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Craig's tight end (TE) fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 7 of 2026. His top TE fantasy football pickups, free agents to add, tight end streamers.
Another week, another round of byes.
Four more teams are on bye. Tight end lovers will have to live without Jacksonville’s Brenton Strange and Buffalo’s Dalton Kincaid, but otherwise the position is quite all right. The main men are playing and healthy for the most part. But if you need a tight end because you do not like your current options, you came to shop at the right store.
Here are the top waiver wire picks and streamers at the tight end position for Week 7, starting with a top-5 tight end at season’s start who might have been dropped after a horrendous start:
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Top Fantasy Football Tight Ends - Week 7 Waiver Wire
Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta Falcons
Let’s be honest. I know Kyle Pitts Sr. has had an inconsistent career and has gone through stretches where you wonder if he should be on a fantasy team, but no one should have given up on him this year. I know he had two catches for 20 yards in his first three games. Pitiful. Someone with his track record should not have been dropped, though.
Pitts is making those who gave up on him look more foolish than the Seattle Seahawks look for letting Kenneth Walker III sign with the Kansas City Chiefs. Now that Michael Penix Jr. is back running the offense and can throw passes 10 times better than Cooper Rush can, Pitts’ numbers and fantasy value are back to their above-average level.
Another Kyle Pitts TD 👀
CHIvsATL on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/dPzORjqaaP— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026
Pitts has racked up 13 receptions for 159 yards and three touchdowns (two on Sunday) over his last three games, which coincide with Penix’s return. If he is available on your waiver wire because a numbskull dumped him for New York’s Kenyon Sadiq a couple of weeks ago, grab him quicker than a handyman grabs a new hammer at Lowe’s.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
Hunter Henry was basking in the glow of top target A.J. Brown sitting on the sidelines for a couple of weeks, but even with Brown’s return in Week 6, the stats did not slow down for New England’s dependable pass catcher. He posted his third straight good game in a row versus a NY Jets team he usually fares well against – four catches for 48 yards and a TD.
Thursday night Henry will run routes against a Chicago defense that one week looks like a replica of the classic 1985 Bears defense, and another week looks like an XFL defense. Pick up Henry and do not be surprised if he has a 50-yard game with another touchdown, especially now that quarterback Drake Maye has suddenly fixed his flaws.
Other Fantasy Football Tight Ends to Consider Adding
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
It seems that millions of fantasy footballers are not sold on Mike Gesicki, as he is available in plenty of leagues despite catching four touchdown tosses from Joe Burrow in the first five games of the campaign. I am not sold on him, either. Here is why.
Gesicki only has 17 targets, whereas top targets Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase have 43 and 38, respectively. So we know where he stands on the target totem pole in Cincinnati. That said, Gesicki turns his targets into touchdowns, so as a one-week stopgap, he is perfect. Just do not expect a huge year over the long haul.
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders
I cannot figure out the pecking order of the Raiders' passing attack. One week, TE1 Brock Bowers dominates the targets. Next week, speedster Tre Tucker stops getting overlooked, and he gets plenty of passes thrown his way. Then TE2 Michael Mayer gets his day in the sun and is blessed with nine or 10 targets. Then the roles will reverse. It is a head-scratching situation for fantasy managers.
After having one measly target in Week 5, Mayer had nine targets in Week 6 that he turned into seven catches for 95 yards. Who knows how the target total will go in Week 7 against the disappointing L.A. Rams, but I think Mayer has a better chance of getting in the six-to-eight range than having one again.
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville’s TE1 is racking up the points and PPR leagues in recent weeks. Brenton Strange has 19 catches for 207 yards over his past three games (two in London). The problem continues to be that Strange is a stranger to the end zone. He has not caught a TD pass since Week 1 and only has seven total during his four-year career.
Lawrence finds Brenton Strange for a 24-yard pickup
HOUvsJAX on NFL Network
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/1QxGAULYAw— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026
Strange is on bye this week, so he is not an option if you need immediate help due to your normal starting tight end being on bye. I like him as a more consistent season-long option than the aforementioned Gesicki. However, his target share is more level and not swinging high and low from week to week.
Darnell Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh cannot afford to lose pass catchers on a weekly basis as it has been. Receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson are out with injuries, so more targets to tight ends should be on the horizon.
Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth keep flip-flopping who the more valuable fantasy tight end on the team is. Washington won the honor in Week 6 with his four receptions, with one being a touchdown.
Do Not Forget About These Tight Ends
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
T.J. Hockenson returns after missing one week due to a bye, which hopefully allows him to regain his marbles after suffering a concussion early in his Week 5 contest. Hockenson had 13 catches in his last full game and faces Indianapolis’ 28th-ranked pass defense this weekend, so he is definitely a tight end to keep an eye on as a waiver pickup.
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
The future Rams franchise tight end is probably phenom Terrance Ferguson, who is currently on the injured reserve. But the past and present at the position is Tyler Higbee.
He has battled a career-threatening knee injury and Father Time to post 22 catches for 234 yards and a touchdown over his last four games. Ferguson should return in a couple of weeks, however, and tight end teammate Colby Parkinson scored a TD against Arizona on Sunday, too.
Tommy Tremble, Carolina Panthers
It is official. Bryce Young is the second coming of Joe Montana, or at worst, Jake Delhomme. Young threw Tommy Tremble four passes for 46 yards, including two touchdowns. What does this mean for Darren Waller, who had been the team’s TE1 all season long until this week’s game? Fantasy managers may need to see how this shakes out over the next week or two.
Foster Moreau, Houston Texans
Two catches, two touchdowns. The only thing Foster Moreau could have done better in London on Sunday morning was get a little more distance on his TD catches (1-yard TD and 6-yard TD). While Dalton Schultz still gets more playing time and targets, Moreau is the touchdown-dependent one doing the dirty work in the end zone.
Josh Cuevas, Baltimore Ravens
Let’s hear it for Josh Cuevas, who gets his name in the column for the first time in 2026! The fifth-round rookie from Alabama had the best day of his very short career by catching four passes for 44 yards and Baltimore’s lone touchdown on Sunday. This might lead to a bigger role in the Ravens offense from here on out, especially since incumbent Mark Andrews looks a step slower.
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:
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Who Should I Pick Up? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Kyle Pitts Sr., Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, Michael Mayer, Brenton Strange, Darnell Washington, T.J. Hockenson, Tyler Higbee, Tommy Tremble, Foster Moreau, and Josh Cuevas. But don't worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2026. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2026. 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.
2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on Kyle Pitts Sr., Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, Michael Mayer, Brenton Strange, Darnell Washington, T.J. Hockenson, Tyler Higbee, Tommy Tremble, Foster Moreau, and Josh Cuevas. 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 Pick Up tool for 2026 for Kyle Pitts Sr., Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, Michael Mayer, Brenton Strange, Darnell Washington, T.J. Hockenson, Tyler Higbee, Tommy Tremble, Foster Moreau, and Josh Cuevas:
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