1. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have been looking for help at receiver since Tyreek Hill left, and the decline of Travis Kelce hasn’t helped. Kelce’s new three-year deal is practically a one-year deal for the 36-year-old TE. Once 2027 rolls around, the Chiefs will likely rely on a replacement at TE to help Patrick Mahomes keep the offense in tip-top shape. In the Mahomes era, Kansas City ranks second in receiving fantasy points and first in scoring.
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No one will ever be Kelce, but if Kansas City chooses to prioritize TE now instead of the 2027 NFL Draft, the dynasty value is tremendous. It had already been declining, but Kelce’s decline last season was much more substantial than in previous years. It could open the window to more immediate playing time for a younger talent.
Not only does the position take time to learn in the NFL, but what makes Kelce elite is his ability to get open downfield between zones and when Mahomes starts to scramble. It takes a long time to learn, making the ideal situation for a rookie to have a season to study with Kelce before becoming a true top option.
2. New England Patriots
Hunter Henry may not be 36 years old, but he is a 31-year-old TE in the final year of his contract. Drake Maye needs to be surrounded by more talented receivers. With very little around him, Maye has already provided the seventh-most receiving points for pass catchers in 2025, with Henry being a big part of that. His career-high 768 receiving yards helped him finish as a TE7 in fantasy football.
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New England is not expected to select a TE in Round 1, but Day 2 draft capital for a TE-in-waiting would provide long-term value. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels saw nearly all of Rob Gronkowski’s dominant seasons up close. Gronkowski’s draft selection came the same year New England traded for an aging Randy Moss, making Gronk an immediate threat in the red zone. If the Patriots try to find more TE gold in Round 2, the rookie selected will get an immediate boost.
3. Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts has helped Dallas Goedert produce TE1 fantasy numbers in six straight seasons. Philadelphia signed Goedert to a new contract. However, it is only a one-year agreement. When Goedert was drafted to Philadelphia in 2018, he wasn’t going to be an immediate starter, even as a second-round pick. He was a dominant TE2, but Zach Ertz filled the TE1 role in the meantime.
With rumors of AJ Brown’s departure still looming, the potential volume of vacancies in 2027 is high. Philadelphia has multiple third-round picks in this year’s draft, including the Jets’ 54th overall pick. At this range, we could see them drafting an athletic TE similar to Goedert, such as Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers. Stowers’ relative athletic rating (out of 10) was 9.46. Goedert’s was 9.48.​
4. Denver Broncos
Evan Engram’s experiment hasn’t worked in Denver. Since Jimmy Graham dominated in a Saints uniform, Sean Payton has been searching for his next TE star, constantly recruiting young players or signing free agents. Although the addition of Jaylen Waddle muddies the waters, the Broncos offense can support many fantasy options with its unique offensive style. Typically, with a top-five defense, your quarterback doesn’t lead the league in pass attempts per game. Bo Nix does it in Payton’s offense. Especially for a TE in PPR leagues, this provides rare, stable volume to talented players in the short-area passing game.
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The WRs in Denver will get their bulk, but the role a TE will play in this offense is less affected by what they already have. Waddle will be a deep threat and playmaker after the catch, Courtland Sutton will be the X contested catch WR in the red zone, but the middle of the field and short passing have room to flourish. The slot targets in Denver’s offense were evenly split between Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant and Marvin Mims Jr. If one player gained more control of this part of the passing attack, Denver could support three different fantasy pass catchers at once.