The tight end position matters greatly in fantasy football. They are not as flashy as their blazing-fast, route-running counterparts at wide receiver. They do not get the same volume of touches as fantasy-relevant running backs. That can sometimes lead to them being overlooked or treated as an afterthought. Do not make that mistake.
Tight end is the shallowest position of them all. Finding production there every week 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.
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- Let’s Stream Defenses: Week 7
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- Fantasy Football Panic Meter
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- Fantasy Football Heat Index
Tight End Waiver Wire Options (Week 7)
Juwan Johnson (TE – NO) at Arizona Cardinals
Johnson has yet to top four receptions or reach even 50 yards in any of his six games this season. He is, however, coming off one of his better performances. The third-year pro finished with a 4/41/0 line against a fairly solid Bengals pass defense this past Sunday.
Additionally, Johnson was on the field for a season-high 56 snaps and saw six targets – his second-highest total of the campaign. The uptick in activity coincided with fellow Saints TE Adam Trautman (ankle) exiting the contest early. On a short week, Trautman is definitely in question for Thursday’s contest in Arizona.
The Cardinals have been one of the worst teams in the league at defending the tight-end position. The 45 catches they have allowed to opposing tight ends place them dead last in that category, and they are one of only two units to give up more than 500 yards to the position so far. Regardless of who is under center for the Saints, Johnson is in a good spot to potentially produce his best stat line of the season.
Hayden Hurst (TE – CIN) vs. Atlanta Falcons
Speaking of the Bengals, Hurst did not contribute much statistically to their 30-point output in Sunday’s win. After scoring in each of the two previous weeks, the veteran managed only three receptions for 21 yards opposite a Saints defense that has been very stingy against the position.
The Falcons – a team with which Hurst spent the last two seasons – are a totally different story. Despite only surrendering one touchdown to a tight end so far, the Falcons stand among the bottom-five teams in the league in fantasy points allowed to the position per week. It’s a volume game, as opposing TEs are averaging seven receptions and 73 yards per game against the Falcons.
Maybe there is a “revenge factor” in play for Hurst. Regardless, there is definitely a mismatch for just about any active tight end facing the Falcons. Hurst has secured as many as five passes on at least seven targets in three different weeks this season. He should be in line to do it a fourth time.
Kylen Granson (TE – IND) at Tennessee Titans
Good luck picking which Colts TE will be the most productive in any given week. For those that wish to risk it, Granson is probably the one to try right now.
The Titans bring yet another defensive unit that ranks in the bottom five of fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends. Granson has already played his part in that poor ranking for the Titans. The rookie out of SMU caught all four of his targets for a season-high 62 yards back in Week 4 versus the AFC South foe.
After a poor showing from the all the Colts TEs in Denver during Week 5, Granson rebounded to match his season-high four receptions this past Sunday against the Jaguars. He has developed some rapport with veteran QB Matt Ryan, and though there might be a shaky floor here, Granson features some upside on which to gamble.
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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.
