Steaming Pile of Streaming TEs
Week 2- The Veto Card
I groggily step into the bathroom for my morning shower, rub my eyes, and hope that hot water will awaken my senses. To my surprise, I find a eucalyptus plant suspended from the showerhead. With a perplexed look, I turn to my wife, who’s grinning from ear to ear, and she proudly declares, “It’s for the spa-like experience, dear.”
Now, I possess what I affectionately call my veto card, a tool I’ve honed to perfection through years of matrimonial teamwork. It’s my secret weapon, my last resort, my ace in the hole. With a raise of an eyebrow and a well-timed quip, I’ve carefully chosen my spots to delicately exercise it. Just like the emergency brake in a runaway train, the veto card is sometimes necessary…that’s what I tell myself, anyway.
On this fateful morning, however, my overruled veto card proved as useless as most tight ends in fantasy football. Yes, the very idea of drafting tight ends gets my veto card, as the best way to go about this position is not spending high-end draft capital on the position, but rather streaming and playing matchups. Scavenging the waiver wire for low-cost “fixes” to your fantasy lineup without season-long commitments feels like a perfect balance between aesthetics and practicality in home decor: it works, but there’s always uncertainty lurking.
As I stand there in my aromatic rainforest of a shower, I realize that much like my veto card, tight ends often don’t yield the desired results. Nonetheless, in the world of fantasy football, fantasy managers must optimistically embrace streaming tight ends with the same enthusiasm that my wife keeps for her spa-like shower experience.
In this article, we’ll get you one step closer to fantasy glory with every waiver wire pickup by navigating the art of streaming tight ends. Beginning with Week 2, we’ll explore matchups, injuries, and target opportunities to help you make informed decisions. While my veto card may not always win the day, your strategic moves in fantasy football can certainly lead you to victory. So, let’s dive in and uncover the gems that could elevate your fantasy team in Week 2 and beyond.
“Steady Eddies”
These tight ends provide a steady presence in your lineup, offering reliability without the frills.
Zach Ertz
No, you haven’t stumbled onto an article from 2020. We really are here talking about Zach Ertz, who led all Cardinals pass catchers with 10 targets in Week 1. In fact, he led all tight ends in the entire league in targets, one of which was a touchdown grab that was just out of reach. Ertz is the lone feather of fantasy relevance in a Cardinals offense that’s in shambles. This offense may not inspire much, but given the price, Ertz will more than pay dividends.
Look for: 7 catches, 62 yards against the Giants in Week 2
Jake Ferguson
If Week 1 taught us anything, it’s that Ferguson’s biggest limitation may not be Dak Prescott and this offense, but rather a defense won’t let them on the field enough to put up numbers. We also know Dak loves himself a dependable tight end: he has consistently delivered over a 20 percent target share to the tight end position (over 24 percent last year). In a game where the Cowboys needed nothing more than to hand it to Tony Pollard a few times per drive, Ferguson still came away with 6 targets, one of which was in the end zone. If Brandin Cooks misses this game with a nagging knee injury, expect Ferguson to see even more than his usual workload.
Look for: 4 catches, 63 yards, 1 TD against the Jets in Week 2
Luke Musgrave
Musgrave came out of his first game as a big surprise, but should he have been? The age-old tale that rookie tight ends rarely do anything is backed by data, but one glaring piece of context that matters here: they typically don’t get opportunities. Musgrave, one of many first or second-year skill players on this team, is someone who might break this mold. The rookie saw four targets on the day and pulled in the longest catch of the week by any tight end in the NFL. Reservations abounded going into the season about the Packers, but we can breathe a small sigh of relief after watching this team come out firing in Week 1. Jordan Love‘s ability to drive the ball downfield will benefit this uber-athletic TE, who profiles as a playmaker with an impressive size/speed combination.
Look for: 5 catches, 84 yards against the Falcons in Week 2
“Touchdown Hunters”
These middle-tier tight ends are always on the hunt for touchdowns,
making them valuable for fantasy managers seeking end-zone celebrations.
Hayden Hurst
Watching Hurst and the Panthers was pure drudgery. A rookie quarterback struggled in large part due to the lack of quality talents in the receiving core. Rookie wide receiver Jonathan Mingo will have every opportunity to contribute this year, as will veteran Adam Thielen, but Hurst is the primary target in this offense until further notice. Hurst walked away with seven targets, five catches (three of which were first downs), and 41 yards. That stat line doesn’t get the needle moving much until we remember that Hurst is a tight end. His target quality has nowhere to go but up, even if Bryce Young’s height does not. Hurst should be a primary end zone target for this team…if it can make its way down to that portion of the field.
Look for: 6 catches, 60 yards against the Saints in Week 2
Durham Smythe
Some believe that River Cracraft and Braxton Berrios profile as the best candidates to be the third recipient of Tua Tagovailoa‘s passes in this Dolphins offense, but Smythe wants a piece of the action, as well. Tua threw the ball 45 times, and I don’t think we can expect that kind of passing volume weekly, it was a great sign to seem Smythe draw seven targets. Six of those were as the first read! With an 84.8 percent route run per dropback, we see Smythe much more involved than Mike Gesicki was in this offense last year. Smythe finished the week with the second most routes run by the TE position. While he did see a lone endzone target, Smythe couldn’t bring it in, and being able to do so going forward will ultimately be the deciding factor in his fantasy relevance.
Look for: 4 catches, 53 yards against the Patriots in Week 2
“Gut Feel Gambles”
These long-shot tight ends might not seem like the logical choice,
but sometimes, your gut feeling can lead to surprising fantasy success.
Logan Thomas
Now, this is the point of the article where most will close up shop. I get it. If you see the name “Logan Thomas,” it’s fair to wonder what rookie I could be talking about because I can’t possibly be talking about that old Virginia Tech quarterback who feels like he hasn’t put together a full season since Tom Brady was member of a New England Patriots…right? Well, the grizzled veteran somehow tied for the team lead in targets Sunday with seven. New offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has been adamant about involving Thomas more all offseason, and we know from his time with the Chiefs the tight end has been a vital part of his offense! Denver has a great defense, so it’s fair to expect their corners to lock up or at least try to limit Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, leaving a good portion of the field open for Thomas to work yet again.
Look for: 4 catches, 76 yards, 1 TD against the Broncos in Week 2