3 tight end sleepers you should target late in your Fantasy Football draft

The tight end position is generally the forgotten position when it comes to fantasy football drafts. Unless they get one of the top few available, fantasy managers will often wait until the later rounds to draft their starter at the position, making it somewhat of an afterthought.

That's not to say, however, that you should neglect the position in your drafts. While it can be difficult to find a good one late, getting those extra few points by drafting an effective tight end can often be the difference between a close win and a tough loss.

Here are three tight end sleepers that you should target late in your fantasy football drafts.

1. Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans

When it comes to drafting a tight end late, finding someone with little competition at the position for playing time can be key. That is exactly the case for Chigoziem Okonkwo, who will be the primary tight end of note for the Titans this season.

Okonkwo emerged late for the Titans in 2022, catching three or more passes in six of the team's final seven games of the season after hauling in just eight total receptions in the first 10 weeks of the year. He finished 2022 with 32 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns.

His main competition for targets overall will be wideouts DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks, the latter of which will be out for a little bit due to an LCL injury sustained in the preseason. A healthy Ryan Tannehill at quarterback will be key, but if that can happen then there should be plenty of targets to go around for Okonkwo. He's worth a look at TE15 in ESPN Fantasy Football rankings.

2. Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints

In his first season converting to tight end, Juwan Johnson had the best season of his professional career so far with the Saints. He set career highs across the board, by far, in catching 42 balls for 508 yards and seven touchdowns (T-3 among all tight ends in 2022). And there are reasons to believe he can provide even more production in 2023.

Unlike Okonkwo, Johnson does have some competition at the position in the form of Taysom Hill, though Hill gets used in ways much different than your traditional tight end. Johnson also has a new quarterback in Derek Carr and that's what might give his stats a big boost this season.

Carr loves throwing to his tight ends and helped Darren Waller post seasons of 90+ receptions and 1,000+ yards in 2019 and 2020 (he didn't repeat that feat in 2021 and 2022 largely due to injuries). Even with plenty of other competition for targets on the team (WRs Chris Olave and Michael Thomas, RB Alvin Kamara), Johnson should be favored quite a bit by his new QB. He is a high floor/high ceiling pick at TE18.

3. Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers

If you're looking for a true sleeper, look no further than the Packers rookie Luke Musgrave, who is being drafted outside of the top 25 for tight ends. There are a couple qualities here, though, that could make him worth the wait.

Musgrave is another one of those tight ends with very little competition at the position with Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis both having moved on to the Chicago Bears. He also has a young quarterback in Jordan Love who will be at his first year at the helm in Green Bay and quarterbacks like that often like to rely on their primary tight end as a safety blanket.

Musgrave didn't put up huge numbers at Oregon State, but the Packers were enamored enough with him to take him with the 42nd overall pick in last April's NFL Draft. If you would rather load up at the other skill positions in your draft and wait extra long to take your tight end, consider Musgrave, who will likely still be on the board when you're ready to fill that position.