Harold Fannin Could be a Top 5 Fantasy Football Tight End

The Browns' offense is not somewhere where many fantasy flowers can be found growing. But despite an absence of star power, second-year tight end Harold Fannin could see a big enough opportunity to make him a superstar at the game's most volatile position.

Click here for more 2026 Player Profiles!

First Year Fun and Games

Coming into his first NFL season, many people's expectations for Harold Fannin were not exactly sky-high. Maybe he could steal a few looks here and there from David Njoku, the veteran in the tight end room? Perhaps become something of a red-zone weapon for the Browns? You know, something small to start with? Absolutely not, said Fannin. He led the Browns with 107 targets, 72 receptions and 731 yards. He also found the end zone seven times. Fannin's 19.4% target rate was fifth among all tight ends. Quite simply, he WAS the Browns' passing game. His deeds were good enough to see him earn 9.4 Half-PPR points per game, good for TE8 on the season.

Fannin flashed his skills as a downfield threat and a yards-after-catch artist, though he got more out of the latter than the former. As per PlayerProfiler, Fannin was ninth among all tight ends in seeing seven deep targets in 2025. He was also ninth in terms of unrealised air yards, with 267 yards disappearing like tears in the rain. Fannin was able to rack up 352 yards in YAC, the seventh most at the tight end spot. But the red zone work never really came, with Fannin seeing only ten looks inside the 20 all season long.

It was something of a testament to Fannin's skills as a receiver that he was able to establish fairly good chemistry with the pretty ordinary quarterbacks tasked with getting him the ball. Dillon Gabriel averaged 7.49 Adjusted Yards per Attempt when looking Fannin's way, while averaging a total of 5.3 yards for all attempts. Similarly, Shedeur Sanders showed off a 5.1 A/YA in his rookie season, but this jumped to 6.75 when targeting his tight end.

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same?

Much has changed in Cleveland ahead of the new season, but much remains the same. This is, I believe, good news for Fannin and his fantasy managers. Todd Monken is in as the new head coach, and he is a playcaller who has leaned toward the passing game throughout his career. Over his last five seasons as an NFL playcaller, his teams have averaged a neutral pass rate of 53.6%. Those numbers would be even higher but for his three seasons at 50% with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. The Browns do not possess a quarterback with the rushing ability of Lamar, and as such, the Browns will likely lean more on their passing game.

The Browns did not lose much by way of vacated targets from last season. Only 86 looks from 2025 are out the door. This leaves Fannin still atop a target totem pole with Jerry Jeudy the only established veteran for company. It should be noted that, of 39 players to see at least 100 targets in 2025, 38 averaged more Expected Points Added per target than Jeudy. The Browns did add receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston in the draft. These moves do bolster a receiving corps in desperate need of a boost. But as talented as they are, expecting rookies to come in and take command of a passing game when there's uncertainty about every single member of the quarterback room isn't the best approach, in my opinion. Fannin has the upper hand, given the chemistry he already has in place. As such, he is a good bet to feature among the leaders in tight end targets in 2026. This volume should help offset any lack of efficiency from the Browns passers.

There is a slight threat and cautionary tale for Fannin, and it is not something he can readily control. That is the Browns' schedule of games. According to Sharp Football Analysis, the Browns have the fourth-easiest slate of games in the entire league in 2026. Perhaps such a schedule could see the Browns lean on their ground game late in contests, and deny Fannin the chance to fill his boots. Or perhaps we can also consider that the Browns' projected win total in Vegas is just 6.5, and they may have more games that will be put on the arms of whichever quarterback they trot out that week. I lean toward the latter, personally.

Fantasy Outlook

Fannin is something of a value in drafts at the moment. Over on Underdog, he's being taken as the TE7. In our rankings, he is currently the TE6. Given a healthy target share and perhaps a sniff at more red zone work, Fannin could push for a top 4 finish in fantasy points per game. Plenty of targets in the short and intermediate areas of the field should make up for a lack of touchdown scoring, though Fannin wasn't exactly allergic to the paint as a rookie.

The Bottom Line

• Harold Fannin quickly established himself as the receiving leader for the Browns.
• The Browns added young playmakers to the offense this offseason, but Fannin may have the inside track with his quarterbacks.
• A boatload of targets should help prop up Fannin's fantasy output quite nicely, even without a stud passer getting him the ball.