This past week, the tight end position continued to be a major headache for fantasy managers. Only three tight ends scored more than 12 half-PPR points heading “into Monday Night Football”! Tyler Conklin, Nick Vannett and Johnny Mundt were all in the top 10 at the position. Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews combined for five fantasy points (Andrews had zero). Sam LaPorta left with an ankle injury. It’s getting really bad out there, folks.

Who will step up in Week 4 and deliver at least decent fantasy production at the tight end position? Are there low-rostered players available on the waiver wire who could step in as temporary measures if LaPorta (ankle) or Trey McBride (concussion) are unable to suit up? What matchups might dictate a tight end breakout, even in this low-scoring environment we have in early 2024?

This weekly column will help identify tight end options that are strong streaming options for the weekend ahead. Whether it’s due to bye weeks, injuries or overall lack of production, these tight ends are often widely available on the waiver wire (all are fewer than 50% rostered) and have matchups worth exploiting for fantasy football rosters.

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Fantasy Football Tight End Streamers & Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 4)

(Rostered percentages based on Yahoo! leagues as of the time of publication)

Cole Kmet (TE – CHI) vs. Los Angeles Rams | 41% Rostered

Caleb Williams finally being unleashed in the passing game meant Cole Kmet finally had a decent fantasy game on Sunday. He registered 11 targets, which allowed him to catch 10 balls for 97 yards and a touchdown. For comparison, Kmet had six targets, five receptions, 31, yards and no scores in his first two games of the season.

Cole Kmet vs. the Colts

10 receptions
97 yards
9.7 yards per catch
1 TD

More of this Shane. pic.twitter.com/TSxgu7vJTZ

– Dave (@dave_bfr) September 22, 2024

Whether or not the Bears pass 65% of the time, as they did on Sunday, is a trend that remains to be seen. But with Keenan Allen out and Kmet providing a security blanket underneath while D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze operated down the field, Williams had his first competent game as a pro. He clearly has a rapport with Kmet, allowing the tight end to put up a 21% target share, the third-highest among tight ends heading into Monday.

Next up, Kmet gets the Los Angeles Rams coming to town, who have been bad against tight ends so far. They have allowed the fourth-most receiving yards and third-most fantasy points to the position through three weeks of the season. While I don’t expect 10 catches every week (or many other weeks, for that matter), Kmet’s role in this offense should bring him up much higher than being 41% rostered in fantasy leagues.

Noah Fant (TE – SEA) at Detroit Lions | 29% Rostered

The passing game for the Seattle Seahawks was working well against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3, which opened more opportunities for tight end Noah Fant. He finished the game with six catches on six targets for 60 yards. More importantly, he was very involved in the opportunity share of the offense. Among tight ends, he ranked 10th in air yards, sixth in share of team air yards and eighth in target share.

The highest-graded Seahawks in Week 3 vs the Dolphins:

???? Noah Fant – 83.7
???? Johnathan Hankins – 78.5
???? Tyrel Dodson – 77.3
???? Zach Charbonnet – 74.5
???? Geno Smith – 73.5

(min. 25 snaps) pic.twitter.com/A2WVEPGjD9

– PFF SEA Seahawks (@PFF_Seahawks) September 23, 2024

With Tyler Lockett seemingly falling out of the pecking order, Noah Fant and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are rising up to take his place. The most interesting thing about Fant’s performance on Sunday is that he got slightly banged up during the game, so he had all his production and usage on just 44% of his team’s snaps. Imagine what a day it would have been if he played more than 75% of snaps, as he did in the first two weeks.

The Seahawks open up the week as either 4.5 or 5.0-point underdogs, depending on where you look. With the Lions completely shutting down opponents on the ground, look for Seattle to have another day where Geno Smith airs it out again. Fant could have another strong PPR performance two weeks in a row.

Hayden Hurst (TE – LAC) vs. Kansas City Chiefs | 1% Rostered

Despite being an excellent defense, the Kansas City Chiefs have struggled to contain opposing tight ends through the first three weeks. Their 13.2 fantasy points per game allowed to the position is the most in the league and is three points more than Carolina. Heading into “Monday Night Football,” the Chiefs had allowed 55 more yards to the position than any other team in the NFL.

Hayden Hurst is very much a deep-cut, desperation play at the position. He has no more than three targets or 33 yards in any game, but could still see an uptick in the passing game if Joshua Palmer continues to miss time. There is also the Justin Herbert injury to manage. He left the game with an aggravation of his high ankle sprain and should be considered questionable heading into Week 4. The Chargers’ passing offense has been lackluster at best, so playing Hurst is a dart throw play against a team that has struggled against the position.

However, if the Chiefs focus their attention on the running backs and double-team the suddenly hot Quentin Johnston, it could leave Hurst in an advantageous position in a game in which the Chargers will likely be playing catch-up.

Bonus Pickup: T.J. Hockenson (TE – MIN) | 64% Rostered

T.J. Hockenson is over 50% rostered, but he is still available in 36% of Yahoo! leagues. He is worth picking up now, especially if your league has an IR spot, because of the timing. Hockenson can come off the PUP list after next week’s game. It’s unlikely he will play in Week 5, but we will likely be eased into practice then and debut after the Vikings’ Week 6 bye. When reports and videos start surfacing of him practicing before Week 5, fantasy managers are likely to start adding him en masse. It’s best to be ahead of that rush if your roster can support it.

The Vikings are averaging the fifth-most yards per pass attempt this season (8.4 yards) and would certainly benefit from more weapons around Sam Darnold.