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 also 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.
The tight-end pool is the shallowest of them all in terms of fantasy. Finding production there every week can be incredibly challenging, especially for those who did not invest in one of the top TE options during their drafts.
How might one find success at the position? Well, one way can be by carefully playing the waiver wire week-to-week. The goal of this weekly article is to help fantasy managers do just that by finding low-rostered (under 75%) TEs in the best situations for that particular week.
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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 also 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.
The tight-end pool is the shallowest of them all in terms of fantasy. Finding production there every week can be incredibly challenging, especially for those who did not invest in one of the top TE options during their drafts.
How might one find success at the position? Well, one way can be by carefully playing the waiver wire week-to-week. The goal of this weekly article is to help fantasy managers do just that by finding low-rostered (under 75%) TEs in the best situations for that particular week.
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Tight End Waiver Wire Options for Week 2
Rostered Percentages based on Yahoo! Leagues as of Sept. 12
The top choice this week, Musgrave enjoyed a nice NFL debut, especially for a rookie tight end. He was one of just two TEs to gain 50 or more yards in Week 1 – keep in mind both Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews were out of action – as Musgrave hit that number exactly while securing three of his four targets.
Much of Musgrave’s production in the victory at Chicago came from one 37-yard grab on which he should have scored. Let’s just say his footing failed him. The Packers travel to Atlanta in Week 2. The Falcons’ defense allowed Carolina TE Hayden Hurst to catch five passes for 41 yards and a score this past Sunday.
Henry was the only tight end that outgained Musgrave in Week 1, coming up with five of his six targets for 56 yards and a touchdown. Henry’s touchdown came in the red zone, as Mac Jones connected with him on a nine-yard strike. That’s great news for Henry’s outlook in regard to fantasy production. The Dolphins gave up a score to the position in their season opener against the Chargers. That also bodes well.
Who led the Commanders in targets during Week 1? It wasn’t Jahan Dotson or Terry McLaurin. Don’t look to Curtis Samuel, either. Surprisingly, it was Thomas. That’s right; the veteran tight end hauled in half of his eight targets from young QB Sam Howell, totaling 43 yards with a long of 19. There should be zero expectation of Thomas being Howell’s favorite option in the passing game moving forward. Still, he will be involved, and the two have clearly developed some rapport already.
There should be a theme coming through here. Young quarterbacks tend to look to tight ends on short, high-percentage routes. Rookie Anthony Richardson did just that in his first NFL game this past Sunday, hitting Granson four times (six targets) for 39 yards against the Jaguars. Granson flashed potential at times last season, recording four receptions in four of his 13 games and twice eclipsing 50 yards. Now, the former fourth-round pick looks as if he’ll be very active in his third NFL campaign.
Only one tight end was on the field for 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 1. That was Smythe. With Mike Gesicki gone, Smythe is the man at the position for Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins’ high-octane passing attack.
Tua looked Smythe’s way more than a couple of times during his 466-yard barrage against the Chargers this past Sunday. The veteran TE came up with three of his seven targets for 44 yards. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are the star receivers for Tua, but Smythe could be a steady yet unspectacular fantasy contributor this week and beyond.
Nate Miller is a featured writer at FantasyPros and a nine-year veteran of the fantasy sports industry. For more from Nate, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @Miller_RotoDad.
