Rashee Rice’s six-game suspension shakes KC’s Week 1 plan, forcing the Chiefs to lean on Skyy Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling while opening opportunities for younger receivers. Joe Mixon’s health chatter in Houston clouds the Texans’ backfield projections, and Indianapolis GM Chris Ballard’s comments on Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones hint at rookie upside with a coaching staff evaluating risk and reward. Lane Johnson sits down to discuss the Eagles’ looming protection tests with Barkley and Parsons in focus, while Micah Parsons’ back and impending contract talks add intrigue. Terry McLaurin returns to practice, Kyle Hamilton secures a record extension, and Adam Thielen’s Minnesota homecoming adds a veteran spark to the fantasy narrative.

Tyler Warren tops the 2025 TE sleepers, with T.J. Hockenson, Evan Engram, Dalton Kincaid, Elijah Arroyo, Sam LaPorta, Kyle Pitts, and Noah Fant also in fantasy windows. Warren could lead Indianapolis in targets from Week 1, delivering weekly upside as a rookie. Engram and Kincaid offer solid floors in high-volume offenses, while Arroyo, LaPorta, Ferguson, Fant, and Okonkwo present late-round dart throws with genuine breakout routes.

Five dark-horse tight ends with top-10 fantasy upside in 2025: T.J. Hockenson, Mark Andrews, Tyler Warren, Tucker Kraft, Colston Loveland. The tight end position is deeper than it’s been in years, with veterans still viable and a recent wave of productive rookies. Hockenson’s ACL recovery sets a redemption arc, Andrews remains a target machine, Warren could flip to a league-winner rookie path, Kraft should secure a clear role in Green Bay, and Loveland brings versatility and big-play ability in Chicago’s crowded offense.

Daniel Jones will start for Indianapolis, Ballard stating Jones earned the job this summer and that Anthony Richardson is not out of the picture. Steichen highlighted Jones’ consistency, ball placement, line checks, and overall operation of the offense as keys to the move, with Ballard comparing Jones to Alex Smith for ultimate professionalism. The Colts seek QB stability within a well-constructed roster.

Richardson’s stay on the roster is assured, and the move centers on steady quarterback play rather than forcing a young passer into the role. The dynamic emphasizes a long-term plan built on consistency at the position, not a fire-sale or upheaval, as Ballard stresses Jones’s strong summer and the team’s belief in a stable offense.

Middle-round tight end values rise in 2025 with Tucker Kraft, Evan Engram, Colston Loveland, Tyler Warren, and Jake Ferguson leading the charge. Kraft lands in Green Bay with a clear path to a bigger role despite crowded pass-catching and a new first-round WR. Engram brings veteran reliability to Denver as they lean on him for intermediate routes and red-zone chances. Loveland, Warren, and Ferguson provide upside corridors in Chicago, Indianapolis, and Dallas, each with tangible weekly ceiling in the right matchups.

Across the board, this trio of sleepers blends youth, athleticism, and system-fit, giving fantasy managers a solid floor with several boom weeks as offenses shift to speed and zone targeting. Draft strategy around these middling picks should mix floor reliability with high-ceiling flashes, stacking with QBs or WRs likely to benefit from increased TE involvement.