Did your 2023 fantasy season go differently than planned? Is your Dynasty Roster in need of a little shakeup? You may need a young tight end with a bright future. It will take a lot to trade for a player like Trey McBride, but two second-year tight ends stand out as players with bright futures in this league. Below are the two you should target in trades this offseason.
Isaiah Likely – Baltimore Ravens
| Year | Team | Games Played | Targets | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2022 | BAL | 16 | 60 | 36 | 373 | 10.4 | 3 |
| 2023 | BAL | 17 | 40 | 30 | 411 | 13.7 | 5 |
Some dynasty managers still consider Mark Andrews the TE1 in all of Dynasty right now. He is definitely in the top tier along with players like Sam LaPorta, T.J. Hockenson, Trey McBride, and maybe even Dalton Kincaid. There’s also a cluster of other great options in Travis Kelce, George Kittle, David Njoku, Kyle Pitts, Evan Engram, and you could even say incoming rookie Brock Bowers. But then there are a ton of dynasty managers who are seeking depth but overlook the value of someone like Isaiah Likely. The two-year pro has shown flashes of tremendous potential during stretches where Andrews was injured during the last two seasons.
In nine career games with Andrews sidelined, Likely has hauled in 31 of his 47 targets for 453 yards and 6 touchdowns. He’s also finished as a TE10 or better in six of those games. Sure, his production hasn’t been stellar with Andrews on the field at the same time—hauling in 35 of his 53 targets for 331 yards and 2 touchdowns in 24 games—but he has still managed to finish as the TE24 or better in five of those games, as Likely has finished at that mark or better in 13 of his 33 career games played. For a manager looking for a fringe TE2/solid TE3, Likely may be a player you should target in a trade this offseason.
The former Coastal Carolina star is only 23 years old, and he carries a ton of value in Dynasty, especially for those who currently roster Andrews already. Trading for a young tight end who has respectively finished as the TE27 in 2022 and the TE25 in 2023 (in PPR leagues) isn’t a bad idea. Likely is also hauling in passes from the reigning regular season MVP of the league Lamar Jackson. At the same time, he is a very cheap trade option right now. If he puts together another top-25 finish at the tight end position in 2024, you may have a harder time trading for him next offseason with Andrews going into his final season under contract. Odell Beckham Jr. is also set to hit free agency this offseason, meaning someone needs to step up as the third option behind Andrews and Zay Flowers in the passing game. Maybe that could be Likely himself.
Jake Ferguson – Dallas Cowboys
| Year | Team | Games Played | Targets | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2022 | DAL | 16 | 22 | 19 | 174 | 9.2 | 2 |
| 2023 | DAL | 17 | 102 | 71 | 761 | 10.7 | 5 |
If you are seeking a bigger trade splash this offseason, you may want to consider finding a way to add Jake Ferguson to your roster. He’s coming off a season where he replaced Dalton Schultz as the TE1 for the Cowboys, hauling in 71 of his 102 targets for 761 yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers were good enough to land him as the TE9 of the year in PPR leagues. And yet, his value is being overlooked right now for some reason. Sure, CeeDee Lamb is one of the most prolific pass-catchers in the league right now, but Ferguson finished second for Dallas in targets, receptions, and receiving yards, and third on the team in receiving touchdowns in 2023.
Dallas finished third in the league in passing yards last season. At the same time, Ferguson finished tied for seventh in receiving touchdowns, eighth in receiving yards, and ninth in total receptions amongst all tight ends in 2023. The sky is the limit for the two-year pro who is still only 25 years old. Even though most dynasty managers value a player like Pitts over Ferguson right now, you can argue that Ferguson has been more productive than him. Pitts has hauled in 81 combined receptions for 1,023 yards and five touchdowns during the last two seasons, whereas Ferguson has produced 90 combined receptions for 935 yards and seven touchdowns. No, I am not telling you to go trade Pitts for Ferguson straight up, but the production numbers don’t lie—this should show you that Ferguson is being mightily overlooked right now.
If the two-year pro puts together another season like his 2023 year or better, it may be hard to go out and trade for him next offseason. The time to trade for him is now: Dak Prescott and the Dallas offense will continue to throw the ball more than run it, and Ferguson may be the second-best pass-catcher for this team in 2024. Tony Pollard (55 receptions in 2023) is set to hit free agency, and both Lamb and Brandin Cooks are going into their final year under contract. Lamb is likely to return, but in today’s game, you never know what could happen. If you are looking to snag a TE2 for your dynasty roster at a low cost, Ferguson is your best trade option at this point.
Honorable Mentions:
Cade Otton (TB), Greg Dulcich (DEN), Jelani Woods (IND)
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