We were so spoiled last year. Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren were top-15 picks. Harold Fannin Jr. was a big surprise; Oronde Gadsden II was a little surprise. Four other tight ends, each of whom have 2026 sleeper appeal, were taken in the first four rounds.

And we were spoiled the year before that when Brock Bowers went in Round 1, and the year before that when Sam LaPorta, Dalton Kincaid and Tucker Kraft came into the league and eventually into our Fantasy brains. Trey McBride was the top tight end in 2022.

The top Fantasy tight end addition for 2026 figures to be Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq, who is way more of a receiver than a blocker. His playing style is very much like Kyle Pitts, but hopefully he doesn't end up like Kyle Pitts. You know what I mean.

Is Sadiq the only tight end worth a darn for Fantasy? Not exactly. There are a number of solid tight ends who can run, catch and score, but they'll all need to find their own opportunity to realize their Fantasy potential. It won't be given to them like it will be to Sadiq. But if Fannin taught us one thing from last season it's that finding the opportunity to be a good player on a bad team with poorly performing teammates can lead to a bundle of Fantasy points. An opportunity like that would be awesome for some of these tight ends not named Sadiq.

Here are the top 2026 tight end prospects in order of how I have them ranked:

Stats: 67 targets, 51 catches, 560 yards (11.0 yards per catch) and 8 touchdowns

Strengths: Phenomenal athleticism and very good speed. Big 10-inch hands help him bring in off-target throws. Solid suddenness with good cuts. Very good tracking skills. Outrageous vertical jump (43.5).

Concerns: Not quite as tall as you'd want from a traditional tight end. Slowish acceleration -- it takes him a few steps to get to top speed. Needs to totally trust his hands and stop bringing balls into his body, which led to some drops in college (technically had six drops on 67 targets last year but one came on a Hail Mary ricochet drop, so it's more like five, which is still not super). Doesn't play with enough strength. Had a 58.3% contested catch rate last year with just four career catches with 10-plus yards after first contact. Still has untapped potential in terms of exploiting zone coverage, route running and blocking.

Best advanced stats: Was top-eight among qualifying FBS tight ends (at least 50 targets) in receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns, average depth of target (8.31), explosive catch rate (22.4%),

FIVE PLAYS: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon1. You can already see Sadiq's size when he motions into the slot. Good burst off the snap but the quick cut he makes to move outside is an example of what's all over his film. One of his better traits. The rest of the play -- running back… pic.twitter.com/XX0p6h3wyQ

Stats: 85 targets, 62 catches, 769 yards (12.4 yards per catch) and 4 touchdowns

Strengths: Intoxicating quickness for a guy his size used to help him win on hitches, slants and digs. Played in the slot 70% of his snaps. Also can get down the seam in a hurry. Good at finding soft spots in zone coverage. Very good hands with a big catch radius. Mackey Award winner.

Concerns: Narrow body with leanish arms. Questionable physicality means he might get destroyed as a blocker in the pros which could lead to limited playing time. Contested catches could also be a problem. Multiple shoulder injuries going back to high school forced a position change.

Best advanced stats: Led qualifying FBS tight ends in receiving yards and yards per route run (2.71), helped by a 29.9% target per route run rate (second best).

Worst advanced stat: 14.5% avoided tackle rate was below average.

Stats: 28 targets, 20 catches, 261 yards (13.1 yards per catch) and 1 touchdown

Strengths: Lots of potential. Bigger body that could actually benefit from a little more muscle. Startingly good burst off the snap and acceleration for his size. Good speed, too. Can leap high for passes and make contested grabs. Tough -- played through a hairline fracture in his foot in 2025.

Concerns: Short arms impact his receiving skills including his catch radius. Will need to learn more routes and the nuances of zone coverage to be totally effective. Better blocker in space than on the line. Production is a real question mark -- in two years without Brock Bowers he had 41 catches on 58 targets over 28 games for 509 yards (12.4 yards per catch) and five touchdowns. Also had just five end-zone targets in those two years. Was it because of the foot injury in 2025? A scheme change?

Best advanced stat: Despite the limited targets Delp averaged a 24.1% explosive catch rate over his last two seasons. That means nearly one out of every four catches he made went for 15 or more yards.

Worst advanced stat: A 9.8% avoided tackle rate over his past two seasons means he avoided FOUR tackles in two seasons.