Steaming Pile of Streaming Tight Ends
Finding a fill-in at the tight-end position is never fun, but here in this article, we’ll dive into a few options if you still need to snag a reliable player at the position who is still widely available in most fantasy leagues. This week, we are looking at six teams on a bye; with T. J. Hockenson, Cole Kmet, star rookie Dalton Kincaid, and recent Mark Andrews replacement Isaiah Likely, we are hurting more than ever to find a streamer.
Evan Engram gets the Bengals, who sadly offer the worst tight end defense in the league and just coughed up over 100 yards this past week to Pat Freiermuth. Is this the week we finally get Engram’s touchdown?? Jake Ferguson and David Njoku also draw favorable matchups this week, but all eyes are on the Philadelphia Eagles this week, who are cautiously optimistic that Dallas Goedert might return from a forearm injury suffered in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Meanwhile, Cade Otton is quietly emerging as a fairly consistent option for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since Week 6, he has seen less than four targets only once and drew as many as nine in an outing against the Houston Texans. Juwan Johnson is poised to be a beneficiary of the lack of pass catchers going into Week 13, as teammates Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, and Rashid Shaheed could all miss this game, leaving the big, agile tight end with plenty of targets. Finally, Green Bay Packers rookie Tucker Kraft is someone to keep an eye on. He has taken over for fellow rookie Luke Musgrave, who landed on Injured Reserve and is most likely out for the season. Kraft gets a tough draw against the Chiefs this week but the Packers tight ends have received a solid volume of targets. Kraft, who already has his first NFL touchdown under his belt, has a shot at being a worthwhile fantasy producer for the rest of the season.
Logan Thomas
Commander of Targets
In a week where we’re missing so many vital teams to bye weeks, targeting a tight end from the game with the highest over/under is a good place to start. This Sunday, the second-highest-scoring team, the Miami Dolphins, face the Washington Commanders, who lead the league in pass attempts. The matchup boasts an implied point total of 50, a very high number and one that has our attention. The Dolphins are averaging a double-digit point total allowed to opposing tight ends, and Logan Thomas has finished as the leading receiver for this Commanders team before. He is one of my higher-owned recommendations this week and a player who can be started with confidence.
Gerald Everett
The Lightning Rod
After pulling in a touchdown last week, it’s time to find out if lightning strikes twice at the same position. Gerald Everett is one of the few healthy pass catchers left for the Chargers, which also plays in his favor. They draw the New England Patriots this week, a team that typically does not give up a ton of points to the position. However, Everett will be lined up against Ja’Whaun Bentley, who Pro Football Focus has graded 40th at the position. The Vegas line for this game is much lower than you would normally want to flirt with (only 40 points), but luckily the Patriots are on the other side of this game, leaving an implied point total of 23 for the Chargers. Justin Herbert has been a huge fan of his big tight ends in the red zone, and with questions surrounding Austin Ekeler‘s productivity, another solid game for Gerald Everett wouldn’t be a surprise at all.
Adam Trautman
Let’s Ride
With Greg Dulcich possibly looking at an extended stint on IR, the path is clearing up for Adam Trautman this week. Trautman is another player that we are targeting after a touchdown last week, and he stares down a juicy matchup against the third-worst team against the tight end position, the Houston Texans. With a matchup so favorable to the tight end position, you just have to jump on that Bronco and hold on. Funny enough, the Denver Broncos are actually the worst team in the league at defending the position, so if Dalton Schultz is somehow available, grab him; he should be in for a great day, as well. This game comes in as the second-highest scoring slate for the week from an over/under perspective, so both teams should be looking at three touchdowns apiece. With such a small target share going to the tight end position from Russell Wilson an end zone catch will be needed to make Trautman a fantasy asset this week. He has the lowest floor of any recommendation this week, but he makes the list nonetheless.
Tyler Conklin
Conk me on the head till it’s over
I know, I know. Before you say anything, it hurts me to type this out…maybe as much as you having to read that I’m suggesting a New York Jet as a streamer. Well, folks, it gets even uglier if you keep digging deeper into the free agent pool. This game shouldn’t be a high-scoring event, as neither team boasts an implied point total of 20 points or more. The saving grace for Tyler Conklin is volume, not the possibility of a touchdown like it is with Trautman. Tim Boyle, who gets the start again this week, threw it 38 times last week as they got boat-raced by the Dolphins. The same may not be true in the sense of points this week, but the Falcons are quite stingy in the running game, which may force a more pass-heavy approach. Also, Desmond Ridder is back behind center for the Falcons and can be turnover-prone, especially against a defense like the New York Jets. The Jets also rank in the Top 10 at targeting the tight end position. Conklin should see plenty of passes, even if they are only five yards from the line of scrimmage.
Let me know what you think about these players! Any questions? Please find me on Twitter/X @TooMuch_Brian.
Photos by Rene Böhmer/Unsplash and Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire | Featured Image by Ethan Kaplan (@DJFreddie10 on Twitter and @EthanMKaplanImages on Instagram)