting any real thought into it, when they should really look at what he has (or hasn’t, in this case) done in the past.
