The tight end position in fantasy football was once a wasteland beyond Travis Kelce at the top. Now, though, there’s an assortment of names who are true difference-making assets that you should be happy to have on your team. Gone are the days of picking a streamer and praying for a touchdown, at least if you know where to look.
Prior to a season-ending injury last year, Tucker Kraft had emerged as one of the top players at the position. Fast-forward to today and there’s some risk involved as he works his way back to game speed, but there’s reason to believe he can help win your leagues in 2026.
The case for Tucker Kraft in fantasy football
A third-round pick in 2023, Tucker Kraft broke into the mainstream during his second NFL season. In 2024, he posted 707 receiving yards with 50 catches on 70 targets, also scoring seven touchdowns. He finished as the overall TE10 in PPR formats, setting the stage for an impressive follow-up campaign.
For the first half of 2025, he delivered on that potential. Kraft appeared in eight games and saw 44 targets, catching 32 of those for 489 receiving yards and six touchdowns. His 61.1 receiving yards per game marked a new career high and he was on pace to record his first 1,000-yard season as well. However, disaster struck in Week 8. Coming off the best game of his career – a seven, catch, 143-yard, two-touchdown effort – Kraft caught just two passes against the Carolina Panthers before rupturing the ACL in his right knee.
The injury was devastating for both Kraft and his team. Green Bay averaged 27.57 PPG over the first seven weeks when he was fully healthy but cratered to 20.56 PPG after he was done for the season. That wasn’t totally shocking given that he displayed impressive chemistry with quarterback Jordan Love – he finished the year with an 18.8% target share as well as a staggering 33.3% red-zone target share, even despite missing the second half of the season.
Part of the appeal in Kraft’s game is his elite efficiency and after-the-catch metrics. His 15.3 yards per reception were second most of all NFL tight ends last season; his 10.8 yards after catch per reception ranked first (excluding Payne Durham, who caught just one pass). Kraft’s tackle-breaking ability also stands out, having just led his position with 4.2 yards after contact per reception, too. Why should fantasy players bank on a guy who relies so strongly on his athleticism to bounce back off a season-ending knee injury?
There’s been a slight downturn in the perception around Kraft after the Packers signed Jonnu Smith to a one-year contract. That signing may have raised alarm bells since they play the same position, but fellow tight end Luke Musgrave just hit the PUP list due to a neck injury. In short, the signing of Smith means practically nothing for fantasy purposes and shouldn’t indicate any kind of issue for Kraft.
There are also worries about a potential snap count for Kraft as he recovers from the torn ACL. He’s been on the field through training camp but didn’t appear in the preseason. However, that’s not discouraging either, at least beyond the early weeks. Per the tight end himself, the team may take his rep range into account until about midway through the year. In his own words, “Then they’re going to just pat me on the ass and send me out there, and send me to the wolves.”
Even if Kraft isn’t quite the same athlete in year one following his knee injury, he’s still sure to play a major role in this offense. His target share last season was quite solid and should remain steady in 2026, if not grow. Wideouts Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks both departed for new teams during the offseason, vacating 131 combined targets between the pair. The former saw a 19.3% share with a high 24.6% red-zone share last year; the latter had a much smaller role, but was still at 12.4% and 7.4%, respectively.
With those two players out of the picture, there are significantly more targets to go around as the Packers look to consolidate the pass-catching corps into the trio of Kraft, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden. Even if he isn’t the same after-the-catch threat as before, the star tight end could easily see an uptick in volume make up for a downturn in yardage – especially in PPR leagues. For what it’s worth, Josh Jacobs landing on the Commissioner’s Exempt list also means Green Bay may turn toward the passing game more, assuming the halfback is suspended for any amount of time.
Kraft’s 14.7 FPPG in PPR formats last season were the second most of any tight end, tied with other elite names like Brock Bowers and George Kittle. If he can get back to 75% of his old self and work into full form throughout the season while maintaining a role as one of the top target-earners on the Packers’ roster, there’s no reason Kraft can’t pay off his ADP in the middle rounds of fantasy football drafts, even coming off the injury. He’s a smash pick for those looking for a real standout at the position who could pop off down the stretch.
