Congratulations are in order if you’re looking to pick up a tight end in Week 15. That means you likely made it to your league’s playoffs despite what might be a lackluster group of tight ends on your roster. The tight end availability on the waiver wire is often slim this time of year as more and more teams start to check out and get eliminated. We hope to help you find the right player to help you win in the first round of the playoffs.
There are a couple of tight end injuries to monitor in Will Dissly (shoulder), Tyler Higbee (knee) and Dalton Kincaid (knee). If you have an injured tight end or are trying to replace underperformers like Kyle Pitts or Cole Kmet, this is the right place to be.
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This weekly column helps identify tight ends that are strong streaming options for the week 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 in Yahoo! leagues) and have matchups worth exploiting for fantasy football.
Fantasy Football Tight End Streamers & Waiver Wire Pickups
Grant Calcaterra (TE – PHI) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers | 4% Rostered
Dallas Goedert is officially on injured reserve (IR), meaning his regular season is over. With no Goedert in his way, backup tight end Grant Calcaterra had quite a first impression against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. In a game where Jalen Hurts only threw for 108 yards, Calcaterra caught three passes, including one for a touchdown. It was his first score of the season, but he does have multiple games over 50 receiving yards when Goedert has missed time this year.
???? FIRST NFL TOUCHDOWN GRANT CALCATERRA ????
@grcalcaterra | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/5q3d1Jh4v0– Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 8, 2024
Against the ferocious pass defense and rush defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15, I anticipate the Eagles needing to make more quick throws with reliable targets in the middle of the field. I have a hunch Calcaterra is going to be one of those targets early and often in what should be a very competitive game at home for the Steelers. A.J. Brown has already come out and said this team needs to pass the ball more. That could certainly benefit someone like Calcaterra.
Juwan Johnson (TE – NO) vs. Washington Commanders | 10% Rostered
The offensive injuries continue to mount for New Orleans. This time it is quarterback Derek Carr, who has suffered a season-ending fracture in his non-throwing hand injury, leaving the Saints even more short-handed. In recent weeks, we have seen New Orleans pass-catchers like Foster Moreau, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Kevin Austin Jr. step up. Now it’s going to be Jake Haener‘s turn (again) to try and navigate the offense. I think Juwan Johnson provides the most reliable target down the stretch.
After Taysom Hill went down two weeks ago, Johnson became much more involved in the offense. He drew seven targets, which was his most of the season, finishing with five catches for 36 yards. This week, he scored his third touchdown of the season against the New York Giants. He will still have to contend with Foster Moreau at tight end, but Johnson’s 70% snap share in Week 13 and 14 were his most since Week 7. In Weeks 16 and 17, he gets the Packers and Raiders, respectively. Both teams are in the top 10 with the most points allowed to tight ends this season.
Stone Smartt (TE – LAC) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0% Rostered
When Will Dissly went down with a shoulder injury late in the first half, it was rarely-used Stone Smartt who stepped up with a big second half against the Kansas City Chiefs. He caught all three of his targets for 54 yards, including a couple of very important grabs that moved the chains when the Chargers needed big first downs.
Stone Smartt! A 25-yard pickup for the @Chargers TE.
????: #LACvsKC on NBC/Peacock
????: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/aBrcrtU87P– NFL (@NFL) December 9, 2024
Perhaps the most appealing thing about adding Smartt to your roster is his Week 15 opponent. Smartt and the Chargers will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who give up the sixth-most fantasy points to the position this season. The Bucs just allowed 117 total yards to the combination of Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer in Week 14. If Dissly is forced to miss any time with his injury, Smartt would be a wise choice for lineups, especially ones that need some big, explosive plays in their first-round matchups.
Bonus Tight End Pickup: Dalton Schultz (TE – HOU) vs. Miami Dolphins | 54% Rostered
Dalton Schultz just missed the 50% threshold for roster percentage in this piece, but he is still worth a note here. Schultz became more involved in the Texans’ passing game just before their Week 14 bye. In two of his past three games, Schultz had seven targets and five catches in each. He also scored in the last game before their break. In the next three weeks, the Texans play the Ravens, Chiefs and Ravens. Each team is in the top 12 of fantasy points allowed to the tight end position.
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