Fantasy Football: Which Packers Tight End Should You Target?

The Green Bay Packers figure to be one of the highest-scoring teams in the NFL this season, making them a clear target for fantasy football managers.

Jordan Love was unreal in the back half of the 2023-2024 season, totaling 2,150 yards and 18 touchdowns to just a single interception in the final eight games.

Green Bay likes to share the wealth on offense, and Love has the ability to keep many receivers fantasy-relevant. FanDuel Research's Skyler Carlin has got you covered on which Packers wide receivers to target in drafts, but what about the tight end corps?

Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft were both selected by the Pack in the 2023 NFL draft and will each look to make some noise in their sophomore seasons.

Musgrave ranked first on Green Bay's depth chart at TE but played just 11 games after suffering a lacerated kidney. Kraft picked up the pieces, notching 281 yards and 2 touchdowns during the six games wherein Musgrave was sidelined.

How should we approach Green Bay's TEs in fantasy football drafts this year?

Green Bay Packers TEs Fantasy Football Outlook

Luke Musgrave's Outlook

Musgrave got off to a hot start in his rookie season, grabbing 50 yards on just 4 targets in his first NFL game.

On the season, he owned a 66.2% snap rate, 61.9% route rate, 12.7% target share, and 9.8% red zone target share. All in all, this usage was good for 352 yards and a touchdown through 11 contests.

He ended up returning from his kidney injury in the Wild Card game, where he recorded 52 yards and a score.

What kind of usage should we expect from Musgrave this season? He posted a disheartening -5.6 receiving yards over expectation and was less efficient than Kraft as a starter. Musgrave also averaged a forgettable 5.3 fantasy points per game, ranking 26th at tight end in this regard.

According to FantasyPros' consensus ADP data, Musgrave is currently the 18th tight end being taken off the board (17.3 ADP) at pick 149.

numberFire's season-long NFL projections expect Musgrave to log 51.58 receptions for 519.36 yards and 3.73 touchdowns via 74.44 targets this season.

That puts him at TE18, lining up with his ADP. I should note that numberFire's projections are based on a full 17-game season. Given what he did through 11 games last season, numberFire isn't expecting Musgrave to turn any new heads this year.

Tucker Kraft's Outlook

While Musgrave was enjoying ample time on the field last season, Kraft was nowhere to be found. That was until Musgrave got hurt, and Kraft slid into a meatier role without missing a beat.

On the season, Kraft recorded 31 receptions, 355 yards, and 2 touchdowns on a mere 40 targets.

His usage sans Musgrave was awesome. In the six games where Musgrave was sidelined, Kraft was awarded a 93.1% snap rate, 77.7% route rate, 15.1% target share, and a sizable 19.4% red zone target share. He made good on this opportunity, seizing 9.3 receiving yards over expectation.

Kraft averaged 8.6 fantasy points in half-PPR scoring in this span while Musgrave mustered just 5.3 fantasy points per game in his 11-game season.

In the playoffs, Kraft saw 82.8% of snaps to Musgrave's 28.4%, but the latter was on the mend from that kidney injury.

Currently, Kraft is the 34th TE to be taken off of draft boards at pick 237.

numberFire, meanwhile, forecasts Kraft to haul in 41.44 receptions, 428.35 yards, and 3.05 touchdowns on 59.54 targets this season. This stamps him as TE27 in their projections.

Which Packers TE is the Best Option?

If we compare ADPs to numberFire's projections, Kraft seems to be an undervalued option in fantasy.

His 34 ADP at TE with pick 237 undersells him when considering numberFire has him situated for a TE27 season. Musgrave's ADP falls right in line with nF's expectations.

But numberFire is operating under the assumption that Musgrave (74.44 targets) will get the starting gig over Kraft (59.54 targets), which isn't necessarily surefire, though Kraft's current inactive status should have Musgrave on top coming out of training camp.

If both Musgrave and Kraft are healthy and Green Bay opts for some form of parity in the tight end room, neither will be that valuable in fantasy. But there's always room for a second-year explosion, and either of these sophomores could turn heads if they see a high degree of work near the end zone.

Both are worth monitoring as potential waiver wire pickups should one take a lion's share of the key workload over the other or get hit with an injury. While there are plenty of unknowns with Kraft and Tucker, both showed flashes of high potential in their rookie campaigns and could break out this season.

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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.