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National Tight End Day was not kind to all tight ends. Cleveland’s David Njoku injured his ankle. New York’s Daniel Bellinger got poked in the eye. Baltimore’s Mark Andrews did not catch a pass.
To make matters worse for fantasy managers, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce is on bye this upcoming week and has easily been the best tight end in fantasy football by far this year. 2022 has not been a good year for tight ends, and things do not look like they will be getting better soon.
That does not mean there are no tight ends on fantasy waiver wires worth a lick of salt, though. If you need a TE because your starter is on bye or hurt, check out the players below and see if someone will work for one week or for the remainder of the season. Without further ado, here are the best tight end waiver wire pickups for Week 8!
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Top Tight Ends to Pickup - Week 8 Waiver Wire
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay’s offense has more than 99 problems. The Bucs have a leaky offensive line, a receiving corps that always gets banged-up, no viable running game, and a quarterback whose mind is more on his marriage and attending parties than practice. Oh, and did I fail to mention their No. 1 WR now drops sure touchdown passes? But if there is one bright spot on the offense fantasy footballers should be aware of, it is Tampa’s rookie tight end.
Otton has taken over the top tight end spot with Cameron Brate dealing with his second injury of the season, and chances are he will not give the job back. He has been trusted with 19 targets over the past four games and is coming off a 64-yard performance against Carolina which is a sign of what is to come as long as Tom Brady has faith in him over the middle.
Chris Godwin had an ungodly 13 targets in the same game and only managed 43 paltry yards. Otton has fantasy value in the present (especially in PPR leagues) and fantasy value in the future (in dynasty leagues). Do not go another week without picking him up. I am officially sold on him.
Other Tight Ends to Consider Adding
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
Henry has 127 receiving yards and a touchdown over his past three contests. He should still be available in most leagues after a horrendous opening month that made fantasy managers drop him like an anchor in the ocean. He is arguably a better bet than Otton. The only thing holding Henry’s fantasy value back versus Otton is the run-first offense he plays in and that his QBs are not resembling Tom Brady or even Tony Eason these days.
Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins
Gesicki was totally ignored over the first five games (12 targets) because Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were peppered with passes. Miami’s talented tight end has re-emerged over the last two weeks, however, with nine receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns on 14 targets. His mouthwatering matchup this week against Detroit’s porous defense definitely makes him attractive as well.
Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos
Denver’s third-round choice from his past April’s draft is finally on the field and paying immediate dividends. He has eight catches for 95 yards and a touchdown in his first pair of NFL outings and seems to need no time adjusting to the pros. The Broncos will keep feeding Dulcich since they are lacking playmakers and difference-makers on offense, so the only thing that could hold the rookie back is if the Broncos keep getting below-average play from their quarterbacks.
Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers
Tonyan followed his 10-catch game in Week 6 with a pedestrian 3-32-0 line against a game Washington defense in Week 7. Aaron Rodgers is now stuck throwing to the likes of Amari Rodgers thanks to injuries to veteran receivers and the ineffectiveness of his rookie receivers, so Tonyan will continue to get looks unless the Packers somehow convince the NFL to undo the catastrophic Davante Adams deal and get their top target back.
Hayden Hurst, Cincinnati Bengals
Hurst has done it again! He has made this column for I believe the eighth consecutive week. His six catches for 48 yards on a season-high eight targets keep his name out there for fantasy managers who could use his production in PPR leagues. If you can live with him putting up Tyler Conklin-like numbers that neither help nor hurt your fantasy squad, he is definitely your guy.
Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
Engram has 15 receptions (on 23 targets) for 176 yards over the past three weeks, which is better than most tight ends have done over the same period. The guy does not have the dropsies he has had in the past, but he has not scored a TD over his last nine games, either. Pick up Engram and enjoy five receptions and 50 yards, and be happier than Nate Burleson at Men’s Wearhouse if Engram finds the end zone.
Do Not Forget About…
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Johnson caught all five of the passes thrown his way and turned two into touchdowns last Thursday night. Temper your fantasy expectations with Johnson, though, because his target totals will plummet if Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry ever get healthy and suit up again.
Austin Hooper, Tennessee Titans
Hooper had been invisible all season until he posted a season-best three receptions for 56 yards against Indianapolis on Sunday. It would behoove (enjoy my vocabulary) Tennessee to incorporate the veteran tight end in more packages and plays since the Titans receiving corps is not littered with Jerry Rice types.
Tommy Tremble, Carolina Panthers
Maybe Carolina is not the dumpster fire we all assumed. Tremble scored a touchdown in the Panthers' shocking upset win over Tampa Bay and could be featured more often now that sad sack wideout Robby Anderson took his tired act to Arizona. Keep an eye on Tremble in the coming weeks.
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