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If you think your fantasy football team is hurting at the tight end position, now is the time to fix the problem.
One week of the 2020 NFL regular season is in the books. When it comes to the tight ends, there is never as much juice on fantasy league waiver wires and free-agent lists than right now. The cupboards are stocked. You have your veterans to go after in standard leagues, and you have your youngsters to go after in dynasty leagues. There are plenty of tight ends to choose from.
Here are the top tight end candidates to pick up in fantasy football leagues heading into Week 2:
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Top Tight End Waiver Wire Options for Week 2
Greg Olsen, Seattle Seahawks
26% rostered
Fantasy managers probably did not know what the change of scenery would do for Olsen’s fantasy value when he left the Carolina Panthers after a decade to join Seattle. The early returns are very promising. Even with incumbent starter Will Dissly returning to the fold after having his 2019 season shortened by an injury, Olsen found a place in Seattle’s above-average offense.
Olsen caught all four passes Russell Wilson threw to him in Week 1 and came away with 24 yards and his first TD in his first game as a Seahawk. I know Olsen has had numerous foot problems the past couple years and is not the same player who had three consecutive 1,000-yard years between 2014 and 2016, but I also know Wilson loves throwing to his tight ends down in the red zone, and Olsen should be open with secondaries concentrating on wideouts Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. Olsen is a great get since he is available in more than half of leagues, even with a tough matchup in Week 2 versus New England’s staunch secondary.
Jimmy Graham, Chicago Bears
5%rostered
Chicago has had as much luck with their tight ends in recent years as I have attempting to solve the Rubik’s Cube. The Bears hope longtime veteran and fantasy favorite Graham can stabilize the position. Graham is nowhere near the Pro Bowl player he used to be thanks to several injuries and Father Time, but he converted seven targets into three receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown against Detroit during the opening week.
The jury is out on how well the New York Giants pass defense will be in 2020, but it certainly was not good in 2019. The Giants ranked 28th against the pass and most experts do not believe they will cover pass-catchers much better this year. Graham has fared well against the Giants, catching 13 passes for 191 yards and three touchdowns in a trio of career contests. If Graham stays healthy, he can be a decent addition for a fantasy squad since the Bears do not have an upper-echelon receiving corps, whether you need him for just next week or for several weeks.
Other Tight End Options to Consider
O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
17% rostered
Do you really think Rob Gronkowski is going to suit up for all 16 of Tampa Bay’s games this year? Gronk failed to do so in each of his last seven seasons that led up to his one-year retirement. So if and when Gronkowski’s body fails him, Howard could step in and become a top-12 fantasy tight end again with Tom Brady leading him to touchdown opportunities. Do not write him off just yet, especially after he managed to have 36 yards and a TD in Week1 when sharing the field with Gronk.
Logan Thomas, Washington Redskins
2% rostered
Thomas played a pivotal role in Washington’s astounding and confounding comeback against Philadelphia in Week 1, hauling in four passes for 37 yards and a touchdown. Thomas led his team in targets and provided a big body for scattershot signal caller Dwayne Haskins. Washington will probably be trailing a lot and throwing a lot late in games, and Thomas will be one of the biggest benefactors of that.
David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
2% rostered
Njoku was buried so far in Cleveland’s doghouse last season that the ASPCA could not have gotten him out. Then the Browns signed Austin Hooper to a multimillion-dollar deal this offseason, which made Njoku a distant No. 2 on the depth chart. Yet Njoku was the one who caught a Baker Mayfield touchdown toss in Week 1 and 50 receiving yards before suffering a knee injury, so fantasy managers have to keep tabs on the former first-round pick in case Cleveland features him more often. Just pay attention to the injury reports to see if Njoku will miss any time based on a late-game injury.
UPDATE: Njoku is expected to miss at least three games.
Don’t Forget About…
Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills
3% rostered
Having two 1,000-yard receivers (Stefon Diggs and John Brown) and a couple running backs with decent hands on the roster will not make it easy on Knox’s target total, but fantasy managers should not sleep on Buffalo’s third-round pick from 2019. Knox is a talented young tight end who would prosper more in another offense but has value in dynasty leagues due to his upside.
Ian Thomas, Carolina Panthers
15% rostered
Thomas shrugged off a toe injury to catch both of the passes thrown his way this past Sunday, but his fantasy impact was minimal. He will be Carolina’s top tight end from here on out, however, so there is no reason to give up on the third-year man just because he had one lackluster outing. Better things are in the offing for this 24-year-old.
Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings
13% rostered
Splitting time and targets with tight end teammate Kyle Rudolph does Smith no fantasy favors, though he is the one with the better pass-receiving skills and better fantasy future. With the aforementioned Diggs in Buffalo, it should only mean a larger role in Minnesota’s passing plans for Smith. Top target Adam Thielen cannot catch all of the Kirk Cousins passes, and Smith has a shot to end up as the No. 2 target if things break right this season.
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