Brock Bowers

Brock Bowers enters the 2026 fantasy season looking like one of the safest elite tight end bets in fantasy football. After a knee injury hampered him through much of 2025, he said in late May that he feels 100 percent and has been practicing full speed, which is exactly what fantasy managers wanted to hear heading into summer drafts.

The encouraging part is that the injury appears to be behind him rather than lingering into camp. Reports in late August describe him as recovered from the PCL injury and bone bruise, and recent fantasy notes say there has been no sign of a setback, with the Raiders’ decision to shut him down late last season framed as a move to get him right for 2026.

From a fantasy standpoint, Bowers still checks every box that matters: heavy target volume, top-tier route involvement, and little target competition on the Las Vegas depth chart. Even in an injury-shortened 2025, he remained highly productive, and current 2026 projections still place him near the top of the tight end position with roughly 97 catches, more than 1,000 yards, and about 7 to 8 touchdowns.

The bottom line is that Bowers should be drafted as a clear TE1 and a strong candidate to finish as the overall TE1 if his health holds. The only real question is whether the Raiders’ offense can be efficient enough to fully support his ceiling, but his talent, usage profile, and current health outlook make him one of the best fantasy bets on the board.