Tight ends are the featured position this week, and I’ll operate under the assumption that all of my top 20 players are already spoken for. No need to spend much time debating whether Michael Mayer might be next year’s Trey McBride, because he’s surely rostered as a second tight end in the vast majority of leagues.

I will focus instead on a few tight ends who might be available, with the potential to maybe become top-20 players at the position in 2024 (or later).

Greg Dulcich. He missed almost all of the season with hamstring and foot injuries but he’s Denver’s best pass-catching tight end. If he can get right physically, he’ll have a good chance of developing into something. He caught 2 passes early in the team’s opener before suffering a hamstring injury that ruined his season.

Tucker Kraft. He sure has played well filling in for fellow rookie Luke Musgrave. Kraft has caught 2 TDs in his last five games. Three weeks in a row he’s caught 4 passes for over 55 yards. I’m starting to wonder if Kraft might have a better career than Musgrave (who’s also had a very good debut season).

Luke Schoonmaker. He didn’t do much of note in his first season, but nor did he fall on his face. He’s played some, contributing as a second tight end. I don’t think he’ll be knocking Jake Ferguson out of the starting lineup anytime soon, but it also can’t be ruled out. With the upside of that offense, seems like a guy who should be rostered. (Dallas selected him in the second round in April.)

Jelani Woods. He’s spent the entire season on injured reserve, but he’s a physical freak. At 6-foot-7, he could develop into a Gronk-Goedert type difference maker. (Woods, it should be clarified, plays for the Colts.) He made a few plays as a rookie, catching 8 passes for 98 yards in a game against the Steelers. If we’re in a 12-team dynasty league, with each team carrying about three tight ends, makes some sense to roster him, allowing you to control his rights in August, deciding whether he might be something.

Davis Allen. A fifth-round pick, Allen caught 4 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown for the Rams in their shootout loss at Baltimore a few weeks ago. That has me wondering if he might be the guy who replaces 31-year-old Tyler Higbee.

My revised tight end list appears below. I turn my attention to dynasty leagues each Saturday during the regular season, rotating between the four notable positions. I’m assuming PPR scoring, with teams controlling the rights to players indefinitely. Rookies tagged with black dots.

To see recent lists at other positions, use the “past issues” navigation box.

Last week: wide receivers

Next week: Quarterbacks

Ages indicate player's age as of today.

DYNASTY LEAGUE TIGHT ENDS
RkTmPlayerAge
1.DET• Sam LaPorta23.0
2.MINT.J. Hockenson26.5
3.ARITrey McBride24.1
4.BALMark Andrews28.3
5.CLEDavid Njoku27.5
6.BUF• Dalton Kincaid24.2
7.CHICole Kmet24.8
8.KCTravis Kelce34.2
9.HOUDalton Schultz27.5
10.ATLKyle Pitts23.2
11.PITPat Freiermuth25.2
12.JACEvan Engram29.3
13.PHIDallas Goedert29.0
14.DALJake Ferguson24.9
15.SFGeorge Kittle30.2
16.LV• Michael Mayer22.5
17.TBCade Otton24.7
18.GB• Luke Musgrave23.3
19.TENChigoziem Okonkwo24.3
20.BALIsaiah Likely23.7
21.NEHunter Henry29.1
22.DENGreg Dulcich23.8
23.NYGDarren Waller31.3
24.LACGerald Everett29.5
25.NYJTyler Conklin28.4
26.GB• Tucker Kraft23.2
27.ATLJonnu Smith28.4
28.DAL• Luke Schoonmaker25.3
29.NOJuwan Johnson27.3
30.INDJelani Woods25.2
31.BUFDawson Knox27.1
32.LAR• Davis Allen22.9
33.SEANoah Fant26.1
34.CARTommy Tremble23.6
35.LARTyler Higbee31.0
36.INDKylen Granson25.8
37.WASLogan Thomas32.5
38.CINTanner Hudson29.1
39.KCNoah Gray24.7
40.NYGDaniel Bellinger23.3

—Ian Allan