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Craig's tight end (TE) fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 2 of 2026. His top TE fantasy football pickups, free agents to add, tight end streamers.
If you just realized that the only tight end on your roster is Miami’s Greg Dulcich, who pulls a hamstring every third game, it seems, then you might be in the market for a tight end even though we are only one week into the fantasy football season.
Week 1 was interesting for top tight ends. Arizona’s Trey McBride, the unquestioned No. 1 guy in fantasy at the position, posted a 9-95-1 line against the Los Angeles Chargers. Philadelphia’s Dallas Goedert and New York’s Isaiah Likely had two-TD efforts. Meanwhile, Chicago’s Colston Loveland had no catches in a game where his team put up 59 points. Go figure.
If you need a tight end because you feel you drafted poorly or need some depth for your fantasy squad, you came to the right place. Here are the top waiver wire picks and streamers at the tight end position for Week 2, starting with Jacksonville’s top tight end:
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Top Tight Ends to Pick Up - Week 2 Waiver Wire
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
Fantasy managers have always liked Brenton Strange. Penn State products always produce at this position, and Strange showed in his second and third seasons that he had good chemistry with quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He also could run great underneath routes against linebackers and safeties when need be. This is why the Jaguars signed him to a $36 million contract extension in the offseason.
Strange’s problem fantasy-wise has been his lack of touchdowns. Six touchdowns in three seasons does not do any fantasy favors for anyone.
Yet Strange found the end zone in Week 1 and continues to be a favorite target of Lawrence, who might FINALLY be ready to have the breakout year everyone has been pining for. Pick up Strange and at worst you have an above-average TE2, but hopefully he will be a TE1 in fantasy sooner rather than later.
Kenyon Sadiq, New York Jets
The 16th-pick overall in this past April’s draft, Kenyon Sadiq was slow to recover from a hernia problem and was limited throughout the preseason. That probably kept him lower than he should have been on cheat sheets heading into many fantasy drafts at the beginning of September. The talented tight end showed his multidimensional skills in New York’s victory over the Tennessee Titans, though.
Kenyon Sadiq starts off his NFL career with a rushing TD!
NYJvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/80wsuFz8mf— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026
Sadiq scored on a three-yard run and caught all three Geno Smith passes aimed at him for 21 yards. Tight end teammate Mason Taylor was on the field for a fair share of snaps and three targets, too, so Sadiq’s fantasy value is still slightly stunted at the moment.
Rookie receiver Omar Cooper Jr.’s ankle sprain should open up opportunities for Sadiq in the coming weeks, however. He is definitely worth a hard look, especially in dynasty leagues if available.
Other Tight Ends to Consider Adding
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
Jayden Higgins’ pain will be Dalton Schultz’s gain. Higgins was Houston’s WR2 and primed for a huge second season, but he tore his ACL during a scrimmage and is done for the season. The Texans do not have a lot of depth at receiver behind top target Nico Collins, so Schultz is the second-best option for C.J. Stroud's passes right now.
That theory was solidified by Schultz’s eight targets on Sunday versus Buffalo, the second-highest on the team behind Collins. Look for Schultz to continue to see six-to-eight targets per week unless someone from Houston’s subpar receiving corps steps up to be a solid WR2. Schultz faces Cincinnati’s opportunistic defense in Week 2, which is not the worst matchup for him.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
I know Darnell Washington is the Pittsburgh tight end who was gifted a multimillion-dollar deal in the offseason, but Pat Freiermuth is still the best pass catcher at the position on the team. The Penn State product has two seven-TD seasons to his credit and has topped the 650-yard mark twice in his five-year career.
FIRST TD OF THE SZN!
📲 Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/vqIDzYZB2x pic.twitter.com/n79eqeWNJN
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 13, 2026
Freiermuth’s big body and soft hands started off strong with five catches for 46 yards and a touchdown against the injury-riddled Atlanta Falcons. While he might have low points during the season due to Aaron Rodgers’ dying quails and winter weather wreaking havoc on the passing game, the burly tight end could have another season of 600 yards and six scores in 2026.
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders
I know Michael Mayer just signed a huge contract for $15 million per season. I know with Brock Bowers out that he is the top tight end and arguably the top option for Raiders passes because their receiving corps is hardly loaded with Pro Bowl players. I also know Mayer led the team with seven targets and six receptions in its Week 1 win against the lowly Miami Dolphins.
Mayer’s fantasy value will be close to zilch again whenever Bowers returns from his injury, so proceed with caution in picking him up. But he is a good get for this upcoming week against the Los Angeles Chargers, considering that defense had no answers for the top tight end in fantasy, Arizona’s McBride, in Week 1.
Do Not Forget About…
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
Ja'Marr Chase was not the Bengals pass catcher with five catches for 78 yards and a TD this past Sunday. Neither was Tee Higgins. I am not sure if Tampa Bay double covered both wideouts or if QB Joe Burrow had Gesicki in his DFS pool, but Cincinnati’s top tight end was the most productive pass catcher in Sunday’s victory.
This will not be the case most weeks, although Gesicki did have 65 receptions for 665 yards with the Bengals in 2024 and could repeat those numbers this year.
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
Look who’s back? I feel like T.J. Hockenson took 2024 and 2025 off after back-to-back seasons where he had under 500 receiving yards. All it took was Carson Wentz to put Hockenson back in the end zone on Sunday. Just do not get too excited, though. Somehow both WR2 Jordan Addison and WR3 Jauan Jennings failed to record a catch in that game, and that will never happen again.
Gunnar Helm, Tennessee Titans
Gunnar Helm was a fourth-round pick last year who did the dirty work underneath for Tennessee during his rookie campaign. He had 44 receptions for 357 yards and two touchdowns, but now he has a larger role in the passing attack as former starter Chig Okonkwo has taken his talents to Washington. Helm had four catches for 28 yards in Week 1 and could turn into a decent TE2 on a PPR team as the season wears on.
Terrance Ferguson, Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles has about 25 tight ends it could have Matthew Stafford throw to, but Terrance Ferguson has the most upside. He was the Rams’ second-round pick in 2025, and he should be able to pass plodders Tyler Higbee and Davis Allen on the depth chart eventually. That said, he went catchless in Week 1 and has no fantasy value except as a stash in dynasty leagues if you have the roster room.
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The king of the meaningless eight-yard catch is back. Baker Mayfield’s solid safety valve is coming off back-to-back 59-reception seasons, but is this is the year Otton breaks the 60-catch plateau? He has three catches for 26 yards in Week 1, but has a home game this Sunday against a Cleveland Browns defense that surrendered four touchdown passes to Jacksonville, including one to a tight end.
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pick Up
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