The 2023 NFL season is over, but fantasy football is available year-round. So it's never too early to look ahead to next year. Here are some early fantasy football draft values for tight ends.
tight end draft value
Potential ADP value in 2024
Pat Freiermuth (TE – PIT)
Last year was an unforgettable one for Freiermuth. He missed five games due to injury and struggled during his playing days, averaging a career-low 5.1 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. Freiermuth saw a significant decrease in targets (36.1%) and receiving yards per game (43.9%) from 2022 to last season. However, the addition of Arthur Smith is good news for him. Last year, the Atlanta Falcons' average target share for tight ends was his 31.7% overall and his zone target share for the Reds was his 29.3%. Hopefully the passing attack will be built around Freiermuth.
Hunter Henry (TE – NE)
Despite playing in a trash-can offense, the veteran tight end had a productive 2023 season. Henry averaged 7.1 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, his best performance since joining the Patriots several years ago. More importantly, he returned to being a touchdown producer and led the team with six receiving scores. Additionally, Henry had the second-most receiving touchdowns among tight ends last year behind Sam LaPorta. This veteran could turn into a low-end TE1 for fantasy players if he falls into a good situation this offseason.
Possible breakout in 2024
Michael Mayer (TE – LV)
Meyer didn't have a fantastically impactful rookie season, but he showed potential. The former Notre Dame star struggled to stabilize his goal share, scoring two or more goals in just four games. However, Mayer delivered in these four games, averaging his PPR fantasy points of 9.5 his half points per contest. That average would have made him TE8 on a points per game basis. Meyer could get a breakout second year if the Raiders upgrade at quarterback or trade Davante Adams in the offseason.
Brevin Jordan (TE – HOU)
Houston has become a fantasy-friendly offense this year. Dalton Schultz benefited from CJ Stroud, averaging 8.1 half points in PPR fantasy points and finishing as TE11 despite having a barely higher target share than Robert Woods. However, Schultz is a free agent and could leave in the offseason, making Jordan the frontrunner to become the starting pitcher. He showed some improvement in 2023, averaging a higher yards per route run rate than the veteran. Jordan likely won't be a plug-and-play TE1, but he could have some meaningful fantasy value as a starter.
Preparing for the early 2024 fantasy football draft
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more information about Mike, check out his article. archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
