Auction Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: 3 TEs to Target
Target the best value TEs in your fantasy football auction draft with these three recommendations from Tipp Major.
Come on, I need to make a trip back to Auction-Mart. Let’s go. I waited on TE in my fantasy football auction draft, and now it’s time to grab one. Last season, I paid for one of those high-end TEs and ended up with a lemon with a balky knee. So this year, I’m saving my coins.
Plus, I went a little HAM at RB and spent most of my budget there. That means we aren’t walking into the TE aisle throwing money around.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t find value. We saw some cheap TEs pay off last season, and this year we’ve got even more depth, with some talented TEs landing in spots that could finally get the most out of them.
You already know the rules at Auction-Mart: we’re heading straight to the clearance racks, looking for bargains first.
3 Tight Ends to Target in Auction Fantasy Football Drafts
Dallas Goedert (Consensus Value: $12)
Hold on! Look at that end cap. There’s a SALE sign in green and silver. Ohhh, it’s Dallas Goedert—and at $12, this feels like a no-brainer.
A.J. Brown and his 121 targets are gone, so where will those opportunities go? Philadelphia added Makai Lemon, who is nursing a hamstring injury, and Dontayvion Wicks, but building chemistry with Jalen Hurts could take time.
Goedert doesn’t have that problem. Their connection was one of the few bright spots in Philadelphia’s offense last season. After averaging 3.4 touchdowns per season before 2025, Goedert erupted for 11.
You also love hearing “12 personnel” when shopping for a fantasy TE. OC Sean Mannion can use his receivers’ speed to stretch defenses, opening the middle for Goedert to create after the catch. We’ve seen that ability before: Goedert finished inside the top 10 among tight ends with 320 YAC yards in 2023.
At this price, Goedert is one of the easiest items to throw into the cart.
T.J. Hockenson (Consensus Value: $7)
Hitting 1,000 receiving yards is a major accomplishment for a TE. T.J. Hockenson has never reached that mark, and he probably won’t this season either. But that doesn’t mean he can’t provide plenty of fantasy value.
Hockenson can make his mark in the short areas of the field, particularly in the red zone. Those opportunities are important when shopping for a fantasy TE, and the Vikings have consistently featured Hockenson this offseason.
The potential upgrade at QB should create even more opportunities. Defenses will have their hands full containing Kyler Murray’s scrambling ability while finding ways to slow down Justin Jefferson. That should leave Hockenson plenty of room to settle into soft spots in zone coverage and pile up receptions.
If the red-zone packages Murray and Hockenson have been working on carry over into the season, Hockenson could easily set a career high in touchdowns. At a $7 auction price, that’s the kind of upside worth buying.
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Tyler Warren (Consensus Value: $22)
I know I’ve been preaching bargains, but sometimes you’ve gotta spend money to get what you want. Tyler Warren is the perfect example of paying up at TE without completely breaking the bank.
If Warren is your guy and you’re prepared to spend his projected $22 price, don’t open anywhere near it. Start around $7–12 and give yourself a chance to steal him below market value.
Warren recently tweaked his groin, but the injury doesn’t appear serious. Use that uncertainty to your advantage. If it scares off another bidder or two, you could land a premium TE and save money elsewhere.
Even with Keenan Allen joining the offense, I don’t expect Warren’s target share to take a major hit. The bigger concern is Daniel Jones’ health. You don’t want Warren relying on backup Anthony Richardson to consistently get him the football.
A 17% increase in targets would put Warren near 135, giving him 1,000-yard, eight-touchdown upside. That might cost a few more coins, but it would still be money well spent at Auction-Mart.
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