The tight end position matters greatly in fantasy football. They are not as flashy as their blazing fast, route-running counterparts at wide receiver nor do they get the same volume of touches as fantasy-relevant running backs. This can sometimes lead to them being overlooked or treated as an afterthought but do not make that mistake.
Tight end is the shallowest position of them all. Finding production there on a weekly basis can be incredibly challenging, especially for those that did not draft or since manage to land one of the top handful of options.
Success can be found at the position by carefully playing the waiver wire week-to-week. The goal here is to help fantasy managers do just that by finding low-rostered (under 75 percent) tight ends sitting in the best situations for the particular week.
Check out the rest of our weekly fantasy football advice 
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
Tight End Waiver Wire Options (Week 3)
Irv Smith Jr. (TE – MIN) vs DET
Many viewed Smith as a sleeper after he missed all of last season due to a knee injury. That did not come to fruition in Week 1 of 2022, as the 24-year-old was clearly not up to full speed yet. This past Monday night’s effort should restore some confidence.
In Week 2, Smith was a rare bright spot for the Vikings in a lopsided loss to the Eagles. The second-round pick from 2019 saw his snap count jump from 19 to 34 and his targets from just two to eight. He hauled in five of those targets, totaling 36 yards and scoring his team’s only touchdown.
The Vikings will return home and face off with the Lions this Sunday. The Lions have allowed the sixth-most passing yards in the league over the first two weeks and more than 50 yards to opposing tight ends both times out. Washington TE Logan Thomas found the end zone in Detroit during Week 2 and Smith should find chances to do the same.
Tyler Conklin (TE – NYJ) vs CIN
Five tight ends have more than 15 total targets to this point in the season. Conklin is surprisingly one of them. Well, for those paying attention during the preseason, maybe it isn’t so surprising. The hype was there at Jets camp.
Conklin has caught 10-of-16 passes thrown his way by veteran Joe Flacco so far. Conklin has only managed to gain 56 yards on those catches, but he found the end zone in Week 1 and was on the field for every single offensive snap in Week 2. He is obviously a major part of the Jets’ offense.
The Bengals’ defense is up next for Conklin. The defending AFC champs covered the tight-end position quite well against the Cooper Rush-led Cowboys offense last weekend. However, during Week 1, the Steelers tight ends put up 115 yards on seven receptions in Cincy. Conklin does have an outside shot to finish as a TE 1 this Sunday.
Evan Engram (TE – JAX) @ LAC
Engram was brought to Jacksonville during the offseason to serve as a sort of “safety blanket” for second-year QB Trevor Lawrence. Two games into the season, Engram has done just that.
In Week 1, Engram was on the field for 71 percent of the Jaguars’ offensive snaps and caught all four of his targets for 28 yards. It was not an eye-popping performance but did establish his role in the offense. The sixth-year veteran saw his targets double in Week 2, as he brought down 7-of-8 balls tossed his way for 46 yards and basically maintained his snap share.
The Jags will travel across the country to play the Chargers this Sunday. The Chargers have already played two of the top pass-catching tight ends in the league in Darren Waller and Travis Kelce. While the unit has done a decent job in slowing the two down a bit, Waller still went for 79 yards on four grabs and Kelce gained 51 yards on five receptions. Engram is not on the same level as that pair of Pro Bowlers but he should still find openings throughout the course of the game and Lawrence is certainly looking for him in the short game.
Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Trade Analyzer – which allows you to instantly find out if a trade offer benefits you or your opponent – to our Trade Finder – which suggests trades that will help you improve your team – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
Nate Miller is a featured writer at FantasyPros and an 8-year veteran of the fantasy sports industry. For more from Nate, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @Miller_RotoDad.
