Jason Witten owners are hanging their heads this week.  The Dallas Cowboys are on bye, which means Witten and his 30 receptions, 271 yards and two touchdowns cannot be used.  Luckily he is the only major tight end on bye this week.

There are three tight ends available on most waiver wires this week that could help you out if you own Witten or are just fed up with underachievers like Jordan Cameron or Jared Cook.

Each guy had a decent Week 5 and is poised to build off his success in Week 6.  Here is a look at tight ends you can pick up this week to help your fantasy squad.

 

Week 6 Waiver Wire -- Tight Ends (TE)

Jacob Tamme (TE, ATL) -- 5% OWNED

It looks like Julio Jones has rubbed off on Tamme! Tamme outdid Jones against the Washington Redskins by catching eight passes for 94 yards, and he was targeted just as many times as Jones was during the course of the contest.

Tamme had a 77-yard game two weeks ago against the New York Giants that included a sweet 41-yard reception, so this 94-yard effort did not come completely out of nowhere.  Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan has always fancied throwing to his tight ends.  Ryan and Tony Gonzalez had several superb seasons together as fantasy owners well know.  It appears Ryan and Tamme are now getting more comfortable with each other as the season progresses.

Tamme’s track record does not suggest that he will suddenly transform into a Rob Gronkowski clone in 2015.  He has only scored 10 touchdowns during his eight-year career and has amassed more than 200 receiving yards in just two of those seasons.  And it wasn’t because Tamme did not have decent quarterbacks throwing to him.  Peyton Manning was his primary quarterback the majority of the time.

But with Atlanta playing a New Orleans team that just allowed a disgraceful 39 points to a Philadelphia Eagles offense that had been one of the worst in the NFL all season, Tamme has to be considered as a prime play for fantasy teams in need of a tight end this week.

 

Zach Ertz (TE, PHI) -- 49% OWNED

Ertz has been as disappointing as Adam Sandler’s last few films.  He still has not scored a touchdown and is averaging three receptions and 32 yards per game.  If fantasy owners wanted that kind of production they would have drafted Darren Fells.

After four weeks of Philadelphia’s players giving their fantasy owners ulcers with their lackluster performances, though, the Eagles finally righted their offense against New Orleans.  That included Ertz, who had his best output of the campaign with five receptions for 60 yards.  It was nothing to induct Ertz into the Hall of Fame over, but it could be the signal that Ertz is turning things around and turning the corner.  What fantasy owners have to figure out is whether Philadelphia has fixed its flaws or if they and Ertz just got lucky against Rob Ryan's dreadful defense

Ertz will be “covered” by a New York Giants defense that ranks dead last in pass defense.  The unit is the only one in the league allowing 300 passing yards per game.  The Giants are coming off a game where they made Colin Kaepernick actually look like an NFL quarterback, which is difficult to do.  Ertz could not have a better matchup.

There is no better time than now to pick up Ertz and insert him into your fantasy lineup if you need a TE this week.  Even if you view him as a one-week stopgap, he could turn into something more substantial for you when all is said and done.

 

Derek Carrier (TE, WAS) -- 3% OWNED

The loss of Jordan Reed has been a gain for Carrier.  Washington’s backup tight end showed his face on Sunday and scored a touchdown against Atlanta.  And with Reed recovering from numerous injuries with no timetable for his return, Carrier will be Washington’s top tight end for the near future.

Carrier is a big-bodied tight end known more for his blocking skills than his pass-catching skills, but he has never had the opportunity to play as much as he will now.  He played sparingly in 11 games for the San Francisco 49ers last year, catching nine passes for 105 yards while serving as Vernon Davis’ understudy.  That is why Carrier was never thought about in fantasy circles except in 30-team leagues where clubs have to use three tight ends in a lineup each week.

Thanks to the hamstring injury to DeSean Jackson, quarterback Kirk Cousins has been targeting his tight ends plenty this season.  Reed was targeted 34 times in four games, and while Carrier does not have the talent Reed has, it would be no surprise if he is aimed at six times this week.

Carrier faces a New York Jets secondary that might the best in the NFL, is fresh coming off a bye week and has not allowed any tight end to catch more than three passes or have more than 38 yards in a game this season.  This does not sound like a recipe for fantasy success for Carrier, I know.

But Carrier is an unknown quantity who is going to get lots of looks this Sunday.  If you are a Reed or Witten owner and you desperately need a tight end this week, you could do worse than picking up Carrier and praying that Washington falls behind, throws a lot in the second half and helps Carrier get garbage yards and a possible touchdown.

 

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