Fantasy Football Outlook: Tyler Warren(ts) a Fringe TE1 Ranking

The Colts had added pass catchers in the first three rounds in each of the last three drafts, and they made it a fourth by selecting TE Tyler Warren with the 14th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The former Nittany Lion joins a team with a huge hole at the TE position, but could face some target competition in an offense that was fairly run-heavy in 2024.

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Tyler Warren: The Prospect

After just 49 total receptions from 2020-2023, Warren became the focal point of Penn State’s offense last season, and he dominated with a whopping 104-1233-8 receiving line, with an additional 26 carries for 218 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. At 6’6, 257 pounds, he led college football in red-zone targets with 19, catching 84% of them (16) for seven touchdowns.

His massive size makes him tough to bring down, and he wins at contested passes, plus gets open in the short and middle areas of the field. Warren has also showcased quickness and open-field rushing prowess, and is stepping into a favorable position in Indianapolis.

Tyler Warren in the Colts' Offense

The Colts taking a TE was not a surprise, but Warren falling into their lap was not necessarily expected. The blueprint for drafting the position was glaringly obvious. In 2024, their TE room, which consisted of Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Andrew Ogletree, and Will Mallory, averaged .9 half-PPR points per contest. Do not adjust your eyes. .9 is correct. Indianapolis TEs together posted a league-low 39 receptions for 467 yards and two touchdowns, which were also bottom-three categories in the NFL.

Of course, the non-elephant in the room is indeed the QB play, as all Indy pass catchers suffered last season with a struggling Anthony Richardson to start and then had some success with Joe Flacco. We’re now looking at a competition between Richardson and newly added Daniel Jones, who had his own share of disappointments in 2024.

Some good news is that Warren’s ability to win vertically, along with his good hands, aligns well with QBs who aren't the most accurate. While targets may be tougher to come by since the roster is stacked with Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, Adonai Mitchell, and of course, Jonathan Taylor, snaps should be plentiful as Warren should slide in as a TE1 for the Colts.

Projecting Warren’s Fantasy Value

Red zone touchdowns for the Colts have primarily gone through Taylor in recent years, and he’ll still likely see the bulk, but Warren’s arrival could take some away from whichever QB wins the job. The 22-year-old did cross the pylon four times as a rusher last season for Penn State and has the ability to be used in multiple ways for Shane Steichen.

Assuming he wins the starting TE job and the possibility of his being a safety valve for poor QB accuracy, along with Swiss Army Knife capabilities, Warren lines up to be a low-end TE1/TE2 for fantasy purposes. The old adage that rookies aren’t fantasy assets has been shattered in recent seasons, and Warren has the physical talent and possible volume to at least be in the conversation. His current Underdog ADP is a bit rich as TE7 at pick 9.05, which will likely slide some due to landing spot, and he should settle more in the TE11-TE14 range.

As far as his teammates, Pittman, Downs, Pierce, and Mitchell are all already discounted due to the QB situation. Their positional ADPs are WR54, WR50, WR73, and WR80, respectively, and likely won’t change much due to Warren’s arrival.

Bottom Line

• Tyler Warren was drafted 14th overall by Indianapolis and joins a team with little to no TE production in 2024.
• Warren is a big-bodied TE with good hands, quickness, and the ability to dominate contested catches. He’s also versatile and can be used all over the field.
• The Colts QB situation is not ideal, but Warren may be the beneficiary of less-than-accurate passes and could even snag some red zone work from Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones.
• Warren’s current Underdog ADP is TE7, but he should be considered more of a fringe TE1 with upside heading into his rookie campaign.