Top 5 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Tight End (Week 11)

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 also be sure to check out all of our full fantasy football waiver wire advice for the week.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Tight End

TIGHT ENDS

Written by Derek Brown

Mike Gesicki (CIN): 45% rostered

Next Opponents: @LAC, BYE, PIT
True value: $2
Desperate Need: $4
Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Gesicki has been humming along the last three weeks with a 17.4% target share, a 20.5% first-read share and 2.18 yards per route run. He has averaged 15.8 PPR points per game (per Fantasy Points Data). Gesicki has effectively been operating as the Bengals’ WR2 with Tee Higgins out. While Gesicki will fall down the target pecking order when Higgins returns, he will remain a top-three target on a team with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL tossing him the ball in a pass-happy offense. That will help him flirt with TE1 value weekly.

Jonnu Smith (MIA): 25% rostered

Next Opponents: LV, NE, @GB
True value: $2
Desperate Need: $4
Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Since Week 8, Smith has had a 69% route share, an 18.2% target share, 1.38 yards per route run and a 20.8% first-read share (per Fantasy Points Data). He has two red-zone targets in those two games. Smith should flirt with TE1 value this week against a Raiders secondary that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends.

Hunter Henry (NE): 46% rostered

Next Opponents: LAR, @MIA, IND
True value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Just when we thought it was safe to wade into the Hunter Henry waters in fantasy, he hit us with a disappointing outing. Against the Bears in Week 10, Henry only had one reception for 14 yards after managing at least five receptions and 45 receiving yards in each of his three games prior to Week 10. Henry should bounce back in Week 11 against a Rams defense that has allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to tight ends.

Dawson Knox (BUF): 1% rostered

Next Opponents: KC, BYE, SF
True value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Dalton Kincaid left last week’s matchup with the Colts with a knee issue. If he’s out this week, Knox will be Buffalo’s full-time tight end with a mouth-watering Week 11 matchup. The Bills were down Keon Coleman and Amari Cooper last week, and that easily could be the case in Week 11, which also helps Knox. He only drew three targets last week, finishing with two receptions for 40 yards. If Cooper and Coleman are out this week against the Chiefs, Knox is destined to see more targets. The Chiefs have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game and the most receiving yards per game to tight ends.

Zach Ertz (WAS): 33% rostered

Next Opponents: @PHI, DAL, TEN
True value: $0
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Ertz didn’t blow the roof off Week 10, with four receptions for 31 yards, but he saw eight targets. Ertz has been consistent this season while flashing some upside when the matchup is right. He has at least four targets in every game this season except for two. He has also seen at least eight targets in three games this season. I wouldn’t look to stream Ertz against his former team in Week 11, but Dallas is a wonderful spot to consider him as a priority streaming option. Dallas has allowed the most yards per reception and the sixth-most TD catches (tied) to tight ends this season.