Streaming Tight Ends
It’s only Week 3, and everything is as wonky as ever in the tight end department. We spent decent draft capital on some “solid” mid-round players, and they aren’t helping our teams in the slightest. Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce, Evan Engram, and TJ Hockenson continue to leave us speechless. Meanwhile, we can’t decide which Packers Wide Receiver to grab, and Tucker Kraft is looking to claim the YAC trophy for the season. He blew up in a Thursday night game with 6 receptions for 124 yards and a score. In the same game, Zach Ertz continues as a main piece of the Commanders’ offense despite our lack of drafting him. Juwan Johnson finishes third on the week after a 9-target game where he found the end zone. Trey McBride continues his consistency, as well as rookie Tyler Warren, who may be in the top tier going forward. Ja’Tavion Sanders enters the top ten this week, and his hopes of carving a consistent role for the Panthers look to be alive still. Luke Ferrell was the tight end who caught the touchdown for the 49ers this week. We may be left frustrated with the work for the position on this team. Finally, Harold Fannin seems to be a legit piece in this offense, and I love his upside compared to David Njoku for the rest of the season.
And now, here are a handful of my favorite streaming options for you all to consider this week:
Zach Ertz
Top Tier and Still Available
After these first two weeks, it’s hard to believe he is still available in 57% of leagues. I’d be willing to bet that number spikes this week. It’s hard to think that someone would need to be convinced to play the guy with 9 receptions, 90 yards, and two scores, and sits as the second-best player at his position thus far. The Commanders draw the Raiders this week, and they will be without Austin Ekeler for the remainder of the season, opening up a lot of targets in the short area of the field. Look for Zach Ertz to continue to be an integral part of this offense until something changes.
Juwan Johnson
This Saint Keeps Marching
He made the list last week, and he will continue his journey here until the roster percentage rises. At 46%, Juwan Johnson is running an unreal amount of routes, and it simply cannot be ignored. We know from history that a Kellen Moore offense enjoys utilizing the slot, and Johnson has seen 56.2% of his snaps out of the slot, which is the 6th highest at the tight end position from guys that have run at least three snaps. The Saints will have a tough matchup with the Seahawks this week, but the true talent there is the secondary. Chris Olave and Rasheed Shahid will find themselves busy with the secondary, leaving Johnson another potential target to feast on.
Chig Okonkwo
Homerun Cam, don’t let me down.
My first two guys seem like easy shots here, so we are digging a bit deeper here and going with Chig Okonkwo. Traditionally, this is the age of the position where we more often predict the breakout. It’s often said that tight end is the hardest position to learn. Chig finds himself coming into year four and as unreal athletic ability, another trait you look for. So far this season, he has seen ten targets, not the best, but it’s something. Rookie quarterback Cam Ward has shown through two games, despite playing two of the toughest defenses, that he is willing to chuck it deep and go for the big play, another piece in the streaming tight end recipe. The new defensive coordinator for the Colts loves to take away a team’s best option, as we’ve seen the last two weeks with Tyreek Hill and Courtland Sutton being shut down. Calvin Ridley would most likely see that blanket hit him, leaving the game in the hands of rookie receiver Elic Ayomanor, who has drawn a decent target share thus far, but I like Chig to work himself in there and at least be available for a big downfield play.
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 Peter Joneleit / Icon Sportswire