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 on a weekly basis 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 70%) TEs in the best situations for that particular week.
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Tight End Waiver Wire Options for Week 9
Rostered Percentages based on Yahoo! Leagues as of Oct. 31
David Njoku (CLE) vs. Arizona Cardinals: 64% Rostered
Njoku should be on more fantasy rosters. It’s really that simple. He has not displayed a huge upside this season in a mostly lackluster Browns’ passing attack, but Njoku is highly skilled and always involved. Even with P.J. Walker at QB this past Sunday, Njoku hauled in four of eight targets for a season-best 77 yards and his first touchdown of the campaign.
The seventh-year TE has seen at least seven targets in three of the last four games and has caught four or more passes on five occasions this season.
Logan Thomas (WAS) at New England Patriots: 45% Rostered
Thomas disappointed everyone who took a chance on him in what seemed like a prime matchup against the Falcons defense – which has been susceptible to opposing TEs — in Week 6. Thomas finished that game with only one catch for a mere two yards. Well, forget about that one, as QB Sam Howell has rediscovered the 6-foot-6 veteran.
Over the past two weeks, Thomas has come up with 10 receptions (14 targets) for 95 yards. He also scored his third touchdown of the season in Sunday’s 38-31 loss to the Eagles.
Jake Ferguson (DAL) at Philadelphia Eagles: 58% Rostered
Nine tight ends around the league have three or more touchdown grabs. As mentioned above, Thomas is one. Ferguson has a good opportunity to join that group this week. The TD catch that Thomas made against the Eagles was the fourth that the Philly defense has given up to a tight end this season.
The Cowboys came out of their Week 7 by apparently looking to get Ferguson re-engaged in the offense, as he secured all four of his targets for 47 yards and a touchdown in a big win over the Rams.
Trey McBride (ARI) at Cleveland Browns: 21% Rostered
Okay, so after catching four passes for 62 yards in Week 6, McBride appeared poised for a significant breakout in Week 7. That did not come to fruition. However, it ultimately did happen in Week 8. In what appeared to be a frightful matchup against the Ravens, McBride caught 10 passes on a whopping 14 looks from QB Joshua Dobbs, gaining 95 yards and scoring his first TD of the season.
The Cardinals are expected to make a change under center this week to either Kyler Murray (knee) or rookie Clayton Tune. Either way, McBride figures to get plenty of targets even in yet another “scary” matchup.
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Nate Miller is a featured writer at FantasyPros and a 9-year veteran of the fantasy sports industry. For more from Nate, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @Miller_RotoDad.