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Week 9 will take a toll on the tight end position for millions of fantasy football teams. Fantasy football managers will be without Cleveland’s Austin Hooper, Los Angeles’ Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett, and Philadelphia’s Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert thanks to their teams being on bye. ut the biggest void is left behind by San Francisco’s George Kittle, whose injured foot will keep him off the field for several weeks, if not months.
The tight end selection on the fantasy waiver wire is sparse and sounds a lot like the same crew from last week’s column, so while there are pass catchers you can add to your team that could be an upgrade over what you have, do not bank on any Shannon Sharpe or Mark Bavaro types being there to save your season.
Here are the top tight end candidates to pick up in fantasy football leagues heading into Week 9!
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Top Tight End Waiver Wire Options
Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh Steelers
45% rostered
Ebron is mired in an offense that relies more on passing to its wide receivers than its tight ends. He is also not making the big plays inside the red zone and around the end zone he was back in 2018 when he shocked the fantasy football world with 14 touchdowns while a member of the Indianapolis Colts. Fantasy managers know this, hence why he is available in more than half of the leagues out there.
Yet Ebron is starting to catch onto Pittsburgh’s offense and get on the same page with “Big” Ben Roethlisberger. He has had 40 receiving yards or more in five of his last six games and has reached the end zone twice. But what makes Ebron more attractive to fantasy football gamers than sappy, happy endings are to Hallmark movie watchers is his upcoming schedule. Pittsburgh has Dallas, Cincinnati and Jacksonville as its next three opponents. Those are three defenses Ebron could have back-to-back-to-back field days against. Ebron is the top tight end available in many leagues for the second week in a row.
Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys
26% rostered
The Cowboys are falling apart physically, mentally, defensively and offensively. This has done no fantasy favors for Schultz, who was playing like the second coming of Jason Witten for a couple weeks before Dak Prescott suffered his season-ending ankle injury. This is why Schultz was rostered in 20 percent fewer leagues last week than the week prior.
Yes, Schultz is stuck with either scattershot Andy Dalton or sidearm slinger Ben DiNucci as his signal caller, but despite the poor quarterback play he has managed a dozen catches for 110 yards over his latest three-game stretch. Considering Dallas has one of the easier schedules remaining in the NFL, Schultz is still a decent pickup even as the Cowboys season spins out of control.
Other Tight End Options to Consider
Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team
21% rostered
Washington has gotten little production from its No. 2 and No. 3 wide receivers this season, so Thomas has gained fantasy value because of being aimed at so often (40 targets in seven games). Thomas is coming off his two best games of the season (4-60-1 and 3-42-1) and should be fresh after a bye week. Even better, his next four games are against the New York Giants, Detroit, Cincinnati and Dallas. Sign up Thomas whether you need short-term or long-term for fantasy team at the TE position.
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams
6% rostered
Jared Goff’s supposed No. 2 tight end is playing more like a No. 1 TE these days. Everett is flashing wide-receiver-like skills while making plays between the 20s and inside the red zone. He has 22 targets over his last four outings as offensive mastermind Sean McVay has realized that he has to find ways to get the ball into his talented tight end’s hands. Everett is off thanks to a bye this week, but now that he has found his niche and is outplaying tight end teammate Tyler Higbee he could be used by fantasy squads in need of a tight end down the stretch.
Trey Burton, Indianapolis Colts
22% rostered
Burton is the only tight end in the NFL who has rushed for touchdowns in back-to-back games this year. While he may be the Dalvin Cook of tight ends, Burton cannot be counted upon to produce consistently in the passing game because Indy has two other competent tight ends in Jack Doyle and Mo-Alie Cox. Burton is facing a Baltimore defense that allowed tight ends to score TDs in two consecutive games, however.
Don’t Forget About…
Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings
7% rostered
Smith has 135 receiving yards over his past three games. He also has a bright future and gets to find openings inside Detroit’s defensive backfield this weekend. Indianapolis’ tight ends were able to score two touchdowns against the Lions in Week 8, so Smith could certainly find the end zone if given the right pass from Kirk Cousins.
Ross Dwelley, San Francisco 49ers
0% rostered
San Fran’s No. 3 tight end could be in line for a start if the aforementioned Kittle and second-stringer Jordan Reed cannot make it this Thursday versus Green Bay. Dwelley found the end zone this past week, and you know how the 49ers like incorporating their tight ends into their passing attack. Dwelley is a desperation play, but if you are a Kittle owner and the tight end pickings are slim on your league’s waiver wire, Dwelley could be a one-week stopgap for you.
Tyler Kroft, Buffalo Bills
0% rostered
Kroft followed his 64-yard performance in Week 7 with a one-catch clunker in Week 8. That had more to do with poor weather conditions and Buffalo’s run-first game plan than it did Kroft, though. If Dawson Knox is not activated from the COVID list by Buffalo’s next game, Kroft is line for a super-duper matchup against Seattle’s bottom-barrel pass defense.
Ian Thomas, Carolina Panthers
7% rostered
Thomas is in a terrible situation for a tight end when he has the solid wide receiver trio of DJ Moore, Robby Anderson and Curtis Samuel, and two top-notch pass-catching running backs in Christian McCaffrey and Mike Davis ahead of him on the target totem pole. Thomas will hopefully get more looks from Teddy Bridgewater after his season-high three receptions for 28 yards against Atlanta last Thursday. If a receiver or two gets banged up, Thomas’ role will surely increase.
Harrison Bryant, Cleveland Browns
10% rostered
Bryant is filling in nicely for the injured Austin Hooper as he has recorded seven catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns in two starts. The problem is twofold, though. Cleveland is off this week, and by the time the Browns play again Hooper should be back. Unless the Browns employ more two tight end sets and totally ignore David Njoku, Bryant’s fantasy value might have seen its best days last week.
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