Fantasy managers are smarter than ever, so finding a player who’s actually being slept on can be difficult.
With that in mind, we’re shifting our focus to late-round targets who could drastically outproduce their ADP in 2026.
Advertisement
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
Over the next week, I’ll shine the spotlight on my favorite sleeper candidates at every key fantasy position. Today, we’re taking a look at tight ends.
More Sleeper Picks from Boone: QB | RB | WR | TE
The fact that I am currently writing a sleepers article highlighting Greg Dulcich in the year 2026 is what makes fantasy football so fun.
The former third-rounder is an athletic receiving tight end who got his career off to a promising start in 2022, catching 33 balls for 411 yards and two scores as a member of the Broncos. Unfortunately, hamstring injuries cost him the final two games that year and eventually derailed his 2023 campaign, as well.
Advertisement
Following that solid rookie year, Dulcich only managed to post eight catches for 53 scoreless yards over the following two seasons combined — while splitting time between the Broncos and Giants.
After being waived by New York last August, Dulcich joined the Dolphins practice squad, but wasn’t promoted until Week 8 when Darren Waller was sidelined with a chest injury.
Despite only suiting up in 10 games, Dulcich finished with the third-highest receiving yards total on the team (335 yards), which says more about Miami’s offense than it does Dulcich. However, the pass-catching options have only gotten worse since then, with Jaylen Waddle being traded away and Waller becoming a free agent.
Advertisement
Those aren’t the only changes that have occurred in Miami. A new coaching staff and new quarterback will make this attack look a lot different in 2026. The team has also added a variety of new receivers in free agency and the draft, but the free agents (Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell) came from the bargain bin and the rookies (Chris Bell, Caleb Douglas, Kevin Coleman Jr.) don’t project to draw major volume right away. While Bell has the most star power from that group, he’s in the process of recovering from a torn ACL, which will limit his Year 1 production.
Though Dolphins dual-threat QB Malik Willis projects to be a low-volume passer, the roster lacks a No. 1 receiver — with third-year wideout Malik Washington being the top candidate for the job.
That leaves Dulcich in an excellent position to build off his strong stretch run in 2025. In those 10 appearances, he posted at least 40 yards in 50% of his games, including four of his last five outings.
When we’re searching for a sleeper tight end, one of the simplest situations to look for is a player who can finish top two in targets in his offense. Dulcich definitely has a chance to accomplish that feat and countless beat writers have noted how often he’s being targeted in OTAs.
Advertisement
The 26-year-old is a complete free square in fantasy, going off the board well outside the top 150 picks as the TE27 in ADP. While he remains a long shot to turn into a weekly fantasy starter, we’ve seen several tight ends in recent years come out of nowhere and enter the top 12 at the position. Dulcich could be that guy in 2026.
Helm earned plenty of praise last offseason as a rookie who immediately looked comfortable on an NFL field. Even while playing behind Chig Okonkwo in a struggling Titans’ passing attack, the 23-year-old managed to immediately carve out a role.
In the second half of the season, we saw Helm’s potential sneaking through the cracks when he caught at least four passes in four of his last seven games, including a pair of top-12 weekly fantasy finishes with stat lines of 6-51-0 and 4-49-1.
Advertisement
Carnell Tate and Wan’Dale Robinson will give Cam Ward two legitimate receivers to throw to, unlike what he was working with last year. So there will be more target competition, but Helm is already earning praise from his new coaching staff and has been very active catching the ball in OTAs.
With so many quality fantasy options at the position, Helm is another long shot to become a fantasy starter in normal redraft leagues. However, Brian Daboll has used his tight ends at every stop and, with defenses focused on stopping Tate and Robinson, Helm will fly under the radar in real life and fantasy.
A.J. Barner, Seahawks
Barner took a big step forward in his second season, finishing 16th in receptions among tight ends (52), 20th in receiving yards (519) and eighth in touchdowns (six). He was a top-15 fantasy tight end eight different weeks, with six of those landing him inside the top 10.
Advertisement
Despite playing through injuries, the former fourth-round pick even made his mark in the Super Bowl with a 4-54-1 stat line.
A week later, Barner underwent shoulder and ankle surgeries, which he’s still rehabbing from. The good news is that he was already working off to the side with trainers during OTAs and is expected to be ready for training camp.
There’s also no shortage of confidence from the 24-year-old, which he expressed via the Seahawks’ website:
“I expect myself to be one of the best tight ends in the league, and I think I’ve played up to that standard, not consistently maybe throughout the whole season, but definitely have done that. I hold myself to a high standard, and the goal is to win championships and play in big games, and also bring that same mindset to training camp when I’m back out there with the guys. That’s how I’m feeling. I think I can take it to another level, and I think it’s going to make my job hopefully easier and my process leading up to gameday that much easier.”
Even with a change at offensive coordinator, Seattle’s offense projects to remain very similar to last year’s scheme. That means Barner will be a big part of the passing attack, providing him with an opportunity to make another jump in Year 3.