2022 Fantasy TE Sleepers

If there’s a tight end who could skyrocket up the tight end rankings this season, it’s Smith Jr. He missed all of last season due to a knee injury after having a solid 2020. During that season, he had 30 receptions (43 targets) for 365 yards and five touchdowns as the TE2 for Minnesota. Last year, Tyler Conklin surprisingly caught 61 passes (87 targets) for 593 yards and three touchdowns. Those 87 targets were 12th among all TEs, which is notable because Conklin wasn’t even the unquestioned TE1 early in the season. Minnesota’s receiver situation hasn’t changed, so there’s no reason why Smith can’t better those stats this season with his athleticism. He’s going to get the opportunities.

2022 RANKINGS TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs

The Texans need someone to step up and be that second receiver next to veteran Brandin Cooks. Jordan could be that guy after showing some glimpses last season as a rookie. The former Miami Hurricane did not make his debut until Week 8, as he was a healthy scratch for the first part of the season. Jordan posted 20 receptions (28 targets) for 178 yards and three touchdowns in just eight games. If you project his number for a full season, the athletic TE would post 40 receptions (56 targets) for 356 yards and six touchdowns. If he comes close to those numbers this season, then Jordan will have some appeal on the waiver wire. If he further improves (along with second-year QB Davis Mills), Jordan could be a true breakout.

Brate will not be Rob Gronkowski for this Buccaneers’ offense, but he can once again be a constant threat in the red zone. Brate was tied for first among tight ends in red-zone targets with 20 last season. Just as notable is Gronk had 88 total targets in 12 games, and Brate should get a decent chunk of those this year. He will likely not be the Bucs’ full-time starter, as we could see rookie Cade Otton play in two TE sets, but if you’re looking for a high-upside TE2 in a pass-heavy offense, Brate is not a bad option, especially with Tom Brady at quarterback.

Kmet will likely be one of the top-two receivers on the Bears, as they did not do much to upgrade the receiver unit in the offseason. Last season, Kmet was Chicago’s starting tight end and played well with 60 receptions (93 targets) for 612 yards. If you had the young tight end in a PPR league, he was decent. However, he wasn’t great in standard leagues, as he had zero touchdowns. It’s pretty incredible to not score a single touchdown in a 17-game season as a starter, but that was Matt Nagy’s offense in a nutshell. That being said, Kmet should score at least a few times this year in a new system with Justin Fields likely improving.

Okwuegbunam is another one of those sleepers that owners think will improve with Russell Wilson at quarterback. The former Mizzou star will be the starter, as the Broncos traded away Noah Fant and his 90 targets in the deal for Wilson. Last season, Okwuegbunam had 33 receptions (40 targets) for 330 yards and two touchdowns, which isn’t earth-shattering but solid for a backup tight end. He won’t be one of the top-three receiving options for Wilson, but with his ultra-athletic, 6-5 frame, he can be a beast in the red zone.

Alie-Cox will be the Colts’ starting tight end this season after Jack Doyle retired. He’s been a favorite on the waiver wire over the past two seasons due to his knack for finding the end zone. Last season as a backup, Alie-Cox had 24 receptions (45 targets) for 316 yards and four touchdowns; Doyle had 29 catches (43 targets) for 302 yards and three TDs. Three out of Alie-Cox’s four touchdowns came inside the red zone, which should only improve with Matt Ryan at quarterback this season. Ryan always found a way to get the tight end involved in Atlanta, and that won’t change in Indianapolis where the wide receiver corps is in flux.

Uzomah is looking to build off of his excellent 2021 season in Cincinnati. Uzomah did a great job of finding his niche within a loaded Bengals’ wide receiver unit, recording 49 receptions (63 targets) for 493 yards and five touchdowns. However, Uzomah will now be sharing snaps with Tyler Conklin in New York, but he could still see similar targets. The Jets have a nice young wide receiver unit that could do a little bit of everything on the field, but Uzomah might still be a key contributor in the red zone.