Our fantasy football roundtable series makes its final stop of the 2026 tour, checking in on the tight ends. In case you missed our previous position Q&As — quarterbacks | running backs | wide receivers — we have enlisted a standout crew of contributors to The Athletic fantasy football, including Jake Ciely, Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, Brad Evans, Michael Salfino, Jess Bryant and Brandon Funston.Which draft-day afterthought has the best chance to deliver top-five TE returns? Which tight end is the biggest fantasy wild card? Read on for our answers to these questions and more!Note: All Average Draft Position (ADP) references below are from Fantasy Pros’ real-time ADP.Outside the top 4 tight ends in ADP, who has the best shot to finish as the No. 1 overall TE?Detroit’s Sam LaPorta has finished atop the TE fantasy heap before. Can he do it again? (Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)Ciely: No one but Tucker Kraft or George Kittle? There just isn’t a tight end who could average 14+ FPPG from the rest of the crowd. Maybe if Dalton Kincaid saw full route work, or if the Browns had a capable quarterback where Harold Fannin leading the team in targets mattered. But alas, a healthy Kraft and Kittle as their team’s No. 2 target (after the top wide receiver) are the only ones in the conversation.Behrens: Sam LaPorta has already finished a season as the overall TE1, so we wouldn’t be asking him to do anything he hasn’t previously achieved. He’s tied to a Death Star offense and should be fully operational in the opening week.Del Don: Kittle has been fantasy’s TE1 and TE2 in points per game over the past two seasons. It won’t be easy at 32 years old and coming off Achilles surgery, but Kittle’s looked healthy while aiming for a Week 1 return — it may be more likely he’s held out until Week 2 after the Australia trip, but Kittle will be back soon. It’s a terrific situation in a Kyle Shanahan offense, and San Francisco has many vacated targets (and Mike Evans has continued to battle leg issues in camp).Evans: Truth be told, not a soul. However, being an obedient scribe, Detroit’s LaPorta has a very slim chance of elevating to the TE1 of TE1s. Jared Goff is an accurate red-zone passer who has routinely looked his way near the goal line. Recall two seasons ago, LaPorta finished as the TE3 in fantasy points per game scoring. Given their history and established rapport, it’s conceivable another 10-12 Goff-to-LaPorta TD hookups could be achieved.Salfino: Kyle Pitts, easily. At least if Tua Tagovailoa is the QB. Pitts was No. 1 in TE routes run the final five games of 2025, averaging an incredible 18.9 PPR PPG. I know there was a monster game in there, but we want TEs who can post monster games.Bryant: I have to go with Kittle. I also like Fannin but don’t trust the Browns. Kittle’s catching passes from Brock Purdy, was third in fantasy points per game in 2025 and first on a per-game basis in 2024. He doesn’t have a whole lot in the way of competition for targets, and his aDOT in 2025 ranked above McBride, Fannin and Bowers, while his target per route rate was ninth overall. It doesn’t hurt that he’s going in Round 9, which accounts for the Achilles comeback and his age.Funston: Alright, I’ll go ahead and be the lone brave soul to cast his vote for Fannin. After all, he did just finish his rookie season as the TE6 with a QB situation that should be deemed no better than what he’ll have to operate with in Year 2. In fact, a more seasoned Shedeur Sanders and a healthier Deshaun Watson should at least be slightly better for Fannin. The argument that Cleveland added receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston in the draft, thus potentially infringing on Fannin’s share of the passing-game pie is offset by David Njoku’s 48 targets leaving town and historically TE-friendly Todd Monken taking over as head coach — in seven seasons as an offensive coordinator, his team’s TE room has finished top nine in PPR PPG four times (first in 2024), and only once has it dropped outside the top 15.Which TE outside the top 15 in ADP has the best shot to finish as a top-5 TE?Ciely: Juwan Johnson is the layup answer. He’s already done this, and now, Jordyn Tyson is missing time. Speaking of missing time, an overlooked tight end who finished in the top 12 last year like Johnson is Dalton Schultz. The Texans look to be tight end heavy again, and they just lost WR Jayden Higgins for the year. Tank Dell is working his way back and Jaylin Noel might miss the rest of the preseason. Schultz looks to be a lock for another 100+ targets.Behrens: Johnson is coming off a season in which he ranked fifth at his position in receptions (77) and third in receiving yards (889), so we really just need a few red-zone opportunities to flow his way. He deserves a bump in the ranks following news that Jordyn Tyson is sidelined by yet another hamstring issue.Del Don: Johnson should be climbing draft boards with news Jordyn Tyson is set to miss half the season (a Week 9 return after New Orleans’ bye?). Johnson was the TE12 in fantasy points per game last year (with Rashid Shaheed commanding targets for nine games), and he’ll have a big role in 2026 — imagine if Chris Olave also goes down. Kellen Moore runs the league’s fastest-paced offense, and the Saints play indoors. Johnson could sneak into a top-five TE finish.