If you've been on social media on the fourth Sunday in October in the last few years, you likely know all about "National Tight Ends Day."
Coined by George Kittle and the 49ers in 2018, the unofficial NFL holiday celebrates the contributions from a position quickly increasing in importance with 13 personnel becoming more common across the league.
My National Tight Ends Day props and NFL picks highlight five tight ends who should be on your props card this Sunday. Oct. 25, featuring Tyler Higbee.
National Tight Ends Day props
| Pick |  Probability |
|---|---|
 George Kittle anytime TD |
42% |
 Trey McBride anytime TD |
38% |
 Evan Engram 25+ rec yds |
44% |
 Tucker Kraft anytime TD |
35% |
 Tyler Higbee 40+ rec yds |
49% |
Percentages courtesy of Kalshi, one of the best prediction market apps. For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.
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Prop bet #1: George Kittle anytime TD
You can't have a National Tight Ends Day prop card without the godfather of the "holiday" on it, right?
George Kittle has scored a touchdown in three of the last four National Tight Ends Days, and looks poised to make it 4-for-5 against the Atlanta Falcons. I'd play this prop to 45%.
The San Francisco 49ers star draws a defense that ranks sixth against the rush by yards allowed per play, but 13th in net yards per pass attempt, so expect lots of dropbacks for Brock Purdy. The Falcons are eighth in pressure rate, so expect a lot of hurried throws as well.
When Purdy is under duress, he'll turn to his security blanket in Kittle.
Kittle is also part of Josh Inglis' NFL anytime touchdown scorer picks for Week 7.
Prop bet #2: Trey McBride anytime TD
Play to 40%.
Trey McBride is second only to Amon-Ra St. Brown in red-zone targets, trailing 16-13. Filter it to targets inside the 10-yard line, and McBride is pacing the NFL with nine grabs to Kittle's seven.
McBride and Jacoby Brissett clearly have a rapport, and it should be on display against the Denver Broncos this Sunday.
It's reasonable to assume the Arizona Cardinals (+4.5) will be playing catch-up in this game, necessitating lots of dropbacks for Brissett. The Broncos are a mediocre 18th in yards allowed to tight ends in 2026, with three touchdowns surrendered.
Prop bet #3: Evan Engram 25+ receiving yards
Staying with the Broncos-Cardinals game, I expect Evan Engram to eclipse a low receiving yards bar, and would go all the way to 50% to keep it in my portfolio.
The Cards stop unit checks in 24th in yards allowed per game to tight ends. While Engram has only cleared this line in two of six games, it's worth noting that three of his misses occurred vs. teams ranked inside the Top 5 in yards allowed per game to tight ends.
Arizona is also sixth-worst in average depth of target (8.8 yards), so Engram could even clear this prop with just one catch if we're lucky.
Prop bet #4: Tucker Kraft anytime TD
The Detroit Lions are an automatic fade when it comes to tight end props, so I'm playing Tucker Kraft TD prop to 40%.
This Lions stop unit is dead-last in the NFL in yards allowed per game to the position with 109. The next-worst team is the Cincinnati Bengals at 90.9, with the third-worst being the Buffalo Bills at 77.5.
Detroit is also last in targets (13), receptions (10.9), and touchdowns (1.8) allowed to tight ends on a per-game basis.
Kraft has a hearty six red-zone targets in 2026, with five grabs and a touchdown. He also beat this Lions defense for six points in Week 1 of the 2025 season.
Prop bet #5: Tyler Higbee 40+ receiving yards
The hits just keep on coming for Los Angeles Rams. They lost Davante Adams for 6-10 weeks, and saw Puka Nacua leave Thursday's practice early.
Even if Nacua plays on Sunday, Adams' targets will have to go somewhere, and I believe Tyler Higbee will fill the void. His 40+ receiving yards prop looks good to 53%.
The Las Vegas Raiders are sixth-worst in receptions allowed to tight ends per game, and second-worst in the NFL in average depth of target.
Higbee has beaten this line in three of his last four overall.
What is National Tight Ends Day?
National Tight Ends Day is an annual NFL celebration honoring one of football’s most versatile positions.
Observed on every fourth Sunday of October, the unofficial holiday recognizes tight ends for their ability to impact games as both pass-catchers and blockers.
The tradition was popularized by San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, who helped bring attention to the position with his enthusiastic celebrations and social media posts.
For NFL fans, Tight Ends Day is also an opportunity to spotlight some of the league’s top players at the position, including their potential to rack up receiving yards, score touchdowns, and make an impact in fantasy football and player prop markets.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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