TE Sleepers For Fantasy Football 2026: Isaiah Likely Is Set to Shine

TE Sleepers For Fantasy Football 2026: Isaiah Likely Is Set to Shine

Kody Malstrom breaks down three tight end sleepers for 2026 fantasy football, including one of his top targets at any position in Isaiah Likely.

Published Updated

I'm treating tight end the same way I'm treading QB in fantasy football drafts this year. If I don’t get one of the top three (Bowers, McBride, Loveland), I'm punting on the position knowing there are gems littered in the later rounds. 

I've been particularly drawn to Isaiah Likely, who I can’t stop clicking once I see his name in my ideal range, giving me a top-two target in the New York Giants' offense. Joining him are a pair of high-floor players, giving me a steady source of production on a weekly basis.

If you have not already subscribed to Fantasy Life+, you can get 10% off any tier sub with the promo code KODY, giving you full access to our expert analysis and wide range of tools to help win your leagues.

TE Sleepers For Fantasy Football 2026

Isaiah Likely | TE | NYG

If you are in one of my leagues drafting this weekend, please look away. Isaiah Likely is not only my favorite sleeper at TE, but he is very well my favorite player to target overall. I can’t help but gush when thinking about his upside, a surefire TE1 in a Giants offense that is barren of talent on the outside, forcing Jaxson Dart to look his way.

Speaking of Dart, it has already been reported the two have built a strong connection throughout training camp with Malik Nabers on the sideline recovering from injury. In his minimal opportunities, Likely has shown he can stretch the field, finishing his 2025 campaign ranked in the top 30 in aDot and in catch percentage.

With Mark Andrews no longer keeping him down on the depth chart, Likely’s usage will skyrocket, resulting in a higher volume of targets, which will raise his ceiling. Even when Nabers is able to make his return from injury, his presence will help pull defensive attention away from Likely, freeing up more space in the middle for the Giants TE to exploit.

Greg Dulcich | TE | MIA

The Miami Dolphins offense may not look pretty on paper, but Malik Willis has to throw to someone, preferably Greg Dulcich, who quietly played a big role in their pass attack last season, ranking sixth with 0.23 targets per route run. With no competition around him, Dulcich will be able to continue to secure a high volume of targets, raising his ceiling in the process.

Even with Willis potentially chipping away at Dulcich’s workload by making a play with his legs, the uptick in first downs will help brush aside regression, giving the Dolphins TE more opportunities to haul in a target. There are massive question marks looming over the Dolphins offense this season. If you decide to draft Dulcich, make sure you pair him with another high-floor TE to help combat against variance.

Hunter Henry | TE | Patriots

The emergence of Drake Maye has done wonders for his pass catchers, including Hunter Henry, who finished last season  second in EPA per play, fifth in touchdowns, seventh in receiving yards and 16th in YPRR at the position. Henry’s success led to a seventh place finish in half-PPR, sitting above Brock Bowers and Colston Loveland.

The additions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs may lead to a decline in his total number of targets. But Hunter should benefit from the increased attention by the defense and operate in bigger spaces. The veteran TE also has no threats underneath him on the depth chart, keeping his floor intact.

Players Mentioned in this Article

  1. Isaiah Likely
    IsaiahLikely
    TENYGNYG
    PPG
    3.9
    Proj
    7.1
  2. Greg Dulcich
    GregDulcich
    TEMIAMIA
    PPG
    5.5
    Proj
    5.0
  3. Hunter Henry
    HunterHenry
    TENENE
    PPG
    8.1
    Proj
    6.2
  4. Jaxson Dart
    JaxsonDart
    QBNYGNYG
    PPG
    17.0
    Proj
    17.7

Published Updated