Fantasy Football: 2 sophomores who 'haven't even come close to their ceilings' among TE breakout candidates for 2026

With the NFL season approaching and fantasy football drafts in full swing, there's never been a better time to determine which players could be this year's breakout stars.

It seems easy in hindsight, but identifying young talent on the verge of making a major leap is often what propels fantasy managers to championships. 

Over the next week, I’ll revisit my favorite breakout candidates at every key fantasy position. Today, we’re taking a look at tight ends. 

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• QB | RB | WR | TE

Loveland and Tyler Warren had very strong rookie seasons last year, so if your initial inclination is to dismiss them for being overqualified as breakout candidates in 2026, I understand it completely. However, we haven’t even come close to their ceilings yet. 

Loveland was the TE18 in fantasy points per game during his debut campaign, with 58 receptions, 713 yards and six touchdowns. Over the final nine weeks of the fantasy season, he really began to assert himself by emerging as the fifth highest scoring tight end during that span. 

The 22-year-old really flashed his potential down the stretch, becoming a focal point of the Bears’ passing attack while posting stat lines of 6-94-1, 10-91-1, 8-137-0 and 4-56-0 over his last four outings - including Chicago’s two playoff appearances. 

He also saw 48 targets combined in those contests, with at least 10 targets in every game. 

There’s a reason why Loveland is being taken as the third tight end off the board in fantasy drafts. He has the best chance of anyone at the position to challenge Brock Bowers and Trey McBride for the fantasy scoring crown. 

Boone’s redraft rank: TE3 (Ascending high-end TE1 with an elite ceiling)

While I prefer to have Loveland on my 2026 fantasy teams, Warren is also positioned for a massive sophomore season, but can be drafted a round or two later. 

As a rookie, Warren was the TE6 in fppg through Week 10, before he dealt with some injuries down the stretch and lost his starting quarterback Daniel Jones to a torn ACL. 

With Michael Pittman Jr. now wearing a Steelers jersey and Alec Pierce recovering from ankle surgery that has him sitting on the sidelines during training camp, there’s a clear opportunity for Warren to dominate targets for the Colts this year. 

After all, Warren led the team in targets as a rookie with 112, followed by Pittman with 111, Josh Downs with 88 and Pierce with 84. Pierce and Downs will also benefit from Pittman’s departure, but Warren has the talent to be an elite fantasy tight end if he can carve out more volume. 

It also stands to reason that coming off a serious knee injury, a less mobile version of Jones will look to get the ball out quick, which plays into Warren’s high-end range of outcomes. 

Warren finished second among all tight ends in total yards after the catch, a coveted skill when trying to identify breakouts at the position. 

If you’re looking for this year’s Tucker Kraft — a young tight end with excellent YAC ability who could be one of the top-two targets in his offense — Warren is that guy. 

Boone’s redraft rank: TE4 (Ascending TE1 with an elite ceiling)

Likely displayed intriguing fantasy upside on multiple occasions while serving as a backup to Mark Andrews on the Ravens and now gets a chance to spread his wings and start for the Giants. 

The 26-year-old followed head coach John Harbaugh to New York, where he’ll be a featured part of the passing attack. Everyone around the organization has identified Likely as the de facto No. 2 receiver behind star wideout Malik Nabers, who’s made an impressive recovery from a torn ACL and now appears to be on track for Week 1.  

Jaxson Dart’s affinity for making plays off-script fits well with his new tight end, who’s been excelling in that area even going back to college. Likely will also give Dart a weapon in the red zone and another downfield threat, while fighting for extra yards after every catch.  

Unlike some of the other more highly-touted breakout options, there’s almost no risk associated with selecting Likely, given his late-round ADP. 

Boone’s redraft rank: TE12 (Low-end TE1 with sneaky upside)

Okonkwo is an underrated talent at tight end, who was signed by Washington to take over as their starter. While it’s a different offense coming in under new coordinator David Blough, veteran Zach Ertz had success there in recent years, including TE14 fantasy stats on a per game basis over the first 13 weeks of the 2025 campaign before suffering a season-ending injury. 

When the Commanders finally addressed their receiving corps by signing Stefon Diggs, most people immediately pointed to the effect it could have on Terry McLaurin’s fantasy ceiling. However, Okonkwo was certainly the most impacted by the move. While it doesn’t completely destroy his fantasy potential in 2026, Okonkwo’s target share will take a significant hit and likely prevent him from a major breakout. 

We still shouldn’t ignore the signs of Okonkwo’s untapped upside. Despite coming over from an underwhelming Titans’ offense, the 26-year-old managed to haul in more than 50 passes each of the past three years. He’s even shown us glimpses of being a startable fantasy option, averaging top-12 TE production down the stretch in 2024, including top-seven weekly finishes in half of his games from Week 12 on that year. 

If there’s a tight end who’s going to come out of nowhere to be a fantasy TE1 this year, Okonkwo continues to have my vote.

Boone’s redraft rank: TE16 (Promising TE2 with low-end TE1 ceiling)

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