Here are my top 10 free agent tight ends.

Note: I believe Travis Kelce will retire. If he does return, it would only be with the Chiefs, so while he may technically be a free agent, it feels like Kansas City or nothing.

1. Dallas Goedert

It's been a rough career for Dallas Goedert. He had to spend the first three years playing behind Zach Ertz, then once he got the starting job has dealt with injuries, costing him 19 games over the past four seasons. He did, however, have his best season so far in 2025 (60-591-11). It couldn't come at a better time, as the 31-year-old is now looking for a new home.

While on the older side, he still has productive years yet and will likely wind up on a team that is contending and is just missing that one piece. Recency bias will play heavily in Goedert's favor, having scored 6 touchdowns in his last four games, including the playoffs. Acquiring Goedert will only cost you a late-2nd, maybe even a 3rd, which is a great price for a player who can be an every-week starter for your fantasy team for potentially the next 2-3 years.

2. Kyle Pitts

Pitts finally posted a top-10 fantasy finish for the first time since his rookie season. Dynasty managers have been waiting years for this breakout, and his value now reflects it. Acquiring Pitts will cost at least a first-round pick, and depending on how long the current manager has been holding him, possibly more. If the price is just a first, the value could be there--depending on where he signs.

My biggest concern is that 2025 ends up being a peak or "flux" year. Pitts scored 95.2 of his 208.1 fantasy points during the five-game stretch when Drake London was out. That raises questions about his weekly consistency. What happens if he signs with a team that already has a true alpha receiver--or even two strong pass-catchers?

Quarterback stability should help Pitts, who has dealt with multiple starters every season of his career. Still, I'm not buying at his current cost. His price has likely never been higher, and more often than not, the current manager is the one who endured the past three disappointing seasons. I'm not paying for their pain. Even as the youngest free-agent tight end on the market at just 25 years old, it's a steep price to pay.

3. Chigoziem Okonkwo

Hitting free agency after four seasons without ever scoring more than three touchdowns isn't ideal. Constant coaching changes and quarterback turnover in Tennessee have clearly hurt Okonkwo's development. Every time he seemed to build chemistry with a quarterback--or carve out a larger role--the situation around him changed.

Now Chig gets a fresh start, and with it, hopefully some much-needed consistency. He brings a versatile skill set to his next team. At 6'2", 238 pounds, Okonkwo can play in-line as a capable blocker or line up outside as a pass-catching option. He's also dangerous after the catch, with 342 of his 560 receiving yards coming after the catch this past season.

For dynasty managers, you're buying a low-end TE2 who has finished as TE21 in each of the past three seasons. He can usually be acquired for next to nothing--often a late fourth- or fifth-round pick. That's a strong value for a player who is still only 26.3 years old.

4. Isaiah Likely

Isaiah Likely finally gets a chance to be the top tight end on a team now that he's entering free agency. After spending years behind Mark Andrews in Baltimore, Likely should find an opportunity to carve out a featured role elsewhere.

At 6'4", 215 pounds, Likely profiles more as a move tight end than a traditional in-line blocker. He's at his best working as a receiver, so his new team will need to deploy him creatively to fully unlock his upside.

Likely's dynasty value has dipped after scoring just one touchdown in 14 games in the 2025 season, compared to six touchdowns over 16 games during 2024. He'll be just shy of 26 years old, so there's still plenty of runway. Likely is also expected to be among the three highest-paid tight ends in free agency, and that level of investment typically signals a meaningful role in the offense.

5. David Njoku

Njoku is one of the more interesting cases in this year's free-agent class. He's still only 29.5 years old and has shown he can be a high-end fantasy contributor when featured, as he was in 2023. Since then, injuries have limited his availability, and Cleveland drafting Harold Fannin Jr. appears to signal a changing of the guard.

Now looking for a new team, Njoku could easily re-emerge as a key offensive piece. For dynasty managers, the cost is appealing--he's often available for a third-round pick. Even with missed time and a perceived down year, Njoku still scored 9 touchdowns over the past two seasons.

He provides a solid fantasy floor. This past season, he logged three TE1 games (10+ points), five TE2 games (5-10 points), and only four true duds. If he gets anywhere close to his 2023 production--when he recorded 11 TE1 games--managers will be thrilled with the return on investment.

6. Cade Otton

Otton broke out midway through the 2024 season, but savvy dynasty managers avoided buying into the hype and were spared the disappointment of his letdown 2025 campaign. Now entering free agency, his landing spot will be critical. He has connections to multiple tight-end-needy teams through former coaches, which is encouraging for the 26.8-year-old.

Otton likely profiles as a budget option for teams that miss out on the top free agents or can't afford to fit them under the cap. For dynasty purposes, the cost will determine the appeal. If you can acquire him for a late third-round pick, it's a reasonable gamble.

That said, I wouldn't want to rely on Otton as my TE1. He needs the right environment to produce consistently and is best viewed as a depth piece or bye-week fill-in. His low cost reflects his limited production--most of his 2024 breakout occurred when Tampa Bay's wide receivers were injured, making Otton a necessity rather than a focal point.

7. Daniel Bellinger

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I love Daniel Bellinger and am actively acquiring him wherever I can. He's essentially free--often a throw-in to larger deals or even sitting on waiver wires. That's a great price for a player who's only a month older than Kyle Pitts at 25.3 years old.

Bellinger's lack of production is why he's so cheap. He finished as TE46 last season, but there are signs of upside. Despite seeing just 26 targets, he scored two touchdowns and averaged 15 yards per reception. The flashes are there; the consistency hasn't followed--yet.

He's an ideal dynasty flyer who could benefit from a fresh start. A new offense could feature him as a primary option or part of a rotation. We've seen late breakouts before--Colby Parkinson comes to mind. A 2026 stat line of 70 targets and five touchdowns isn't out of the question, with TE2 value and some spike-week upside.

8. Darren Waller

I was genuinely surprised by what Darren Waller showed this past season, even in limited action. After retiring and missing all of 2024, I assumed he was done. Instead, Waller scored 6 touchdowns in nine games at age 33, recapturing flashes of his former fantasy relevance.

The big question is how much he has left. Was 2025 a product of Miami's system, or does Waller still have meaningful football in the tank? Injuries remain a concern--he missed time in 2025 and ended the season on IR with a groin injury, adding to a long list of absences dating back to 2021.

Given his age, injury history, and a deep free-agent and rookie class, it may be difficult for Waller to secure a starting role--or even a consistent rotational spot--in 2026. Even at a "free" cost, I'm not sure he's worth using a roster spot.

9. Noah Fant

Fant was once a dynasty darling, but that shine has long since faded. He's now played for three teams in seven seasons and will be searching for his fourth. Fant has struggled to carve out a consistent role and likely faces the same uphill battle in 2026.

He's still relatively young at 28.2 years old, but at this stage of his career, it would take an ideal landing spot--and probably an injury or two ahead of him on the depth chart--for Fant to become fantasy relevant again.

Fant is essentially free in dynasty leagues, and rightfully so. He's topped 70 targets only twice in his career, and not since 2021. Outside of deep formats, there's little reason to roster him.

10. Greg Dulcich

Another former dynasty favorite, Dulcich has bounced around in recent seasons and now enters free agency at just 25.8 years old. There’s still time for him to rediscover the upside that once made him intriguing.

Dulcich should be available for free in most dynasty leagues, though some managers may ask for more based on his late-season usage. He scored just one touchdown but posted five straight games with TE2-level production (5–10 points).

You’ll need a deep bench or an open roster spot to take the gamble. His value could rise with the right landing spot, but even in the best-case scenario, the payoff is likely modest.