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Two weeks down, two tight ends down!
The pickings are not slim at the tight end position in most fantasy leagues this early in the season. There are still plenty of grizzled veterans and up-and-coming youngsters to choose from for fantasy football managers. That is good news for those who might need a fill-in with San Francisco’s George Kittle and Indianapolis’ Jack Doyle possibly missing their Week 3 games with injuries after being sidelined this past week.
Here are the top tight end candidates to pick up in fantasy football leagues heading into Week 3:
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Top Tight End Waiver Wire Options for Week 3
Jordan Reed, San Francisco 49ers
6% rostered
Remember this guy? Once one of the top tight ends in fantasy football when he stormed onto the fantasy scene with 87 receptions for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns back in 2015, Reed is relevant again after a couple concussion-marred years. In a shocking twist of events, Reed was one of the few 49ers not injured this past Sunday by the New York Jets.
Reed racked up seven catches for 50 yards and two touchdowns against the hapless Jets and seemed revitalized. If Kittle misses another game or two due to his knee injury, Reed could be a top-10 fantasy tight end on those weeks. And even if Kittle comes back, the injury-riddled 49ers could use both Kittle and Reed in two-TE formations and Reed could still hold some fantasy value in a receiver-starved offense like the Niners’. Take a flyer on Reed and pray he does not get hurt again.
Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys
1% rostered
Who? Guaranteed only fantasy players in NFC East-only leagues and tight-end touchdown leagues knew who Schultz was heading into the season. The loss of starting tight end Blake Jarwin to a season-ending injury was a gain for the fantasy worth of Schultz, Dallas’ fourth-round pick in 2018. No one could have imagined how well he would have done in his first start, however.
All Schultz did against Atlanta’s shredable defense was catch nine passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. On an explosive team with three above-average wide receivers, Schultz led Dallas’ pass-catching corps with 10 targets. With the Cowboys playing three consecutive home games against Cleveland, New York Giants and Arizona in Weeks 4 through 6, the schedule is favorable for Schultz. Let’s hope Schultz is not a one-week wonder and the fantasy players with a gaping hole at tight end could plug it with this fantasy surprise.
Other Tight End Options to Consider
Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team
32% rostered
Being one of the top targets in Washington is probably like being the most valuable item at a dollar store, but Thomas will give fantasy managers bang for that buck they spend on him. He has used his large frame to attract quarterback Dwayne Haskins’ attention (17 targets in two games) and should continue to see plenty of passes head his way since Washington is lacking any threats among its receivers other than standout Terry McLaurin.
Tyler Eifert, Jacksonville Jaguars
10% rostered
The oft-injured Eifert is looking to stay healthy for the second season in a row, and so far, so good on that front. He is also doing well as Jacksonville’s top tight end as he managed to snag three Gardner Minshew passes for 36 yards and a score in Week 2 after being a fantasy dud in Week 1. The Jaguars passing attack and offense overall has played better than expected in the early going, so Eifert will continue to be productive as long as he stays on the field.
Mo Alie-Cox, Indianapolis Colts
1% rostered
Anyone see this coming? After never having more than 35 receiving yards in any of the first 26 games of his NFL career, all Cox did was catch a career-high five passes for 111 yards. With starting tight end Jack Doyle banged-up and No. 2 wide receiver Parris Campbell injured as well, Cox and his basketball body might be primed to have the most successful stats stretch of his young career.
Don’t Forget About…
O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
31% rostered
How is it that Howard has outpointed Rob Gronkowski in both of Tampa Bay’s two games after being virtually ignored by head coach Bruce Arians during the 2019 season? Well, Gronk has been invisible (two catches for 11 yards on four targets), which has made it easier for Howard to be better, that’s for sure. If Gronkowski cannot grasp the offense or re-retires to become a WWE champion again, Howard could vault back into the top-15 among fantasy tight ends.
Greg Olsen, Seattle Seahawks
30% rostered
Olsen was shut out in Week 2 even though his QB Russell Wilson found the time and the receivers to throw five touchdown strikes this past Sunday night. The longtime fantasy stalwart did have a TD in Week 1, however, and can be a red-zone asset to Wilson and fantasy squads in the coming weeks.
Jordan Akins, Houston Texans
2% rostered
The third-year tight end is showing signs of life in Houston’s underachieving offense through two weeks, which is a pleasant surprise considering incumbent starter Darren Fells was coming off a career year. Akins has nine receptions for 94 yards and a TD entering Week 3, but temper your expectations since Fells is still entrenched in the tight end mix in the Texans offense.
Drew Sample, Cincinnati Bengals
1% rostered
C.J. Uzomah was looking like a breakout candidate at tight end until an unfortunate Achilles injury this past Thursday night put his season on ice. Now Sample, Cincinnati’s second-round pick from 2019, gets to step in as the Bengals’ top tight end. If he and rookie quarterback Joe Burrow can create some chemistry together, Sample could end up being a bargain-basement steal, especially in dynasty leagues. With A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd distracting defenses from the outside, Sample should be able to do damage over the middle.
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