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 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.
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- Fantasy Football Kicker Week 10 Guide, Rankings & Waiver Wire Advice
- Let’s Stream Defenses: Week 10
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Quarterback Streamers
- Fantasy Football Rest of Season Rankings
- Fantasy Football Panic Meter
Tight End Waiver Wire Options (Week 10)
Cole Kmet (CHI) vs. Detroit Lions
Kmet suddenly has a nose for the end zone. After 28 straight games without a TD reception dating back to his 2020 rookie campaign, the former second-round pick hit paydirt in Dallas back in Week 8. Kmet followed up with his best game of the season this past Sunday.
In Week 9’s shootout loss to the Dolphins, Kmet secured five of his six targets for 41 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Justin Fields is still far short of being a polished passer for the Bears, but he is showing progress and Kmet is on the field for just about every single offensive snap.
The Bears will face the league’s worst defense in Week 10. The Lions rank dead last in yards allowed and points allowed per game. They also sit among the bottom five in fantasy points given up per game to opposing tight ends. Kmet should be able to deliver as a TE1 again.
Cade Otton (TB) vs. Seattle Seahawks
Otton delivered double-digit fantasy points (PPR) for the third time in the last five games in Sunday’s win over the Rams. The rookie out of the University of Washington scored his first NFL touchdown while setting a new career-high with 68 receiving yards.
Tom Brady seems quite comfortable targeting the young tight end. Otton has had at least five balls thrown his way in each of the last three weeks. Over that stretch, he has caught 11 of 16 targets overall. The Rams provided a tougher matchup than the one Otton is looking at this Sunday.
The Seahawks currently rank as the second-worst team in the league at defending the position. Opposing tight ends are averaging more than 77 receiving yards per game against them and have scored five times – the most recent of which came this past Sunday.
Noah Fant (SEA) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Noah Fant is also coming off his best game of the season. He has twice taken advantage of the Cardinals’ inability to slow down opposing tight ends this season, most recently in Sunday’s 31-21 win, finishing with five grabs for a season-high 96 yards.
The floor for Fant is certainly low, as he managed only three catches for 26 yards combined over his previous two games prior to Sunday and has four games with two or fewer receptions on the season. Still, Fant is worth a shot in a decent matchup, and with the Seahawks’ typical third wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (groin) a question mark.
The Buccaneers stifled the Rams’ tight ends in Week 9, but they have been susceptible against the position at times this season. The Bucs rank among the bottom third of the league in fantasy points allowed per game vs. TEs and allowed one to find the end zone in both Weeks 7 and 8.
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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 – that 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.
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.