The turning of the tide at the tight end position can be reflected by the top two at the position this year for fantasy redraft, but someone like Mason Taylor could be a massive rookie sleeper. Last year’s rookie, Brock Bowers and Trey McBride, well paid off their ADP from last offseason, as many are looking for a potential sleeper at the position to draft very late in one tight end leagues.
While rookie tight ends Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland both could be that sleeper, Mason Taylor steps into a clear starting role for the New York Jets from day one. Good news for his fantasy owners is that Justin Fields has had a high target rate to the tight end when he was with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers.
With his current PPR rank at 31st according to FantasyPros, Taylor could easily be a fast riser, even for redraft, and surpass many tight ends ranked in front of him. Let’s break down his fantasy impact in New York and more supporting reasons why the former LSU Tiger could be this year’s “Sam LaPorta“.
Mason Taylor Fantasy Impact for the Jets
The son of NFL great Jason Taylor was a second-round pick, and at 21 years old, is taking over the starting job that used to be Tyler Conklin‘s last year. The veteran tight end Conklin signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency, as the number of targets that need to be replaced is a pretty big number. That includes Davante Adams, who signed with the Rams this offseason and heads to LA as well.
The amount of vacant targets that Taylor could get early on could be significant, as the Jets’ only receivers outside of Garrett Wilson include veterans Allen Lazard and Josh Reynolds. This gives the rookie pass-catching weapon a perfect scenario to become the 2nd option in New York.
For LSU, Taylor is their all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards by a tight end over his three-year career as a Tiger. He had a career-high 55 catches, 546 yards, and two touchdowns in 2024 and could have a way better pro career than college with the name-brand talent at wide receiver there.
In his past two stops, Fields has a 24% target rate for tight ends, as he will need a reliable option in the red zone and in the middle of the field. This type of target rate was showcased last year with Pat Freiermuth, as he somehow finished 10th in fantasy PPR despite a slow start and with Fields benched halfway through the year.
Taylor is a Rookie Sleeper Tight End for Redraft
Even though Arthur Smith with the Steelers and Falcons has a track record of utilizing multiple tight ends, it could continue with the Jets. Their new offensive coordinator is Tanner Engstrand, who comes over from Detroit.
While they don’t have Ben Johnson calling plays, they do have an OC who is used to calling plays to a main tight end like LaPorta, as he broke out as a rookie and had a decent season in 2024. The former passing game coordinator from the Lions can utilize Taylor in a similar way, with his size and speed profile at tight end.
In terms of current ranking, I would take the new Jets tight end over many other options, as he his the clear third rookie tight end that should be taken. He could even threaten the top 20 at the position, as Loveland is ranked 17th and Warren 20th. I would argue for PPR, Taylor’s usage could be higher than those two rookies, despite potentially lower touchdown rates in the red zone.
With other rookie tight ends like Elijah Arroyo, Harold Fannin Jr., and Terrance Ferguson all around the same range/ tier, Taylor has the clear advantage and situation to jump way ahead into the 20s and is a current value at his ranking.
