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Craig Rondinone's fantasy football tight end waiver wire pickups for Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season. His free agent TEs to add, stream, and stash off waivers.
The first week of bye weeks are here! If you are a fantasy football general manager, this is when you are put to the test.
If a myriad of injuries did not already test the depth of talent on your fantasy roster, now throw in teams being on bye! Four teams are off in Week 5, and the tight end talent on fantasy waiver wires is thinned out because Los Angeles’ Gerald Everett, Tampa Bay’s Cade Otton, and Seattle’s Noah Fant all have the week off.
If you need a tight end this week, do not panic. There are other available options out there despite the bye week taking some tight ends off the table. Without further ado, here are the best tight end waiver wire pickups for Week 5, beginning with Chicago’s top tight end!
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Top Tight Ends to Pickup - Week 5 Waiver Wire
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
Well, well, well. Remember when Kmet had a hard time finding the end zone? He was much, much better in the red zone in 2022, then took a step back in 2023 by not scoring a TD in his first three games. But Kmet hit the Powerball this past Sunday when he caught seven passes for 95 yards and two, yes, TWO touchdowns against the hapless Denver Broncos.
Listen, Kmet can only do as well as quarterback Justin Fields does. If Fields is having a game where he cannot hit the broadside of a planet, Kmet will be hamstrung. We just have to hope that Fields’ poor passing games are outnumbered by his ungodly good ones. I know I like Kmet’s upcoming schedule. Washington, Minnesota, Las Vegas, and the Los Angeles Chargers all have beatable defenses. Kmet is at the top of the tight end heap this week -- on waiver wires, that is.
Other Tight Ends to Consider Adding
Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys
Ferguson was probably drafted in 10 percent of fantasy leagues, tops. Now he is Dallas’ second-best option in the passing game. Ferguson has more targets than receivers Michael Gallup and Brandin Cooks and has had three seven-target outings already. He will not run any fly patterns or win any races against defensive backs, but Ferguson has established that he could supply fantasy managers with 800 receiving yards and a half-dozen touchdowns. If you pick him up, though, you might want to sit him Sunday night when he faces San Francisco.
Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders
Thomas is the only Commanders pass catcher whose fantasy value has gone up with Sam Howell as the QB. He has nine receptions for 108 yards and a score in three games. Thomas should be a super sleeper in DFS contests or as a pickup-and-play in standard leagues because he gets to run routes against Chicago’s laughable pass defense (ranked 29th in the NFL). Get Thomas on the cheap and he has the chance to be a solid spot-start option from here on out.
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
Now that the Texans are playing like Warren Moon’s run-and-shoot Houston Oilers of yesteryear, Schultz is finding his niche in the passing attack. He had three catches for 42 yards and a TD against Pittsburgh this past weekend and could end up being C.J. Stroud’s second-best option for passes since the receiving corps is inconsistent other than breakout star Nico Collins.
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
Conklin had a season-high 58 yards Sunday night against the Super Bowl champ K.C. Chiefs, and he would have had more if he had not dropped a sure TD toss. I am not ready to say Zach Wilson and the Jets have figured out this whole passing thing just yet, but they showed signs of life and that can only bode well for Conklin. New York plays Denver’s 30th-ranked pass defense next, so another 50-yard game is probably in Conklin’s cards.
Hayden Hurst, Carolina Panthers
The bloom is coming off Hurst’s rose. Back-to-back one-reception games will do that. Hurst just needs a better supporting cast around him like he did when he was a fantasy force with the Cincinnati Bengals last year. As Bryce Young blossoms, Hurst’s fantasy value will rise. We just do not know when Young and the rest of the Panthers will start playing better, so until then Hurst is a risky play on a weekly basis.
Do Not Forget About…
Jonnu Smith, Atlanta Falcons
After being a multimillion-dollar flameout with the New England Patriots, Smith is rebuilding his career and fantasy value in Atlanta. He came out of nowhere and caught six passes for 95 yards versus Jacksonville this past Sunday morning, which almost made me choke on my croissant. It is hard to see Smith having consistent great games like this with the way Atlanta’s passing offense is struggling, and because Kyle Pitts is ahead of him on the depth chart. Keep Smith on your radar, though, because he did have an 8-TD year in 2020 and has skills.
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Otton is of no use to fantasy managers this week while he is on bye, but you could still pick him up if you need tight end help in the coming weeks. He scored his first touchdown of the season against New Orleans and saw four targets for only the second time this year. Otton is only averaging 20 yards per game and is nowhere near Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on the Tampa target hierarchy, but he could still slot in as a TE2 for you in 2023.
Josiah Deguara, Green Bay Packers
The jury is out on talented rookie Luke Musgrave's availability after suffering a concussion last Thursday night. Deguara is a decent insurance option as he stepped in after Musgrave was clobbered and caught four Jordan Love passes for 34 yards. Just keep an eye on the Musgrave situation as he has 11 days to recover since Green Bay plays next Monday night at Las Vegas.
Durham Smythe, Miami Dolphins
Hear me out on this one. I know Smythe has not made fantasy fans or Fins fans forget about Mike Gesicki, and he is only averaging 30 yards per game through the first month. That said, he has two 40-yard games on the season and is the top tight end on one of the best offenses in the NFL, if not the best. He will stumble into a couple of touchdowns and 50-yard games along the way and cannot be written off.
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