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.
Tight End Waiver Wire Options (Week 15)
Greg Dulcich (DEN) vs. Arizona Cardinals
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.
Tight End Waiver Wire Options (Week 15)
Greg Dulcich (DEN) vs. Arizona Cardinals
With wide receiver Courtland Sutton barely involved due to injury over the past couple of weeks, Dulcich has seen a significant increase in targets. The rookie TE has gotten eight passes thrown his way in each of the last two games, hauling in nine of the 16 overall for a total of 127 yards.
Dulcich caught six passes for 85 yards in Week 13 at Baltimore. Those marks dipped to 3/42/0 in the loss to the Chiefs this past Sunday. Still, Dulcich was heavily involved in the passing game and should continue to be, particularly with Sutton still reportedly “day-to-day with his hamstring issue.
The Cardinals have been the best team to target, with tight ends pretty much all season long. They rank last in receptions, yards, and touchdowns allowed to the position. Dulcich could be set up for the best game of his young career to date.
Hunter Henry (NE) at Las Vegas Raiders
Speaking of the Cardinals, Henry came up with all three of his targets for a team-leading 70 yards in the Patriots’ victory over them Monday night. Henry recorded his longest play of the season thus far with a 39-yard reception to begin the fourth quarter. He also gained 30 yards on a pass from QB Mac Jones to set up a field goal to close out the first half.
Henry’s upside is somewhat limited by being a part of a run-heavy offense, but he has become a big-play threat in recent weeks for the Patriots’ low-volume passing game. Over the last five games, he has averaged 16.6 yards on his 13 grabs while securing at least three passes in three different contests.
The Raiders are not as favorable of a matchup as the Cards, but they are still attractive, coming into the week ranked 25th in the league in fantasy points allowed to TEs. On top of that, the Raiders are far better against the run (10th) than the pass (29th). The Patriots may have to lean a little more toward the pass than they typically do.
Tyler Conklin (NYJ) vs. Detroit Lions
Following a strong start over the Jets’ first four games of the season, Conkin has been up and down the fantasy radar on a weekly basis. He did catch five of his eight targets this past Sunday in Buffalo, but they were all short throws from QB Mike White, totaling just 28 yards overall.
The important factor for Conklin is that he has now seen 15 targets combined over the last two weeks. White is looking for him as a safety blanket in the short game, and though it may limit his upside, it makes Conklin relevant in PPR formats.
Whereas the Bills’ defense presented a tough matchup, the Lions definitely do not. The Lions are one of just three teams to allow eight or more touchdowns to opposing tight ends this season and have given up the eighth-most yards to the position. Conklin should not have much trouble finding space versus the league’s 30th-ranked pass defense.
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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.
