The tight end position matters greatly in fantasy football. They are not as flashy as their blazing-fast, route-running counterparts at wide receiver. As a result, 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. As a result, finding production there every week can be incredibly challenging, especially for those who 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%) tight ends sitting in the best situations for the particular week.
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- Week 8 IDP Waiver Wire Pickups
Check out the rest of our weekly fantasy football advice 
Tight End Waiver Wire Options (Week 8)
Juwan Johnson (NO) vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Johnson was the top pick in this article for Week 7. He remains in this spot for Week 8 following his best showing of the season.
This past Thursday, Johnson hauled in all five of his targets and scored his first two touchdowns of the campaign in a shootout loss to the Cardinals. The 26-year-old TE gained just 32 yards on the night, but he clearly stepped up into an important red zone role for veteran QB Andy Dalton. That gives Johnson a significant upside on a weekly basis.
Like the Cardinals, the Raiders are one of the worst teams in the league at defending tight ends. Over six games, they have given up six touchdowns and more than 50 yards per game to the position. As a result, Johnson has a great opportunity to produce another solid line.
Irv Smith (MIN) vs. Arizona Cardinals
As shown above, the Cardinals’ defense is one to target with tight ends. However, they have given up the second-most fantasy points overall and are tied with the Raiders for the most touchdowns allowed to the position.
Coming in fully rested off a bye, Smith gets a shot at the Cards unit Sunday. The third-year pro caught four passes in each of his last two games prior to the week off and found the end zone for the second time this season in Week 6.
Smith has so far topped out at 42 yards for a single game this year. However, he is still a significant piece of the Vikings’ passing attack, averaging more than five targets per game since Week 2 and playing better than 60% of the snaps in each of the last five contests.
Mike Gesicki (MIA) at Detroit Lions
With QB Tua Tagovailoa out of action, Gesicki turned in a monster performance (6/69/2) during Week 6 against the Vikings. Unfortunately, the veteran TE predictably came nowhere close to repeating it this past Sunday versus the Steelers. He did see seven targets for the second straight game, though, signaling that he is at least on Tua’s radar.
The Lions have been far weaker against tight ends than the Steelers, giving up the fifth-most fantasy points to the position on the back of four TDs. In Week 7 against the Lions, Cowboys TEs secured all eight passes thrown their way for 61 yards and a score.
Gesicki should find little resistance from the league’s 22nd-ranked pass defense this Sunday. He is definitely not a safe play, but if he hits, Gesicki could pay big dividends for fantasy lineups.
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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.
