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 13

Rostered Percentages based on Yahoo! Leagues as of the time of writing.

Pat Freiermuth (PIT) vs. Arizona Cardinals: 49% Rostered

Prior to Week 12, Freiermuth had been limited to just five games on the season due to injury. In those five games, the third-year pro had recorded only nine receptions for 60 yards. Well, this past Sunday, he exploded virtually out of nowhere and doubled his catch total for the campaign while leading the entire league, regardless of position, with 120 receiving yards.

That performance cannot be simply written off as a fluke. The firing of former offensive Matt Canada has greatly benefitted Freiermuth already. He will be among the top few waiver claims this week going into a matchup with a Cardinals defense that gave up a pair of touchdown grabs to Rams’ tight end Tyler Higbee in Week 12.

Juwan Johnson (NO) vs. Detroit Lions: 9% Rostered

Johnson came out of the Saints’ Week 11 bye to post a new season high in receiving yards this past Sunday at Atlanta. Granted, it was only 45 yards, but he showed a better connection with quarterback Derek Carr than the two have previously shared. Johnson’s seven targets marked another new high for the campaign, as he caught four passes from Carr for the second time in the last three games, including just his second grab of more than 20 yards this season.

Juwan Johnson for 24 yards! ?#Saints | ? FOX pic.twitter.com/quwtDm6Js7

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 26, 2023

Johnson will get to take on another defense in Week 13 that has been susceptible to opposing tight ends. The Lions have not surrendered a ton of yards to the position (47.3 yards per game) but gave up their fifth touchdown to a tight end on Thanksgiving Day. The Detroit unit is just one of 10 to allow that many scores to the position so far.

Tyler Conklin (NYJ) vs. Atlanta Falcons: 16% Rostered

Back to the Falcons’ defense, which is one to target every week for fantasy purposes. The Atlanta unit ranks in the bottom five in both receptions and receiving yards allowed to the tight-end position. This gives Conklin a great opportunity to build on a bit of a bounce-back, as he secured 4 of 5 targets for 33 yards in last Friday’s loss to Miami. That marked his sixth game of the season with at least four catches, and Conklin has gone for 50 or more yards in each of the previous five.

Tim Boyle will be making his second start for the Jets in Week 13. He showed a clear rapport with Conklin in Week 12, and Boyle certainly got more comfortable as the game progressed. Conklin will not bring an exceptionally high ceiling into this matchup with the Falcons, but he should have a safe floor.

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.