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Craig Rondinone's fantasy football tight end waiver wire pickups for Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season. His free agent TEs to add, stream, and stash off waivers.
The Week 6 bye is much kinder to fantasy footballers than the Week 5 bye was. Pittsburgh’s Pat Freiermuth and Green Bay’s Luke Musgrave are the only two tight ends on bye this week, so most fantasy football managers will not have to pick up a one-week stopgap at the position.
Freiermuth has a hamstring injury anyway, so the week off will probably ensure he will be ready to roll in Week 7. Couple this with a lack of major injuries and fantasy footballers might not be shopping for too many tight ends in their leagues this week.
That does not mean there are fantasy GMs out there short on tight end talent. Trust me, there are plenty who thought Evan Engram would be the perfect TE1. So without further ado, here are the best tight end waiver wire pickups for Week 6, beginning with Houston’s top tight end!
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Top Tight Ends to Pickup - Week 6 Waiver Wire
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
Schultz needed three weeks to figure out his place in the Texans offense. Turns out he is now Houston’s second-best option in the passing attack behind breakout star Nico Collins. The former Dallas Cowboy has caught 10 of the 13 passes thrown at him and turned them into 107 yards and two touchdowns. Better late than never, fantasy folks!
Schultz should supply 40-60 yards per week from here on out, especially as quarterback C.J. Stroud continues to mature into a superstar. Having a steady safety valve like Schultz will help Stroud develop, and as Stroud improves, so will Schultz’s fantasy value. Add Schultz to your fantasy squad this week and he will deliver consistent stats for you throughout the remainder of the season.
Other Tight Ends to Consider Adding
Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders
Thomas is coming off his best game of the year, not to mention his best game in quite a while. His 9-77-1 line last Thursday forced fantasy managers to take notice. Washington’s upcoming favorable schedule (Atlanta, New York Giants, Philadelphia, New England) is loaded with beatable secondaries and could mean many solid fantasy outings for this veteran, who has finally figured out how to be an above-average tight end after starting his football career as a quarterback.
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
Kmet was in the starring role in last week’s column and arguably should not have been removed from the catbird seat by Schultz. He had 12 catches for 127 yards and three touchdowns over the last two weeks, partially because QB Justin Fields has gone from being Akili Smith 2.0 to the modern-day Dan Fouts. The trouble with Kmet is you know Fields has several more clunkers to come this season, and when they come it will be curtains for Kmet’s fantasy numbers during those tragic weeks. Pick up Kmet and he will give you more good weeks than bad. Just know going in that he might have a zero-point week at the worst possible time for you.
Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals
You cannot quibble with a tight end averaging seven targets per game. Ertz is not even averaging seven yards per catch, though, so steer clear from him in distance leagues where you get extra points for longer touchdowns. This fantastic fossil can catch four to six passes a game, however, and is one of the better available options on fantasy waiver wires currently.
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
I love Everett’s matchup this week, a home game against an Arizona Cardinals secondary that revitalized Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase’s fantasy values this past Sunday. What I do not like is that 99 percent of Justin Herbert’s passes these days go to Keenan Allen, and Everett has to fight for the scraps. With No. 2 WR Mike Williams out for the season, Everett should see his fantasy worth in the coming weeks if the targets start coming.
Do Not Forget About…
Jonnu Smith, Atlanta Falcons
Even though Atlanta’s top tight end Kyle Pitts was targeted 11 times and caught seven passes for 87 yards against the Houston Texans, Smith still was able to catch a half-dozen passes of his own for 67 yards. Can two tight ends flourish in a run-first offense helmed by a shaky starting signal-caller? I have my doubts, but Smith has now racked up 21 receptions over his four games, so he is slowly making me a believer.
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Otton should be recharged and ready to go after his bye week. If he can convince Baker Mayfield to throw more to him and less to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Otton might have some fantasy value. He has a decent matchup this weekend as he has a home game against a mediocre Detroit Lions pass defense.
Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys
Ferguson has proven that he can have fantasy worth when you play him at the right time, and there is no time like the present. Next Monday night he will be trying to find openings against the Los Angeles Chargers, a pass defense ranked dead last in the NFL that is allowing almost 300 passing yards per game. He should have no trouble finding room to roam.
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
No Jets pass catcher can be counted on to provide fantasy bang. Not with Zach Wilson throwing his dying quails at their feet. That said, Conklin has three 50-yard games over the last month, which is just as many as top target Garrett Wilson has had. Conklin will not score a touchdown this week or most weeks, but he can give you five catches for 55 yards and be a help in PPR leagues.
Adam Trautman, Denver Broncos
After going catchless in three straight games, Trautman hit the Powerball by catching four Russell Wilson passes against the New York Jets, including one for a touchdown. He will not make Broncos fans or fantasy managers think he is the next Shannon Sharpe, but Trautman can be a decent low-price play in DFS contests this Thursday when he faces the Kansas City Chiefs.
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