Sam LaPorta and his Merry Men: The 2023 Rookie Tight End Review

Neil Dutton
April 3, 2024

Sam LaPorta enjoyed one of the better rookie seasons for a tight end in NFL history. But he wasn’t the only fresh-faced newbie to come into the NFL at fantasy sports’ most toxic position in 2023. Indeed, the position has received a healthy boost of young talent in recent years. This talent is set to fill the void left by the inevitable drop-off from Travis Kelce as he gets up there in age. These are exciting times for fans of the TE spot, and dark days for those who seek the removal of the position from fantasy sports. Sucks to be one of those people at present, I can tell you.

With this in mind, here is a snapshot of the best-performing rookie TEs from last season. I’ve also included an observation on each as they head into their second seasons in the NFL.

Counting Stats

LaPorta’s numbers are the most eye-catching of this group. But Dalton Kincaid posted pretty respectable figures, and would probably have done better if not for the big problem he faced from within the Bills roster. But more on that later. The Packers’ youth movement at pass catcher extended to Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft, who were both usable at times in fantasy as rookies. Michael Mayer flashed at times, and I am confident we will see better things from him in the future.

Let’s take a look at some of the advanced metrics at the TE spot, and see how our rookies fared. The ranks below are based on the 45 TEs who saw at least 30 targets in 2023.

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Neil Dutton

Lead Writer, soft spot for the tight end position. Will never stop loving Duke Johnson.

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