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Millions of fantasy football managers will be without their star tight ends this upcoming week, so finding a future fantasy force or a one-week stopgap at the position on the waiver wire has never been more important this season.
Fantasy footballers will be without the top two tight ends in fantasy football this week. Kansas City’s Travis Kelce is on bye, while San Francisco’s George Kittle is out with his fractured foot. To pour more salt into the wounds of fantasy players, Atlanta’s Hayden Hurst and Dallas’ Dalton Schultz are also off thanks to the bye week. Before you break out the heartburn medication, though, there are still some available options on your league’s waiver wire that can help you in the short term (if you have Kelce, Hurst or Schultz) or the long term (if you have Kittle).
Here are the top tight end candidates to pick up in fantasy football leagues heading into Week 10!
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Top Tight End Waiver Wire Options
Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings
7% rostered
Smith Jr. keeps getting his name mentioned in my column, but fantasy managers can only expect so much from him when he shares his tight end targets with teammate Kyle Rudolph and plays in an offense that might only throw 15-20 times in games when top tailback Dalvin Cook is cooking. But Minnesota’s second-year man might be ready to take his fantasy value to the next level.
Smith Jr. had his first two-TD game of his career this past Sunday and has officially usurped Rudolph as the more valuable tight end on the team for fantasy managers. His upcoming schedule is favorable for his fantasy fortunes. In Weeks 11-13, Smith has home games against Dallas, Carolina and Jacksonville, three below-average defenses. Couple that with his increasing role in the Vikings passing attack and offense and Smith could be a huge addition for fantasy managers whether they need a one-week fill-in or an upgrade at their tight end position the rest of the way.
Jordan Reed, San Francisco 49ers
23% rostered
Reed has never met an injury he hasn’t had. He is perpetually hurt, and it is a damn shame because when he is healthy he is a top-five fantasy tight end. Look no further than Week 2 when Reed, who had not done much for fantasy football in almost three years, snagged two touchdown passes against the pitiful New York Jets. Reed has returned from his 1,000th injury, and it could not have come at a better time for fantasy managers, especially those who had the aforementioned Kittle as their starting tight end.
Kittle is going to miss several weeks, if not the remainder of the season, so the door is wide open for Reed to run through and be a fantasy force for the remainder of 2020 --- if he can remain injury-free and on the field. San Fran’s No. 3 TE, Ross Dwelley, is decent enough to take over and put up solid stats if Reed stubs his toe or tears a hamstring, but Reed is the better fantasy option due to his ability to turn catches into touchdowns in the red zone. Pick up Reed and pray he drinks enough milk and takes enough Vitamin C and D to stay out there for the rest of the season.
Other Tight End Options to Consider
Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team
38% rostered
Thomas has now been targeted four times or more for eight straight games. Even Travis Kelce cannot say that! Thomas has 130 yards and two touchdowns over his last three appearances and will run routes against a beatable Detroit Lions Defense that just allowed Smith Jr. to score twice against them. Alex Smith will look to Thomas early and often this Sunday and most Sundays from here on out.
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams
4% rostered
Everett continues to be one of the better options available on waiver wires and is especially attractive this week since he plays against a Seattle secondary that fantasy managers know is the worst in the NFL at the present time. Everett had a 136-yard game against the Seahawks in 2019, so he knows them well. He also has 177 receiving yards over his past four games and is outplaying 2019 fantasy wunderkind Tyler Higbee in recent weeks.
Don’t Forget About…
Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys
22% rostered
Schultz is on bye so he will be no help to fantasy managers unless their current tight end could possibly give them a minus for the week. Give him credit for catching 10 passes for 101 yards over the past two weeks while Dallas’ third and fourth-string quarterbacks were throwing to him. Hopefully when Schultz returns Andy Dalton will return as well and then Dallas’ top tight end could be a fantasy sleeper down the stretch.
Jacob Hollister, Seattle Seahawks
0% rostered
Hollister figured to have no fantasy value this year being stuck behind Greg Olsen and Will Dissly on Seattle’s tight end depth chart, but he suddenly showed up this past Sunday to have a season-high five receptions for 60 yards. Hollister is one to watch since it was proven in limited time last season that Russell Wilson can find him in the end zone.
Mo-Alie Cox, Indianapolis Colts
2% rostered
Forget about putting a finger on which Indianapolis tight end will be the most valuable fantasy-wise on a weekly basis. One week it is Jack Doyle. Next week it is Trey Burton. This past weekend Cox was the most productive of the threesome as he used his WR-like skill set to offset the loss of fantasy flop T.Y. Hilton and snag three passes for 43 yards. Cox is the one with the most upside out of Indy’s tight end trio.
Tyler Eifert, Jacksonville Jaguars
5% rostered
Is Jake Luton the answer to fantasy managers’ prayers? He was if those managers had DJ Chark on their squads, and maybe Eifert’s fantasy value is about to get a bump as well. Eifert set season highs with four receptions for 48 yards in Week 9, so watch what he does in Week 10 when Luton gets his second start.
Tyler Kroft, Buffalo Bills
0% rostered
If you can say anything about Kroft it is that he makes the most of his opportunities. The guy has caught all six of the passes thrown his direction over the past three games, including a Josh Allen touchdown toss versus Seattle. He is a touchdown-dependent reach this week at Arizona, but your league’s waiver wire may leave you no other choice.
Jordan Akins, Houston Texans
4% rostered
Remember this fellow? Akins got off to a decent start during the first month of the season, supplying 14 receptions for 168 yards and a TD in his opening four contests. Akins is now back from his concussion and is facing Cleveland’s 26th-ranked pass defense this Sunday afternoon. He should supplant Darren Fells as the Texans top tight end sooner or later.
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