Streaming Tight Ends
If you’re here, then that means you’ve made it to the second round of the playoffs. Congratulations are certainly in order – but if you’re here, that also means you’re still scouring the waiver wire in the second round of the playoffs, which is not a great place to be.
Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we will address the most inconsistent and underwhelming position in fantasy football: the tight end.
So, without further adieu, let’s dive into a few deep streamers with TE1 upside in Week 16.
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Brenton Strange
Stranger Things Have Happened.
Brenton Strange is a name you may have heard me talk about on the QBList podcast this offseason. He is an absolute athletic freak, posting a 9.09 RAS (Relative Athletic Score) at the combine. While the RAS does not count for everything, it is an indicator of elite athleticism and likely helped vault him into the second round of the 2023 draft.
The problem with Strange has never been talent but opportunity. With Evan Engram ahead of him on the depth chart, it made much more sense for Strange to watch and learn from a seasoned veteran, especially since TE is widely regarded as the most difficult position to learn in football. It often takes many years for players to live up to their potential, and if you need an example of this, then let’s just use… I don’t know… Evan Engram.
Strange has shown promise with limited opportunity, but with Engram now out for the year, he slid right into the starting role this week against the Jets. With 11 receptions (12 targets) for 73 receiving yards, Strange is currently the TE4 on the week (before kickoff Monday).
In Week 16, the Jaguars travel to Las Vegas to battle the Raiders for the first overall pick. If I were a betting man (which, obviously, I am), I would project Strange to be in line for another 6-8 targets this week as +1.5 underdogs to the 29th-ranked defense in PPG to opposing TEs.
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Dalton Kincaid
The Dalton Highway
This one feels a little weird, considering where he was drafted preseason, but after missing the past three games due to a knee injury, there is a reasonable chance he can be found on your waiver wire.
Kincaid’s return to Buffalo resulted in a (tied for) team-high target share (21.9%), with four receptions for 53 yards. What the stat sheet doesn’t show was a negated 10-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter, which would have skyrocketed him up this conversation.
The Bills are at home against the Patriots this week, who are middle of the pack (16th) in PPG to opposing TEs. The game script does worry me, but with a team-implied total of 29.5, it would appear that Vegas does not expect head coach Sean McDermott to let off the gas in this rivalry.
Kincaid most certainly has the most upside of any potential streamer, and in fantasy, you play to win. Keep an eye on the weather, of course, but either way, I would have no problem shooting for the moon with Kincaid this week.
Jake Ferguson
Fergalicious Step.
It’s been a season to forget for Jake Ferguson (and all Cowboys fans).
After finishing as the TE8 in 2023, a myriad of injuries have kept Ferguson off the field and out of the endzone through the first 15 weeks of the season. So why should he still be on our radar?
Well, fresh off a three-touchdown performance against the Panthers, Cooper Rush has been quietly serviceable since taking over for the injured Dak Prescott. Now, my blind, deaf cat could probably throw for three touchdowns against the Panthers, but it’s encouraging nonetheless. Unfortunately for Jake, there was apparently some unknown rule written into the scripture this week that only players named Jalen would be allowed to score in this game (Tolbert, Brooks, Coker).
Ferguson has been quiet since returning from his concussion in Week 11, but at an extremely touchdown-dependent position, I’m always willing to take a shot on the player who saw the most red zone looks in the league last year. He has seen four and six targets over the past two games, and the opportunity should be there once again as +3.5 underdogs against the Buccaneers, who rank 27th in PPG to TEs.
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Godspeed, my friends.
All research and writing was completed by Nick Beaudoin (@DynastyBode)
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by David Rosenblum / Icon Sportswire