Streaming Tight Ends
We were met again with another disappointing week. After many elite Travis Kelce seasons, we finally see the average draft position of the top tight ends fall, and we think this is the year I’m scooping huge value. False! George Kittle takes the belt home for the week as the best play at the position. Only three other tight ends finished in the top 12 and were drafted in the top 16 at the position. Brock Bowers continues to crush, as the rookie brought in all nine of his targets.
This week, I like a handful of these guys to bounce back. Dallas was embarrassed by the Saints, but the Ravens dropped their first two games, making this a crucial matchup between the teams; Mark Andrews should be fed in this battle. Andrews ran 28 routes to Isaiah Likely’s 18. Trey McBride runs routes at a ridiculous rate, solidifying himself as a staple in this high-flying Cardinals offense. Dalton Kincaid has not lived up to the hype from the offseason. With the targets being spread to all pass catchers, we should see a get-right game for Josh Allen’s second-year target.
If you’re looking for alternatives to the studs, Derek Carr and the Saints have scored on every single drive this season, scoring over 40 points in both games. Juwan Johnson and Taysom Hill are dart throws every week, but the points should spread around more evenly as this team continues to succeed in this new Klint Kubiak offense. Greg Dulcich saw over a 20% target share this past week, which is an excellent indication of TE success despite being a below-average offense. Luke Schoonmaker filled in with a perfect Jake Ferguson impression, pulling double-digit sore and a 14.7% target share.
Most of these guys are already rostered, so here are some of my favorite more profound plays this week that are more widely available.
Hunter Henry
Target Hunting
This should be an easy sell. Hunter Henry saw 12 targets last week. The Patriots threw the ball 27 times, and Henry was on the end of 12 of those targets. He is now leading the NFL at the position in target share. Nearly 43% of the Patriot’s throws go to the tight end position, leading the league. Only Malik Nabers, Chris Godwin, and Amon-Ra St. Brown have a higher target share than Henry. He is coming up on a tougher bout between division rivals, the New York Jets. Their top talent is on the outside, leaving him with a good shot of returning fantasy results from the middle of the field.
Prediction: 8 targets, 5 receptions, 46 yards, 1 TD
Brenton Strange
Who is this guy?
Many of us were smacked in the mouth with the sudden notification of Evan Engram sitting out Sunday due to a hamstring injury. I put us in a tizzy looking for a sudden fill in and the answer was sitting on the Jaguars roster. Brenton Strange plugged into the starting role, and based on the game stats, you would’ve never known it wasn’t Engram. At first glance, he brought it only 65 yards, but a closer look shows he was second on the team in yards while also finishing second in target share at 20%. If Strange draws the start again this week, which is possible with a hamstring, he’ll find himself against a defense trying to find its way in a world without linebacker Matt Milano leaving the middle of the field for Strange to feast.
Predictions: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 73 yards
Mike Gesicki
Eye of the Tiger
You’d think he was Forrest Gump the way he’s run all over the U.S. from team to team over the last few years. Mike Gesicki has flashed his athleticism for his entire career and seemingly always found the worst system to go to in free agency. And in an off-season where he goes to a team that has routinely not used the tight end, Gesicki may be emerging as a usable asset each week. Finishing last week with 8 of his 9 targets for 91 yards he looks to continue his work against a weak Commanders team on Monday Night Football. A softer finish in Week 1 was offset by a would-be game-winning touchdown in the final seconds, after which the NFL came out to say the catch should have stood. With Higgins projected to miss another week, the tight end should be trusted until he shows otherwise, especially following a week he had a team-leading 25% target share.
Prediction: 6 targets, 5 receptions, 77 yards
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