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 75%) TEs in the best situations for that particular week.
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Want to read about only your players? Sync your team (free) to get My Primer
Tight End Waiver Wire Options for Week 10
Rostered Percentages based on Yahoo! Leagues as of Nov. 7
Hunter Henry (NE) vs. Indianapolis Colts: 38% Rostered
The Patriots are dealing with multiple injuries among their main group of route runners. This past Sunday that led to Hunter Henry re-emerging with the most targets he has seen since Week 2. The veteran TE turned his seven targets into four receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown. Henry was on the field for 56 of 64 offensive snaps, and that percentage (88%) should not change much against the Colts this week. The Colts’ defense allowed eight catches and nearly 100 yards to Carolina tight ends in Week 9.
Jonnu Smith (ATL) at Arizona Cardinals: 29% Rostered
Just when it appeared Jonnu Smith’s run of fantasy relevance might be finished, the Falcons making a change at QB started it right back up again. With Taylor Heinicke at QB for Atlanta in Week 9, Smith brought in five of six targets for 100 yards and his second touchdown of the season – a 60-yard score in the third quarter.
Those numbers came even with fellow Falcons’ TE Kyle Pitts gaining 56 yards on four grabs. In other words, it certainly appears Heinicke is ready and able to keep both tight ends heavily involved at the same time. Smith is not just a streaming option for Week 10 but should be held onto for the stretch run following a Week 11 bye.
Cade Otton (TB) vs. Tennessee Titans: 6% Rostered
Unfortunately, most fantasy managers have missed out on what will most likely go down as Otton’s best performance of the season. The second-year TE set new season highs across the board, hauling in six of nine targets for 70 yards and two touchdowns in a shootout loss at Houston.
It is notable, however, that Otton had already been getting increased usage before Week 9. He saw six targets in each of Tampa Bay’s previous two games, totaling nine receptions for 70 yards. What’s new is the three red-zone looks he got from QB Baker Mayfield this past Sunday after only seeing two targets inside the 20 over the first seven games of the season. Overall, Otton has secured four of five red zone targets so far on the campaign, three of which have resulted in touchdowns.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
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.