The old adage for rookie TEs is that they typically take three years before they break out for fantasy football. However, since 2021, Kyle Pitts, Sam LaPorta, Coleston Loveland, Tyler Warren, and Harold Fannin have put up TE1-caliber seasons in their rookie years.

2026 Fantasy Football Rookie TE Landing Spots Outlook

For our purposes today, the only TEs we care about are those drafted in the first two days of the NFL draft. Players drafted on Day three are unlikely to have an impact this year in a way that is meaningful for fantasy production. The aforementioned cohort of rookie TE1s was all selected in days one and two. As a benchmark, TEs who secure 60 catches are typically locked into a finish in the TE1 to high-end TE2 range.

Day One Rookies

Kenyon Sadiq (New York Jets)

Sadiq was selected with the 16th overall pick by the New York Jets. After absolutely tearing up the NFL Combine and receiving Day One draft capital, we need to pay attention to Sadiq’s ability to breakout in year one. Unfortunately for Sadiq, he landed on an offense that is looking to make a major turnaround after finishing dead last in both passing yards and TDs. It obviously can’t get worse for the Jets. They have been quietly rebuilding this offense, and Sadiq is a piece who can create mismatches, as he is too athletically gifted for LBs and too large for DBs to cover.

As a prospect, Sadiq displayed the ability to play inline or split out wide, where he can work all three levels of the field as a receiver. He struggles with his hand placement at the catch point, making targets more difficult than they have to be. He is an above-average route runner for a TE who is also capable of making circus catches.

While having the potential to become a mismatch nightmare, he will likely need to be schemed up to get the most out of him early on in his career.

Sadiq will compete to be the number two target in this offense behind Garrett Wilson. Sadiq will have plenty of competition for this level of volume from fellow first-round pick WR Omar Cooper Jr., last year’s second-round pick in TE Mason Taylor, and the WR the Jets traded for midseason, Adonai Mitchell. With Frank Reich as the Jets’ new Offensive Coordinator, we can expect a lot of two-TE sets, ensuring Sadiq sees the field often if Mason Taylor eats up more of the snap share than we expect.

In an offense that is still likely going to finish in the bottom half of the league for offensive production, it may be hard for Sadiq to achieve a TE1 finish in his rookie year. This is baked into his ADP, which sits around the 150s. Sadiq is likely a better dynasty stash than he is a redraft asset this year.

Day Two Rookies

Eli Stowers (Philadelphia Eagles) 

Stowers was the second tight end off the board in this year’s NFL Draft. The Eagles selected the 2026 John Mackey Award winner with the 54th pick after selecting the 2026 Biletnikoff Award-winning wide receiver Makai Lemon on Day One.

Stowers has one glaring weakness: his blocking. He needs to improve his blocking before he can play in-line. In college, this wasn’t an issue, as Purdue often schemed up plays where Stowers was chipping defenders or used in misdirection. In order for him to play the majority of tight end snaps, he will need to clear up this aspect of his game.

Now for the things that helped him win the honors of top tight end in the country.

Like Sadiq, Stowers is also an elite athlete. He broke the vertical jump record with a 45.5″ leap at nearly 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds. Stowers can line up around the formation to create mismatches and is a good route runner for a TE. He works himself into open windows against zone coverage and is savvy enough to beat linebackers in man coverage. He mostly catches the ball with proper hand placement and can pull balls in that are off target and away from his frame. He does most of his work in the short and intermediate areas of the field.

The path for fantasy-relevant year one production from Stowers is bleak. The Eagles have been in the bottom half of the league during Nick Sirianni’s five-year tenure for pass attempts. Stowers would have to survive on a diet of red zone targets to finish in the TE1 range for fantasy this year, or prove to be a more reliable weapon than two of DeVonta Smith, Lemon, or Dallas Goedert. I don’t see him overtaking Goedert in TE snaps this year. His Average Draft Position (ADP) is in the 190s for redraft, and that feels like the correct valuation. 60 catches feels unachievable in year 1. 

Nate Boerkircher (Jacksonville Jaguars)

The Jaguars selected the next TE in the NFL draft, taking Nate Boerkircher 56th overall. Boerkircher is a blocking TE, and while he did serve as a reliable target at the Senior Bowl, he doesn’t profile as a target earner on a Jags team that has plenty of pass catchers. Don’t pay attention to Boerkircher despite the draft capital invested in him. He’s a blocker.

Marlin Klein (Houston Texans)

Klein has an interesting story. He grew up in Germany playing soccer and basketball before picking up football in 2019. He became a three-star recruit and redshirted his freshman year at Michigan. Klein didn’t eclipse 250 yards in a season at Michigan, but he is a smooth route-runner and a willing blocker who may develop into a starting-caliber TE. At least that’s what the Houston Texans hoped for when they spent a second-round pick on him.

Klein will need an injury to TE Dalton Schultz to sniff fantasy relevance in 2026. Schultz is the fully evolved version of what Klein might become. Schultz’s contract ends in 2027, and it’s possible that Klein replaces Schultz in 2027 as Houston’s TE1. Klein is more likely to fall into the aforementioned adage about TE development.

Max Klare (Los Angeles Rams)

Pre-draft, Max Klare was in tier one of rookie TEs in my rankings. Post-draft, he’s off my radar in redraft fantasy leagues after landing with the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams had four solid TEs on their roster prior to selecting Klare. It’s hard to project fantasy-relevant volume for any of the TEs while Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are soaking up the majority of the targets.

Sam Roush (Chicago Bears)

With the 69th pick, the Chicago Bears selected TE Sam Roush out of Stanford. Roush attended the Senior Bowl and stood out as an above-average blocker and threat as a pass catcher. Roush runs smooth routes against zone and uses proper catching technique to haul in passes.

Unfortunately, Roush is likely TE3 on the Bears roster until 2027 when fellow TE Cole Kmet becomes a free agent. It is unlikely for Roush to crack fantasy relevance unless disaster hits the Bears’ offense.

Oscar Delp (New Orleans Saints)

At his Pro Day, Oscar Delp reportedly ran a 4.49 forty-yard dash. That would’ve been the second-best time at the NFL Combine. Delp started his career behind Brock Bowers, and after Bowers left, he was supposed to be a lite version of the NFL superstar. It didn’t quite happen due to injury and poor quarterback play, but the raw traits are there for Delp.

Delp is an average blocker and a smart route runner versus zone coverage. He aims to take over the starting TE role when Juwan Johnson’s contract is up in 2027. But that’s in 2027, and in 2026 he will compete for the TE2 role in an offense that Chris Olave and spent the eighth overall pick on Jordyn Tyson.

Delp may have a few TE1 scoring weeks if Juwan Johnson gets injured. Keep him on your waiver wire speed dial if your team doesn’t land a clear-cut TE1 during your draft. 

Will Kacmarek (Miami Dolphins)

Kacmarek is essentially Nate Boerkircher, but playing home games further south and wearing the Dolphins’ teal and orange.

Eli Raridon (New England Patriots)

Prior to the arrival of A.J. Brown, the Patriots’ pass-catching corps was crowded and without a clear number one target. Now, Raridon finds himself buried in the pecking order. If Hunter Henry picked up an injury, it would likely be Raridon stepping into the TE1 role. The Patriots spent the 95th pick in the draft on Raridon, hoping he develops in year one, and they can promote him to the TE1 role when Hunter Henry’s contract expires at the end of this year.

The Patriots’ new Offensive Coordinator, a familiar face to the franchise in Josh McDaniels, likes to use a lot of two-TE sets. Maybe Raridon has a couple of spike weeks supported by TEs, but he won’t be in the weekly TE1 conversation in year one.

That’s it! That’s all of the tight ends drafted in the first two days of the NFL draft. Hopefully, you find yourself more equipped to answer the question of who may be the rookie tight end breakout in this year’s class. When you do, let me know who it is on Bluesky, because I’m still not sure this class has a year-one TE1 season in it. If I had to bet on someone, the first round draft capital spent on Sadiq would point me in his direction. Still, I would feel uncomfortable if he were the first tight end I selected in my draft.

Cam White is a Senior Analyst & Host at Optimus Fantasy. You can find more of his work on our YouTube channel, and make sure to follow him on Bluesky.