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Craig's tight end (TE) fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 5 of 2025. His top TE fantasy football pickups, free agents to add, tight end streamers.
Oh, no. They are here. The byes are here!
The first week of NFL teams being off due to their bye week is upon us. At tight end, the biggest player missing is Green Bay’s Tucker Kraft, who has been one of the best fantasy players at the position during the first month. Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts Sr., Pittsburgh’s Jonnu Smith, and Chicago’s Cole Kmet will also be on vacay this week.
Chances are, you might be in need of a tight end, especially if you roster Mr. Kraft. Here are the top candidates at tight end to pick up on fantasy waiver wires heading into Week 5, starting with a very talented tight end who only has one thing going against him this week, and it is kind of important:
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Top Tight End to Pick Up - Week 5 Waiver Wire
I believe this is a first in this column’s history, and I have been doing it for four years now. This is the first time the top tight available in my column is on bye.
Kyle Pitts Sr. came in as one of the most heralded tight ends coming out of college, but he has never lived up to the hype. Blame it on his subpar quarterbacks or the run-first offenses he has been a part of. Or maybe he deserves to shoulder the blame. Whatever the case, Pitts is possibly available in your league thanks to his average numbers since entering the league.
Pitts has at least four catches and 37 yards in each of his games this season and posted his best effort against Washington with five receptions for 70 yards and a score. Is Michael Penix Jr. ready to lead Pitts to his second 1,000-yard year? I am not sure about that, but I am of the belief that Pitts is the best tight end out there on many waiver wires this week.
TOUCHDOWN KYLE PITTS!!! PISTOL FORMATION BUT ITS PLAY ACTION INSTEAD OF A RUN!!! LETS GO!!!!
pic.twitter.com/GOUjvV819o— Carrie (@carrielynnxox) September 28, 2025
Other Tight Ends to Consider Adding
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
Strange’s name keeps popping up in this weekly column as often as Selena Gomez’s name keeps popping up on TMZ. People keep refusing to pick up the underrated tight end, even though he has had back-to-back six-catch games and has quietly become Trevor Lawrence’s favorite target.
Strange is bound to find the end zone in the next couple of weeks, especially since Jacksonville has its next three games at home. Considering the Jaguars' pass offense has been below-average in the early going, just think how productive Strange can be when Lawrence starts throwing for 250 yards per game instead of 150! Pick up Strange this week, if for no other reason but to keep his name out of next week’s column.
Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins
Darren Waller has gone from touchdowns to turntables and now back to touchdowns. The former perennial 1,000-yard pass catcher made his season debut with the Dolphins on Monday night and looked like the Waller who wore an Oakland Raiders jersey and racked up back-to-back 1,000-yard years in 2019 and 2020. He scored two touchdowns against the hapless New York Jets and appeared like he did not lose a step while he took a year off from the game.
Waller returned at the right time. With top target Tyreek Hill out now with a dislocated knee, and injury-prone Jaylen Waddle installed as the team's WR1, Waller's target total and total stats should shoot up in the coming weeks. You could make the argument that he should be the top tight end to pick up this week, but I personally need to see a larger sample size before I take Waller on the waver wire.
Do Not Forget About…
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud is not the same quarterback he was two years ago. The Houston Texans are not the same offense or team they were two years ago. And Schultz is not the same tight end he was a few years back when he was with the Dallas Cowboys. That all said, the case can be made that Schultz is better than most tight ends on the waiver wire right now. He will also be running routes against Baltimore’s 31st-ranked pass defense this Sunday.
A.J. Barner, Seattle Seahawks
Fantasy pundits thought Colston Loveland was going to be the Michigan product to have a breakout season at tight end in 2024, but it turns out Barner is the one who has been the bigger fantasy force. Barner has scored touchdowns in two of his last three games. Just temper your expectations since his yardage total (81 in four games) has been modest.
Mason Taylor, New York Jets
Rookie Mason Taylor has one major thing going in his favor this weekend. He is facing the worst pass defense in football. The Dallas Cowboys cannot cover a puddle in the street with a coat, let alone cover a decent receiver or tight end. Taylor is coming off the best game of his young career this past Monday at Miami -- five catches for 65 yards. He could do that and then some versus Dallas this Sunday.
Theo Johnson, New York Giants
Top target Malik Nabers might be out for the season with a knee injury. If that holds true, the rest of the Giants' pass catchers will see more targets, including Theo Johnson. Johnson scored his first touchdown of the season against the L.A. Chargers and will hopefully watch his fantasy value go up between having more opportunities to catch passes and having Jaxson Dart as his QB for the foreseeable future.
Jaxson Dart's first career passing TD!
LACvsNYG on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/KhjYKrVKlC
— NFL (@NFL) September 28, 2025
Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns
I know fantasy managers are hesitant to pick up Fannin because David Njoku is in the way in Cleveland. Hey, they may be right. Fannin’s yardage total has dropped in each of his four games this year. You have to like that he is averaging six targets per game, however, and the Joe Flacco wobbles keep heading his way.
Oronde Gadsden, Los Angeles Chargers
Gadsden might not make L.A. Chargers fans forget about Antonio Gates, but at least he is infusing some juice into the tight end position on the team. The rookie has seven receptions for 62 yards over the past two weeks and is now the better long-term and short-term tight end to roster on the Chargers, ahead of vets Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin.
Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
Likely suited up for his first game of the season on Sunday after missing the opening three contests due to a foot injury sustained in training camp. He was a non-factor with no catches and no targets; however, Mark Andrews caught seven short passes for 30 yards. Likely’s role will increase as the season wears on. Maybe he becomes Baltimore’s top tight end if the Ravens keep faltering and deal Andrews at the trade deadline.
Jake Tonges, San Francisco 49ers
George who? Well, Tonges might not remind 49ers fans of fantasy players forgetting about San Francisco’s Pro Bowl tight end, but he is filling in admirably for Mr. Kittle. Tonges a 12-125-2 line over the first four games, so there is no need for Kittle to rush back from his hamstring injury.
Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
One catch for four yards does nobody any fantasy favors – except the opponent of the person who used Okonkwo this past week. Tennessee’s offense is failing to click on any cylinder, so until it does, you can stay away from Okonkwo. But if and when Cam Ward and Co. right the ship, Okonkwo will be worth a look later in the season.
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
Kmet is on bye and only has seven catches on the campaign, so he does not exactly sound like waiver wire pickup material. Yet Kmet has done a ton with those lucky seven grabs (116 yards and a TD), so he should still be someone to think about this week or next week when he returns to the field.
Jonnu Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers
Smith did not show up much in Pittsburgh’s game in Ireland (two catches for six yards), but he still did more than teammate Pat Freiermuth did, who was shut out. Smith’s inconsistent stats put him at the bottom of the barrel this week, though he is one great game away from flying up the charts like a song from K-pop Demon Hunters.
Who Should I Pick Up Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pick Up" tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pick Up? Some common 2025 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Kyle Pitts, Brenton Strange, Dalton Schultz, A.J. Barner, Chig Okonkwo, Mason Taylor, Oronde Gadsden, Theo Johnson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2025. Our free Who Should I Pick Up? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pick up ... all free! Make the right decisions.
2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on Kyle Pitts, Brenton Strange, Dalton Schultz, A.J. Barner, Chig Okonkwo, Mason Taylor, Oronde Gadsden, Theo Johnson. They are some of the most common searches for tight-end fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pick Up
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Kyle Pitts, Brenton Strange, Dalton Schultz, A.J. Barner, Chig Okonkwo, Mason Taylor, Oronde Gadsden, Theo Johnson:
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