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Are you already rethinking your plan for the tight end position on your fantasy football team? Well, you came to the right place.
One week is in the books, and fantasy football managers across the country are already panicking because San Francisco’s George Kittle is missing games and Minnesota’s Irv Smith Jr. went catchless in Week 1. The fantasy football waiver wire is never more stocked than it is heading into Week 2, though, so for fantasy GMs in need of a tight end, there are plenty available.
Without further ado, here are the best tight end waiver wire pickups for Week 2!
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Top Tight Ends to Pickup - Week 2 Waiver Wire
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers – 49% rostered
The Chargers' offense is as stacked with explosive runners and receivers as Buffalo Wild Wings is with chicken and sauces. Fantasy managers knew that Everett, who set career-highs across the board (albeit modest ones) last year with the Seattle Seahawks, would be given ample opportunities to score touchdowns and set new career-highs in the major fantasy categories. Week 1 was a precursor to Everett’s possible career year.
Everett hauled in three Justin Herbert passes for 54 yards and a touchdown against Las Vegas. The bad news is he will never be the top target in Los Angeles’ offense and aimed at 10-15 times per game. But the good news is that because the Chargers have so much talent at the skilled positions, Everett will always be put in advantageous spots to do damage, especially in the red zone. And having Herbert as his quarterback and having no tight end behind him on the depth chart to threaten his target total are two more huge pluses.
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams – 59% rostered
Higbee took advantage of No. 3 WR Van Jefferson being out of the lineup and was targeted 11 times in the Super Bowl champion Rams’ Thursday night loss. Yes, he was only able to manage 39 receiving yards on that treasure trove of targets, but the fact that he was looked at that much by Matthew Stafford means more than his statistical totals.
Until No. 2 WR Allen Robinson is worked into the offense and/or the Rams bring back Odell Beckham Jr. when he is healthy enough to play, Higbee could be the second-best option behind Cooper Kupp in the Rams offense for the foreseeable future. That future might be bright considering L.A.’s next six games are against teams that lost in Week 1. Just do not pick up Higbee hoping for a repeat of what he did during the 2019 campaign when he had 521 yards over a shocking five-game span. Fantasy experts like me are still unsure why that happened – and why it hasn’t again.
Other Tight Ends to Consider Adding
O.J. Howard, Houston Texans – 1% rostered
Ladies and gentleman, please meet the Juwan Johnson of 2022. Remember Johnson, the unheralded New Orleans tight end who came out of nowhere to score two touchdowns in Week 1 of the 2021 season? Now Howard, who was released by Buffalo and then signed by Houston right before the season started, scored two touchdowns against Indianapolis this past Sunday. I do not think Howard will fall completely off the fantasy map like Johnson did, but I would not expect him to put up Rob Gronkowski numbers, either.
Hayden Hurst, Cincinnati Bengals – 14% rostered
A game where a tight end gets five receptions for 46 yards like Hurst did in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers would normally not be notable, but it is because he did not have a 46-yard game in 2021. Cincinnati’s passing attack revolves around its terrific trio of wide receivers, but Hurst is laying claim to be Joe Burrow’s top target for whatever scraps are left over.
Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars – 35% rostered
Different uniform, same mediocre numbers for Engram. Even though he has Trevor Lawrence throwing to him instead of Daniel Jones and a healthier, more talented cast supporting him, he only gifted fantasy managers four catches for 28 yards in his first game as a Jaguar. The Jaguars' offense will improve this season, however, and when it does, Engram’s stats will surely be helped.
Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers – 31% rostered
Tonyan is working his way back after his 2021 ACL surgery and did OK in his first outing of the season by catching three passes for 35 yards. He scored 11 touchdowns two years back and is on a team starving for pass-catching playmakers, so Tonyan could be Aaron Rodgers' No. 1 or No. 2 option within the coming weeks as long as his knee holds up and none of Rodgers’ rookie receivers gets going.
Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders – 22% rostered
Speaking of talented tight ends returning after suffering season-ending knee injuries, Thomas surprised many by being ready for Week 1 and surprised more by supplying three receptions for 45 yards. Thomas was a breakout performer in 2020 when he posted a 72-670-6 line after subpar stints with Detroit and Buffalo. There is no reason to think he cannot get back to that level this year, barring another injury.
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets – 20% rostered
If you were wondering which Jets tight end would provide more fantasy bang for the buck between Conklin and C.J. Uzomah, let's just say Conklin won Round 1. While he scored a TD and was targeted seven times, Uzomah concentrated on blocking and was not targeted at all. This is not how it will play out every week, so temper your expectations for Conklin, but a 600-yard, six-TD season is within his reach.
Do Not Forget About…
Austin Hooper, Tennessee Titans – 40% rostered
I know Hooper was invisible in Week 1, but the veteran has had success before. He had 146 receptions for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns over a two-year span once with the Atlanta Falcons. Hooper was just not given a fair opportunity in Cleveland, where the Browns had a run-first offense, an injury-prone quarterback, and more tight ends than Beyonce has backup dancers. Keep tabs on Hooper over Tennessee’s next couple of contests and pick him up if he starts being targeted more.
Jonnu Smith, New England Patriots – 2% rostered
Smith took a back seat to tight end teammate Hunter Henry during his disastrous 2021 season, but his first foray of 2022 was encouraging. He had one more target than Henry did and was able to snag three Mac Jones passes for 33 yards. Smith scored eight touchdowns a couple of years ago and should be a bigger factor in the offense than he was last year.
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