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Craig's tight end (TE) fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 9 of 2026. His top TE fantasy football pickups, free agents to add, tight end streamers.
This is not the week byes will destroy fantasy football managers.
Only the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans are on bye this upcoming week, which is forgiving for fantasy footballers after back-to-back weeks where four teams were off. Steelers stalwarts Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington will be missing from fantasy squads this week, so there will be some managers out there searching for help at the tight end position. If you are one of them, keep reading!
Here are the top waiver wire picks and streamers at the tight end for Week 9, starting with Joe Burrow’s favorite target when he throws inside the 10-yard-line:
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Top Fantasy Football Tight Ends - Week 9 Waiver Wire
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
What can I say? All the man does is score touchdowns. Mike Gesicki was at it again on Sunday, touching his toes in the end zone for the sixth time in seven games. He has been a model of consistency, which is interesting since Gesicki has always been inconsistent throughout his nine-year career.
5th straight game with a TD for Mike Gesicki! Bengals retake the lead.
TENvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/XWMIU61Bfn— NFL (@NFL) November 1, 2026
Unlike the previous two weeks where Gesicki’s TD catches were the only catches he had in those games, he brought more to the fantasy table in Week 8. Gesicki had four receptions for 76 yards against Tennessee and proved he can be more than just a red-zone specialist when given opportunities.
Opportunities can be scarce in this offense when wonderful wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins need to be fed 20 targets per game combined, though. The touchdowns should keep coming this week as Gesicki’s Bengals face Atlanta’s 29th-ranked pass defense. Just because the Falcons held Baker Mayfield to no completions in Week 8 does not mean they are good.
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota’s main man over the middle keeps making plays while wideouts Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison underperform. Leave it to Kyler Murray, who does not elevate the fantasy values of his receivers, but has no trouble completing intermediate passes in front of linebackers.
T.J. Hockenson has scored touchdowns in back-to-back games and still has fantasy managers talking about his 13-reception, 119-yard back in Week 4. His next game is a Monday night matchup at home against Buffalo and its 31st-ranked pass defense. If Gesicki is No. 1 on this tight end list this week, Hockenson is 1A.
Other Fantasy Football Tight Ends to Consider Adding
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
Brenton Strange should not still be on fantasy waiver wires at this point. I know he scores as many touchdowns as a WR4 does. I know he is never going to rip off a 50-yard catch because he a lumberer, not s sprinter. But the guy piles up receptions and yardage like a pizzeria piles up pepperoni.
Strange has 21 catches for 262 yards over the last month. But of course, which Jacksonville tight end scored a touchdown in Week 8? Not Strange. No, the man, the myth, the legend, Nate Boerkircher did the deed. One of these weeks Strange will score again. Could happen this Thursday against a Baltimore defense that has to be tired after being on the field so much in its blowout loss to Buffalo.
Chig Okonkwo, Washington Commanders
When all you have ahead of you in the pass-catching pecking order is a past-his-prime Stefon Diggs, chances are you are going to get some spirals thrown your way. That’s exactly what’s been happening to Chig Okonkwo recently. 17 targets in his last three games. If your fantasy tight end is getting five-to-six targets per week, you are usually happy.
Okonkwo is averaging 54 yards per game over his last three outings as he is building chemistry with quarterback Jayden Daniels. I do not love his matchup this week against a L.A. Rams defense that is tightening up, but Okonkwo is one to watch from here on out.
Do Not Forget About These Tight Ends
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders
Tight end teammate Brock Bowers might be the one setting records, but Michael Mayer is still putting starting tight end-type numbers. Over his last three games, Mayer has racked up 15 receptions for 180 yards. He is stuck behind Bowers in the target pecking order, though, and has only scored one touchdown in eight games, so he should only be considered in PPR leagues where his catches count for much more.
Greg Dulcich, Miami Dolphins
Maybe I was wrong about this guy. Maybe after several seasons of spotty numbers and untimely hamstring pulls, Greg Dulcich has figured out how to be healthy and productive. Miami’s top tight end has complied 13 catches for 166 yards over his last trio of games.
I do not think he is the second coming of Travis Kelce, but he is facing Detroit’s 32nd-ranked pass defense this Sunday. So I do not hate the idea of picking him up for a one-week start.
Darnell Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers
Just because Washington is off this week does not mean he should not be picked up. He could be useful during the second-half stretch of your fantasy campaign, especially since Aaron Rodgers is finding his big body downfield and in the red zone more and more. Washington’s 94 yards on Sunday was a career-high and possibly a symbol of more fantasy points to come.
LOOK AT DARNELL WASHINGTON GO
CLEvsPIT on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/IjfYcb6HIB— NFL (@NFL) November 1, 2026
Eli Raridon, New England Patriots
A Hunter Henry foot injury may open the barn door for rookie Eli Raridon to barrel through and become a fantasy force. Henry, who was highlighted in last week’s column as top tight end to pick up, was injured in the fourth quarter against Miami.
That means Raridon, who has 16 targets over his past four contests and has shown flashes of brilliance when he has been thrown to, could be in line for a bigger role in the passing attack if Henry has to miss some games.
Darren Waller, Carolina Panthers
Darren Waller has not been getting the volume of targets to make him a definite player to pick up. After a two-game stretch early on where he was aimed at 14 times, he has now gone three straight games with just two targets. Unless you are a deep threat who could turn one of the two targets into a 50-yard TD, this is not going to cut it fantasy-wise. I am cool on Waller for now, but he still needs to be mentioned on this list.
Mason Taylor, New York Jets
The good news is Mason Taylor has been targeted 17 times over his last three games, which has led to 114 yards and a TD. The bad news is he ended up with only 19 yards and a lower back injury in his game this past Sunday. Kenyon Sadiq is the Jets tight end with the brighter in dynasty league, but if Taylor is healthy he may be the more dependable option in standard leagues.
Kenyon Sadiq, New York Jets
After showing what the future could bring with two touchdowns and a 100-yard game within the first three games of the season, Sadiq is scuffling. In his last five games, Sadiq has only five catches. He has gone from fantasy hero to fantasy zero in record time. But if his aforementioned teammate Taylor cannot go this week, more targets should come Sadiq’s direction.
Gunnar Helm, Tennessee Titans
Is Cam Ward starting to figure out how to be a franchise quarterback, or at least an NFL quarterback? He looked more the part on Sunday against Cincinnati (304 passing yards and two touchdowns), and that led to Gunnar Helm catching five passes for a team-high and career-high 76 yards. If Ward keeps cooking, Helm’s fantasy needle will continue to go up and up.
Terrance Ferguson, Los Angeles Rams
Do not forget about this wunderkind while he’s recuperating on injured reserve. The Rams have a thousand tight ends on their roster, but Terrance Ferguson is the best of the bunch, or he will be eventually. With no one breaking out from the tight-end trio of Tyler Higbee, Davis Allen, and Colby Parkinson, the top tight end spot in L.A. is Ferguson’s to lose once he returns.
Who Should I Pick Up Tool
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Who Should I Pick Up? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Mike Gesicki, T.J. Hockenson, Brenton Strange, Chig Okonkwo, Michael Mayer, Greg Dulcich, Darnell Washington, Eli Raridon, Darren Waller, Mason Taylor, Kenyon Sadiq, Gunnar Helm, and Terrance Ferguson. 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 Mike Gesicki, T.J. Hockenson, Brenton Strange, Chig Okonkwo, Michael Mayer, Greg Dulcich, Darnell Washington, Eli Raridon, Darren Waller, Mason Taylor, Kenyon Sadiq, Gunnar Helm, and Terrance Ferguson. 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 Mike Gesicki, T.J. Hockenson, Brenton Strange, Chig Okonkwo, Michael Mayer, Greg Dulcich, Darnell Washington, Eli Raridon, Darren Waller, Mason Taylor, Kenyon Sadiq, Gunnar Helm, and Terrance Ferguson:
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