Heading into Monday Night Football, Dalton Schultz leads all tight ends in PPR scoring for Week 2 with 26 points on a mind-blowing 14 targets. Travis Kelce delivered another throwback performance, currently leading all NFL players in yards after catch. Meanwhile, Colston Loveland continued to disappoint, improving from his 0 points in Week 1 to a paltry 1.3 points in Week 2.
Our streamers from last week turned in a mixed bag of performances. Cade Otton earned six targets, catching five for 38 yards but failing to score a touchdown as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers struggled in their upset loss to the Cleveland Browns. Similarly, Pat Freiermuth earned five targets, notching four receptions for 32 yards. Freiermuth added one rush for two yards in a game the Steelers failed to get anything going on offense. Darren Waller, benefiting from the Carolina Panthers’ surprising hot start on offense, grabbed two touchdowns on just three receptions en route to a top-5 finish in PPR scoring at the position.
This week, we have some additional clarity on what every tight end’s role in their offense looks like. We also have some injuries opening up some new opportunities to land a multi-week starter. To that end, Zach Ertz signed to the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad after Dallas Goedert went down with a knee injury. It seems like Ertz will suit up in some capacity this week, and while he’s tough to trust this week, he could have a valuable role for the Eagles until Goedert returns. He does not make the cut for streamers this week, but he’s a name to watch going forward.
Pat Freiermuth
Rostered in 20% of Sleeper leagues / 13% of Yahoo leagues / 21.6% of ESPN leagues
Pat Freiermuth makes a return appearance after finishing third on the Pittsburgh Steelers in both targets and receiving yards. The Steelers’ offense has looked brutal through two weeks, but at the tight end position we will take consistent targets and routes on a team letting Aaron Rodgers throw 39.5 times a game. The Steelers draw the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3, which is the same matchup Dalton Schultz just torched. Don’t expect Freiermuth to replicate that type of performance, but he does operate in the area of the field that Cincinnati has struggled to defend. The Bengals should score enough to force the Steelers into another pass-happy game plan, making Freiermuth live to rack up garbage-time points even if the Steelers struggle on offense for most of the day.
Oronde Gadsden II
Rostered in 34% of Sleeper leagues / 6% of Yahoo leagues / 2% of ESPN leagues
Oronde Gadsden II appeared to be buried on the Los Angeles Chargers’ depth chart to start the season. As part of their nightmare start to the season, the Chargers lost both Charlie Kolar and David Njoku to injury. Both tight ends will miss at least four weeks, opening up tons of playing time for Gadsden. Gadsden had an impressive rookie season last year, but has struggled to get onto the field because of his blocking deficiencies. The Chargers need an offensive spark, and Gadsden’s blocking struggles likely force them into more of a pass-leaning approach. As a pure receiving tight end, Gadsden can earn a ton of targets and mount a legitimate challenge toward being one of the top tight ends week-to-week. The Chargers face a tough matchup against the Buffalo Bills, but we’ve seen the Bills are happy to get into shootouts and count on outscoring their opponents rather than play lockdown defense. Gadsden will be a factor if the Chargers offense can keep pace, and if not, he’s a prime candidate to score in garbage time.
Kenyon Sadiq
Rostered in 40% of Sleeper leagues / 18% of Yahoo leagues / 37.8% of ESPN leagues
Kenyon Sadiq doesn’t fit the prototype of a typical streaming option. He’s played just 42% and 36% of the snaps thus far for the New York Jets, and he hasn’t been heavily involved in the offense. That slow ramp-up was to be expected, however, as he missed most of training camp after lighting up the combine and hearing his name called 16th overall in the NFL Draft. Sadiq is an incredible athlete, and the Jets have shown a willingness to get him the ball on designed touches. Although his role leaves a lot to be desired, his Week 3 matchup with the Detroit Lions offers a potentially high-scoring environment, forcing the Jets out of their preferred run-heavy approach. If the Jets are dropping back to pass a lot more than they have through two weeks, Sadiq may end up with a bigger role against a Lions defense that has really struggled in coverage to start the season.
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by Ian Johnson/ Icon Sportswire