RADIO
Week 18 in the NFL either means a lot to fantasy footballers or it means nothing. Most fantasy leagues wrap things up by Week 17 because so many NFL teams rest players during the final week of the regular season. But for the leagues that play all the way through or for the people who love daily fantasy league tourneys, Week 18 still holds some weight.
Even this late in the season, there are tight ends that pop up on fantasy waiver wires that might be able to help fantasy managers win some cold hard cash. If you need a TE because your starter is facing a staunch secondary or you need a low-salary option for your DFS contest weekend, there is a plethora of tight ends below to choose from.
Without further ado, here are the best tight end waiver wire pickups for Week 18, starting with the same two tight ends from the same team who were highlighted in the last two columns!
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Top Tight Ends to Pickup - Week 18 Waiver Wire
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
Hill can do a lot right and rarely does anything wrong for fantasy managers unless his offensive coordinator or the game script does not give him enough opportunities. This past Sunday, Hill put fantasy points in the board three different ways by throwing for 24 yards, rushing for 46 yards and a touchdown, and catching a nine-yard pass.
Hill is being incorporated into the Saints' game plans more than ever thanks to the myriad of injuries New Orleans’ skilled position players have suffered this season. Hill’s 14 carries against Philadelphia were a season-high and he could be in line for a heavy workload against Carolina in his final game of the year. Because he can rack up fantasy points in so many ways, he gets listed higher in the pecking order of this column than his talented tight end teammate, who is…
Other Tight Ends to Consider Adding
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Johnson has been the most improved tight end in fantasy football this year. He went from being a seldom-used player learning a new position after being a wide receiver in college to being unstoppable in the red zone. Johnson has seven touchdowns over his last nine games and has two 60-yard outings in his past three outings. He should thrive next Sunday in a meaningless matchup at the Superdome against a Carolina Panthers secondary that was ripped to shreds by Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady and Mike Evans this past weekend.
Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers
The light has finally gone on for the Packers over the past month as they control their own playoff destiny heading into Week 18. Tonyan is one of many Packers who have returned to form recently. He had three catches for 52 yards against the Minnesota Vikings this past Sunday and scored his first touchdown since October 2. Tonyan should be a candidate to reach the end zone again this Sunday against a Detroit Lions defense that is ranked 30th against the pass and has allowed Tonyan to score three times in his last four contests against them.
Jordan Akins, Houston Texans
Akins has 17 receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns over his past five outings. This week, he has a game against an Indianapolis Colts squad that has gotten progressively worse under the leadership of Jeff Saturday. The burly tight end could be in line for five catches for 50 yards and a possible touchdown with this matchup.
Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
McBride’s fantasy value in standard and dynasty leagues is rising like my temperature does after I spend five minutes in the sauna. Arizona’s up-and-coming pass catcher has 14 receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown over his past three games. His upside for 2023 and beyond is tremendous if Kyler Murray comes back healthy and head honcho Kliff Kingsbury comes back, but McBride might be able to deliver a couple of catches next week if you are desperate.
Do Not Forget About…
Tommy Tremble, Carolina Panthers
It has been hard to count on the young tight end to contribute much fantasy-wise with the mediocre quarterback carousel in Carolina. Now that Sam Darnold is playing like he is Steve Beuerlein circa 1999, though, Tremble’s value goes slightly higher than zero. He scored a TD against Tampa Bay and should head into 2023 with some additional value if the Panthers figure out who their QB is from here on out.
Albert Okwuegbunam, Denver Broncos
With rookie tight end Greg Dulcich on injured reserve, fantasy dud Okwuegbunam was able to return from the fantasy graveyard in Week 17 to catch three passes for 45 yards and a TD. I would advise picking him up and playing him in your league championship game, but he is a little more attractive as a bargain-basement gets in a DFS contest.
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom Brady threw for a season-high 432 yards in Week 17, and all Otton ended up with was 17 of them. The rookie’s fantasy worth has faded down the stretch as Brady has been homing in on his wonderful wideouts more than his tight ends. With the Buccaneers clinching their division title, we do not know how many snaps Otton will play this weekend. His value is in dynasty leagues where he can be stashed and possibly end up as a TE1 over time.
Brock Wright, Detroit Lions
Jared Goff has loved throwing to his tight ends inside the red zone this year, no matter if was T.J. Hockenson or an undrafted unknown from off the street. After Shane Zylstra shocked the fantasy world with a trio of touchdowns in Week 16, Wright hauled in a pair of Goff touchdown tosses in Week 17. If you prefer touchdown-dependent tight ends when scouring the waiver wire, Wright is a longshot for a TD against Green Bay.
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