4 Sleeper Tight Ends: Dalton Kincaid Can Hit the Ground Running

It's almost the time of year when you need to decide what you are doing at the tight end position in fantasy football -- use draft capital on a top option or wait until the end of the draft and hope for the best.

Few things are more difficult in fantasy than finding late-round a TE who can give you consistent production. Unless you are spending an early pick at the position, odds are you're probably in for a headache at the tight-end spot all year.

However, it's not impossible to strike gold with a late-round tight end, and there are a few sleepers at the position who could pan out in 2023. Let's look at four of them. All four carry an average draft position (ADP) -- per FantasyPros' half-PPR ADP -- outside the top 10 at the position and the top 100 overall.

Late-Round Tight Ends to Target for 2023

Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans

ADP: TE12 (125.3 overall)

It's rare for rookie tight ends to put up good numbers, but Chigoziem Okonkwo was pretty solid last year, especially as the season wore on.

Among tight ends who saw at least 40 targets, Okonkwo actually led the position in yards per catch (14.1) and was second in yards per target (9.8). From Week 13 on, he was the half-PPR TE8, totaling at least 8.0 points in four of six games.

Coming into 2023, Okonkwo looked like an ideal late-round tight end as someone who should be a safe bet for volume in a Tennessee Titans offense that was hurting for pass-catchers -- and then the Titans signed DeAndre Hopkins.

The addition of Hopkins certainly lowers the floor and ceiling for Okonkwo, but there's still a lot to like here. Whenever a tight end produces in Year 1, we have to take notice, and numberFire's projections slot Okonkwo as the TE11.

Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans

ADP: TE11 (125.7 overall)

Why are we discounting the value of Dalton Schultz in his new offense? We shouldn't be.

Schultz was a solid option as a member of the Dallas Cowboys the last two seasons. In 2021, he averaged 10.0 half-PPR points per game, the sixth-most at the position. In 2022, that number was down to 7.6, but that included two weeks where he put up a zero with Dak Prescott injured.

Schultz has shown that when paired with a capable passer, he can generate back-end TE1 numbers -- yet his ADP is languishing outside the top 10 at the position

C.J. Stroud is taking centerstage for the Houston Texans, and while it remains to be seen how Stroud will do in the pros, he certainly looked the part -- numbers-wise -- as a prospect, and it's not like Houston is overflowing with quality pass-game pieces, with Nico Collins, John Metchie III and Robert Woods being the Texans' top wideouts.

A surehanded tight end can be a young QB's best friend, and Schultz is definitely surehanded, recording a 93.4% true catch rate, per PlayerProfiler

In a division where there aren't many good defenses, Houston's offense could surprise in 2023, and Schultz has a chance to emerge as a top option for Stroud.

Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos

ADP: TE13 (128.0 overall)

Jeremy Shockey, Jimmy Graham, Benjamin Watson, and Jared Cook. What do those four tight ends all have in common? They were lead tight ends in a Sean Payton-coached offense. And now Greg Dulcich can add his name to that list.

Those four tight ends all had at least one season where they averaged 8.0 or more half-PPR points per game, with three of the four averaging double digits with Payton calling plays.

Dulcich showed last season -- his rookie campaign -- that he has some juice. He posted at least 8.0 half-PPR points in half of his 10 games. Had he been healthy all season and the Denver Broncos weren't an absolute trainwreck, Dulcich may have flirted with TE1 numbers.

Denver's offense just can't be as bad this year -- right? And with Tim Patrick's unfortunate season-ending injury, the Broncos need a third weapon behind Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton.

Dulcich had an average depth of target (aDOT) of 10.6 last season, which was the third-best clip at his position. There's some intriguing upside here if Dulcich can maintain his big-play ability while benefitting from better health and an improved Russell Wilson.

He could be the breakout guy at tight end.

Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills

ADP: TE15 (136.7 overall)

Banking on a rookie tight end to be your every-week starter in fantasy is usually a fool's errand. Dalton Kincaid has a chance to buck that trend.

The Buffalo Bills traded up to the No. 25 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to select Kincaid out of Utah. He walks into a situation where he's got a chance to be one of the top options for an offense guided by Josh Allen. Not a bad gig.

Kincaid was a stud in college and finished 2022 with 70 receptions for 890 yards and 8 touchdowns. He had an 81st-percentile breakout age, per PlayerProfiler, and a 94th-percentile college dominator rating. He checked the boxes as a prospect and then was the first TE off the board in the NFL Draft.

Stefon Diggs is the clear number-one target in the Buffalo aerial attack, but after that, things are pretty wide open. Gabriel Davis didn't fully take off last year while Dawson Knox is a solid-but-unspectacular option at tight end.

With Kincaid reportedly showing well this offseason, the rookie TE has a chance to see the field plenty in 2023, and if he can work his way into being Allen's number-two target, Kincaid can provide monster value at his current ADP.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.