Top 5 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Tight End (Week 4)

We will have you covered throughout the fantasy football season with our bevy of tools, including our Waiver Wire Assistant. Find the top available players and get detailed analysis on how potential fantasy football waiver wire adds will impact your team. Of course, our team of analysts will also have written advice each week. Check out some of our top Tight End fantasy football waiver wire targets for the week below. And here is all of our Week 4 fantasy football waiver wire advice.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Tight End

TIGHT ENDS

Written by Derek Brown

Cole Kmet (CHI): 40% rostered

Next Opponents: LAR, CAR, JAX
True value: $5
Desperate Need: $8
Budget-minded: $3

Analysis: Finally, Chicago stopped playing silly Shane Waldron games in Week 3. Previously, Kmet had seen his playing time cut, as Chicago was running out Gerald Everett more than Kmet. I’m glad their usages flipped in Week 3, because it was a needed change. Kmet had a 73% route share on Sunday, a 21.1% target share and an 81% snap share. He produced 10 receptions, 97 receiving yards and a score. Kmet is the best waiver wire add at the position if he is out there in your league. The next two weeks, he faces the Rams and Panthers, who have allowed the third-most and second-most fantasy points per game to tight ends.

Tucker Kraft (GB): 3% rostered

Next Opponents: MIN, @LAR, ARI
True value: $3
Desperate Need: $6
Budget-minded: $2

Analysis: Despite missing part of Week 3’s game against the Titans with a shoulder issue, Kraft still led the Packers’ tight end room with a 67% snap share and a 15.7% target share. Now, that target share still resulted in only three targets for Kraft, as the Packers still leaned on the ground game and hid Malik Willis. That should change moving forward, with Jordan Love likely returning in Week 4, just in time for Kraft to see some wonderful TE matchups. The Vikings and Rams have respectively allowed the fourth-most and third-most fantasy points per game to tight ends.

Mike Gesicki (CIN): 39% rostered

Next Opponents: @CAR, BAL, @NYG
True value: $2
Desperate Need: $4
Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Last week, Gesicki led the three-way Bengals TE committee with a 53% route share, 25% target share, 22.6% air-yard share, 32% first-read share and 4.14 yards per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). Those will be tough (if not impossible) numbers for Gesicki to replicate moving forward, especially with Tee Higgins back in the huddle. Gesicki can be a matchup-based streaming option over the next two weeks. Carolina has allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to tight ends, and Baltimore checks in with the fifth-most fantasy points per game allowed to the position.

Zach Ertz (WAS): 22% rostered

Next Opponents: @ARI, CLE, @BAL
True value: $2
Desperate Need: $4
Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Entering Monday Night Football, Ertz was the TE9 in fantasy points per game, with a 15.1% target share, 30.1% air-yard share, 20% first-read share and 1.76 yards per route run, (per Fantasy Points Data). Among 38 qualifying tight ends, Ertz ranks 18th in separation and fifth in route win rate. He should hold some matchup-based streaming upside moving forward. Arizona isn’t a pass defense to fear, and Baltimore has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends.

Tyler Conklin (NYJ): 14% rostered

Next Opponents: DEN, @MIN, BUF
True value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: I don’t want to overreact to a one-game sample of Conklin being good. Yes, against the Patriots in Week 3, he had a 17.1% target share and a 32.8% air-yard share, and he finished with 93 receiving yards, but he only had a 4.8% first-read share. Aaron Rodgers exhausted all of his options in progressions in Week 3 before turning to Conklin, so let’s not get carried away here. Also, let’s remind ourselves that Conklin had four targets and 16 receiving yards in his first two games of the season. Could Conklin evolve into a matchup-based streaming option? Sure, but I’m not trusting him as a possible TE1 moving forward. This is more likely an isolated ceiling game than the beginning of a trend.