Streaming Tight Ends
Week 1 is in the books, and we could not be more disappointed across the board for all at the tight end position not named Isaiah Likely. He cleaned up against the Chiefs as they blanketed Mark Andrews, leaving Likely open repeatedly. With no confidence in any tight ends leaving Week 1, where do we go from here? If you need a bit of grounding, here are the top TEs from Week 1, 2023: Hunter Henry, Hayden Hurst, Donald Parham, Blake Bell, and Harrison Bryant. I think we are okay with waiting another week to make judgments.
The first game of the week should give the Bills a high enough over/under to leave some work for Dalton Kincaid against the Dolphins, although we watched the Bills’ offense struggle to get going last week against the Cardinals. On the other side of that Week 1 matchup, it wasn’t the 9 targets that minimized Trey McBride; he only turned it into 5 catches for 30 yards. It was sad to see him not take advantage of a strong opportunity. Let’s look for a bounceback this week for both players.
Kyle Pitts was the only TE drafted inside the top 12 to finish there in Week 1, and it came on the back of a wide-open touchdown. In a match with Philly this week, I like to see him exploit the young and beat up Eagles secondary. Taysom Hill was third of the Saints’ tight ends in terms of weekly finish… have we learned our lesson? Nope! It’s a gamble, but with not many clear paths and injuries to David Njoku and Jake Ferguson, you could do a lot worse than the guy seeing multiple rushes and end zone targets.
Most of these guys are already owned, so here are some of my favorite more profound plays this week that are more widely available.
Isaiah Likely
2024 Number 1 TE…so far
Did you think we would get through this without talking about him? Not Likely! He broke out on opening night, bringing in nine of his 12 targets for over 100 yards and a score. The coaches told us this offseason they wanted to get him more involved but no one would have guessed to this extent. Let’s manage our expectations, though: Mark Andrews has consistently been put in check by the Chiefs over the last five games. The Ravens ran 12 personnel at a 52% percent rate (2 TEs on the field), and that was nearly 10 more than the number one team last year, the Falcons. I don’t expect that number to continue all season but I think it will be on the higher side, leaving plenty of opportunities for Isaiah Likely.
Prediction: 7 targets, 5 receptions, 66 yards
Colby Parkinson
Puka replacement?
Well, here we are, trying to find the person who will absorb the targets for Puka Nucua, who was placed on IR following the Rams’ Week 1 loss. The Rams play in 11 personnel at the highest rate, which puts three wide receivers on the field. That can hamper the upside of Colby Parkinson, but his competition is an aged Demarcus Robinson or the late-round rookie Tyler Johnson. The battlefield that is the streaming TE is rough right now, but Parkinson gives some hope to score each week.
Predictions: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 33 yards, 1 TD
Gerald Everett
I’ll be waiting for my drug test after this one.
Thank you to those of you who even gave this blurb the time of day. We’re going deep here for those degenerate super-deep leagues and the type of person who wants to be hurt at the end of each week. Enter Gerald Everett! For those who don’t know, he plays for the Bears now. He followed the OC over from Seattle to play behind Cole Kmet. He’s now in a crowded tight-end room, waiting behind an even more congested, expansive receiver room. The part we are focusing on here is that he was the tight end going out and running routes. He ran more than Cole Kmet as he was left blocking. Caleb Williams finished the game with only 93 yards passing, but that will change. In a matchup with Houston, we could see the Bears find some life on the offense. It’s a scary play, but with Rome Odunze going in for an MRI and Keenan Allen hobbled after the game, Everett could be a reliable outlet for the first overall pick.
Prediction: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 40 yards, TD
Let me know what you think about these players! Any questions? Please find me on Twitter/X @TooMuch_Brian.
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by Mark Goldman / Icon Sportswire