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Craig Rondinone's fantasy football tight end waiver wire pickups for Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season. His free agent TEs to add, stream, and stash off waivers.
Congratulations on reaching the championship game in your fantasy football league! If you have Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Darren Waller, or George Kittle as your tight end, then you might as well stop reading.
But if your team’s tight ends have been inconsistent, are injured, or have tough matchups you do not like, then keep going with this column, because hopefully, you can find a tight end below that you can pick up and play during the most important game of your fantasy season. This is not the week to trot out a tight end you have zero confidence in. This is the week to go for the gold!
Without further ado, here are the best tight end waiver wire pickups for Week 17, starting with the same two tight ends from the same team who were highlighted in last week’s column, only in reverse order.
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Top Tight Ends to Pickup - Week 17 Waiver Wire
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
What makes Hill so dangerous on the football field and so valuable in fantasy football is that he can rack up yards and touchdowns in a multitude of ways. If he is facing terrible weather conditions and cannot pass, then he can use his legs and run for scores as he did in Cleveland this past Saturday. If he is facing a defense that plugs up running plays, Hill can throw over the top as he did the week before versus Atlanta. He can even catch passes and run-back kicks. And since he can be used as a tight end in most leagues, he is the most valuable guy on waiver wires at the position heading into Week 17.
Hill is scheduled to play against a Philadelphia defense that allows 120 yards per game on the ground and has shown cracks in recent weeks. With New Orleans’ playoff hopes on the line and some of its weapons probably sidelined, look for Hill to be called upon often in a must-win situation, especially when the Saints get inside the 10-yard-line. If you need a tight end this week to win your league, Hill is your best bet if he is available.
Other Tight Ends to Consider Adding
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Throw Johnson’s Christmas Eve effort of one catch for nine yards in the toilet. He could not have been expected to do much in those horrific weather conditions in Cleveland. Johnson scored seven touchdowns in seven games prior to his game this past holiday weekend. With New Orleans’ receiving corps banged up as usual, Johnson should be targeted a ton on New Year's Day. The only thing going against him is he is facing Philadelphia’s top-ranked pass defense.
Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks
Fant has caught the eye of QB Geno Smith and caught three touchdown tosses over his past four contests. If Seattle had traded Russell Wilson for Fant straight up in the offseason, it would have been a fair deal with the way things have shaken out. Fant’s fantasy value this week goes up if wideout Tyler Lockett misses another game with his fractured finger, but if Lockett plays, then Fant’s value gets downgraded.
Jordan Akins, Houston Texans
The Texans should hand out vitamins and milk to their wide receivers because those guys have a harder time staying healthy than pro wrestlers, UFC fighters, and clumsy cousins. Akins has gotten more targets since the receiving corps has suffered a myriad of injuries. He has 15 receptions for 148 yards and two touchdowns over his past five outings. This week, he has a home game against Jacksonville’s 29th-ranked pass defense, a unit that just lost its sack leader. Sounds like a yummy matchup for Akins.
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It appears that the Cameron Brate era is over in Tampa Bay. Brate was not targeted once in Week 16, while Otton was thrown to seven times by Tom Brady in the Buccaneers' come-from-behind win at Arizona. Otton now gets to line up against a Carolina defense that just allowed three touchdowns to future Hall of Famer Shane Zylstra.
Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos
Dulcich snapped an eight-game scoreless streak with his touchdown on Christmas, and it was nice to see him turn eight targets into four catches for 39 yards. He is a sneaky start this week in a road game against Kansas City that Denver should lose 50-10 simply because the Broncos should be throwing the ball the entire second half and they do not have many other decent pass catchers that will take targets away from Dulcich.
Shane Zylstra, Detroit Lions
Who needs T.J. Hockenson? You can never ignore a player who scores three touchdowns in a game, which is why Zylstra is here. I do not know if he will score another touchdown or two this week or go without a catch or a target. Both scenarios are entirely possible. Just know that Jared Goff plays like Patrick Mahomes at home (20-to-3 TD-to-INT ratio) and Detroit is hosting a Chicago squad with a mediocre-at-best pass defense, so Zylstra has to be considered as a waiver wire pickup candidate.
Do Not Forget About…
Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona’s rookie was not drafted in the second round this year because the Cardinals thought he would be a solid No. 2 tight end on their team. He is the future top tight end and is showing glimpses of his promise with 10 receptions for 100 yards over his last three games – and that was with Colt McCoy and Trace McSorley throwing to him. McBride’s fantasy future is bright for 2023 and beyond if Kyler Murray comes back healthy.
Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
Just when Tennessee’s 2022 fourth-round pick was getting his sea legs under him (14 catches for 167 and a TD during a three-game span), quarterback Ryan Tannehill suffered a season-ending ankle injury. That ruins Okonkwo’s fantasy value for this year, but he should be a late-round sleeper with upside potential heading into 2023 fantasy drafts and auctions.
Daniel Bellinger, New York Giants
Bellinger does not have a 30-yard game or a TD since the middle of October, but I think his true value is in dynasty leagues since he will blossom into a decent tight end over the next year or two. He has shown excellent hands and a nose for the end zone during his rookie campaign, so he should be on your fantasy radar in 2023.
Mitchell Wilcox, Cincinnati Bengals
I know relying on undrafted backup tight ends during your championship week does not sound like the greatest idea, but Wilcox has stepped in for the injured Hayden Hurst and contributed nine catches for 69 yards and a score over the past two weeks. If you play in a deep league and the tight end pool is shallow on the waiver wire, giving Wilcox a look is not the worst plan.
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