Top rookie fantasy football tight ends still need some luck on draft day. They may be drafted high, but to who? Now that the main free agency wave is complete, let’s look at the top TE landing spots for dynasty fantasy football in 2026.​

1. Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have been searching for help at receiver since Tyreek Hill left, and the Travis Kelce decline has not helped. Kelce’s new three-year contract is virtually a one-year deal for the 36-year-old TE. Once 2027 hits, the Chiefs will likely rely on a replacement at TE to help Patrick Mahomes keep the offense in top form. In the Mahomes era, Kansas City ranks second in receiving fantasy points and first in scoring.

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Nobody will ever be Kelce, but if Kansas City chooses to prioritize TE now rather than in the 2027 NFL Draft, the dynasty value is tremendous. It had already been declining, but the Kelce dropoff last season was much more substantial than in years past. It could open the window to more immediate playing time for a younger talent.

Not only does the position take time to learn in the NFL, but what makes Kelce elite is his ability to get open downfield in between zones and when Mahomes begins to scramble. It takes a long time to learn, which makes the ideal situation for a rookie to have a season to study under Kelce before sliding in as a true top option.​

2. New England Patriots

Hunter Henry may not be 36, but he is a 31-year-old TE in the final year of his contract. Drake Maye needs to be surrounded by more receiver talent. With very little around him, Maye already provided the seventh-most receiving points to pass catchers in 2025, with Henry being a large part of it. His career-high 768 receiving yards helped him finish as the TE7 in fantasy football.

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New England is not expected to select a TE in Round 1, but Day 2 draft capital for a TE-in-waiting would bring value long term. Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels saw nearly every dominant Rob Gronkowski season up close. Gronkowski’s draft pick came in the same year as New England trading an aging Randy Moss, turning Gronk into an immediate red-zone threat. If the Patriots try to find more TE gold in Round 2, the rookie selected will get an immediate bump.

3. Philadelphia Eagles

Jalen Hurts has helped Dallas Goedert churn out TE1 fantasy numbers in six consecutive seasons. Philadelphia did sign Goedert to a new contract. However, it is only a one-year deal. When Goedert was drafted to Philly in 2018, it was not to be an immediate starter, even as a second-round selection. He was a dominant TE2, but Zach Ertz held the role of TE1 in the meantime.

With rumors of A.J. Brown’s departure still looming, the potential vacant volume in 2027 is high. Philadelphia has multiple third-round selections in this year’s draft, including the Jets’ 54th overall pick. In this range, we could see them selecting an athletic TE similar to Goedert, such as Eli Stowers out of Vanderbilt. Stowers’ Relative Athletic Score (out of 10) was a 9.46. Goedert’s was 9.48.​

4. Denver Broncos

The Evan Engram experiment has not worked out in Denver. Ever since Jimmy Graham dominated in a Saints’ uniform, Sean Payton has been looking for his next star TE, consistently drafting young players or signing free agents. Although the Jaylen Waddle addition muddies the waters, the Broncos offense can support many fantasy options with their unique offensive style. Usually, with a top-five defense, your QB doesn’t lead the league in passing attempts per game. Bo Nix does in the Payton offense. Especially for a TE in PPR leagues, this provides rare, stable volume to talented players in the short-area passing attack.

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The WRs in Denver will get their volume, but the role a TE will play in this offense is less affected by what they already have. Waddle will be a deep threat and playmaker after the catch, Courtland Sutton the contested-catch X WR in the red zone, but the middle-of-the-field and short-passing has room to flourish. The slot targets in the Denver offense were evenly split between Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant and Marvin Mims Jr. If one player were to gain a larger control of this portion of the passing attack, Denver could support three different fantasy pass catchers at once.