Impact Rookie Tight Ends for Fantasy Football 2024Impact Rookie Tight Ends for Fantasy Football 2024 Brock Bowers (Raiders) * Drafted in the first round by a team in need of a tight end. * Could be the No. 2 target behind Davante Adams. * However, quarterback uncertainty and competition from other pass-catchers limit his potential. Ben Sinnott (Commanders) * TE22 in current ADP. * Faces competition from Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Austin Ekeler, and Zach Ertz. * Jayden Daniels as quarterback has many mouths to feed. * Could be a top-20 tight end, but not much higher. Ja’Tavion Sanders (Panthers) * Joins a team with improved quarterback Bryce Young. * Should be a more productive tight end than Tommy Tremble. * Faces competition from Diontae Johnson, Xavier Legette, and Adam Thielen. * Going as TE31 but has potential to outperform Sinnott and be TE15. Overall, the tight end position is tricky to navigate for fantasy football, especially with missing top players and evaluating rookies. Brock Bowers is the most impactful rookie tight end, but his ceiling is limited by quarterback uncertainty and a crowded passing game.
The tight end position is always a tricky one to nail down in fantasy football, especially when you’re missing top players. Things get even more complicated when you start nailing down tight ends who are also rookies. Below, I’ll explore three tight ends who could have fantasy football value during the 2024 NFL season.
Impact Rookie Tight Ends
(All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference and College Football Reference)
Brock Bowers (TE – LV)
It’s no secret or surprise, but Brock Bowers will be the most impactful rookie tight end in 2024. He was drafted in the first round and joins a team where he could be the No. 2 option behind wide receiver Davante Adams. The biggest problem here, of course, could be the quarterback position, which includes Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew — the starter is still a mystery.
Bowers is also on the list with Michael Mayer, but since this is a new coaching staff and they selected Bowers in the first round, he will be the obvious choice for the tight end position.
The Raiders have Jakobi Meyers, who is also a factor in this story as he was targeted 106 times in 2023.
The only positive thing about the Raiders is the depth of their running back lineup, which is downright uninspired. They include the likes of Zamir White and Alexander Mattison.
Either way, Bowers is in a tough position to be a hugely productive addition. The quarterback position is questionable, there’s an alpha receiver in Adams, and Meyers had 100 targets in 2023.
Bowers is now being drafted as the TE10, which is fine, but I’m not convinced he fits into the top five as a rookie yet.
Ben Sinnott (TE-WAS)
Ben Sinnott currently goes as the TE22, which is the second rookie tight end off the board. He’s in an interesting spot for the Washington Commanders, as they have wide receivers Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Luke McCaffrey, running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Zach Ertz.
With Jayden Daniels as the rookie quarterback, there are a lot of mouths to feed.
Ertz is getting older, so Sinnott could get some reps as a starter, but there are still too many options here. He could end up as a top-20 tight end, but that’s about it. Don’t count on anything more.
Ja’Tavion Sanders (TE – CAR)
Ja’Tavion Sanders joins a Panthers team hoping for a huge improvement at quarterback with the addition of Bryce Young and new head coach Dave Canales.
He entered as a borderline top-100 prospect and was a successful pass-catcher for the Texas Longhorns, catching 99 passes for 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns over the last two seasons. He should be a much more productive tight end option than Tommy Tremble. Sanders’ biggest competition will be wide receivers, including Diontae Johnson, fellow rookie Xavier Legette and Adam Thielen.
Legette was a borderline first-round pick, Thielen has been a longtime NFL asset and Johnson came via a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sanders is going as TE31, but I think he’s in a position to outperform Sinnott and potentially be TE15 depending on how determined they are to start him instead of Tremble.
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