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If you thought the teams on bye during Week 6 wreaked havoc on your fantasy football squads, wait until you get a load of Week 7. Forget about four NFL teams being on bye. Week 7 is not going to be lucky for many fantasy footballers because six teams have the week off.
Two of the hottest commodities at the tight end position on waiver wires earlier in the season, Buffalo’s Dawson Knox and Dallas’ Dalton Schultz, will be of no help to those who picked them up as their teams are on break. A couple other tight ends who are available on fantasy free agent lists are also on bye this week, which really thins out the waiver wire crop.
Here are the best available options on fantasy waiver wires at tight end heading into Week 7!
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Tight Ends to Pickup - Week 7 Waiver Wire
Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals – 60% rostered
All fantasy experts and football pundits knew Ertz would eventually get traded, but most did not predict it would happen mid-season. The longtime veteran and fantasy stud had the perfect swan song of an ending in his last game as a Philadelphia Eagle as he scored a touchdown and then walked off the field in tears. Yet fantasy football GMs who have Ertz were the ones crying tears of joy the next day when they heard Ertz had been dealt to the undefeated Arizona Cardinals.
I know Arizona has four quality receivers who demand Kyler Murray’s passes, but Kliff Kingsbury devised ways to make unheralded Maxx Williams useful this season, so there is no doubt he can involve Ertz in this potent passing attack. Ertz has lost a step, but he has more steps than many tight ends in the NFL. I can see him scoring five touchdowns over his last 10 games after he dons his new uniform, and he may average 40-50 yards per week to boot. If your league is part of the 40 percent of leagues where Ertz is available, pick him up quicker than you can say “Don’t sit on the cactus!”
Others Tight Ends to Consider Adding
Mo Alie-Cox, Indianapolis Colts – 8% rostered
Alie-Cox has officially overtaken veteran slowpoke Jack Doyle as Indy’s top tight end, at least for fantasy purposes. Alie-Cox has 120 receiving yards and a trio of touchdowns over his last three games, compared to Doyle’s paltry 28 yards and zero scores over the same span.
Ricky Seals-Jones, Washington Football Team – 29% . rostered
Washington might have the breakout tight end of the year in fantasy football two years in a row. Logan Thomas can take his time getting healthy. Seals-Jones is showing more consistency than he ever did during his stops in Arizona, Cleveland and Kansas City. He has 137 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his last four games and should be a decent play against Green Bay in Week 7.
O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 1% rostered
Cameron Brate had his chance to fill the Rob Gronkowski role in the red zone for the Bucs, but he allowed Howard to intercept it. Tampa Bay’s head honcho Bruce Arians has finally designed plays and ways to get Howard involved, which paid off handsomely when Howard delivered a 6-49-1 line last Thursday evening. As long as Gronk is sidelined and Howard is paid attention to by Arians and Tom Brady, he is a viable fantasy option.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers – 6% rostered
After back-to-back fantasy duds, Freiermuth gifted the few fantasy managers that have and play him with a season-high seven receptions for 58 yards this past Sunday night against Seattle. The burly tight end is an expert route runner and has cleared sprinted by Eric Ebron in the tight end pecking order in Pittsburgh.
Jared Cook, Los Angeles Chargers – 59% rostered
Father Time is showing no signs that he can slow the ageless Cook down. He has had at least 25 receiving yards in all of his six games this season and has scored twice in the past three contests. Cook has three things going against him, though – the Chargers are off this week, he is only available in 40 percent of leagues, and Donald Parham Jr. is still waiting in the wings and not going anywhere.
Evan Engram, New York Giants – 33% rostered
New York’s drop-prone and injury-prone tight end has been targeted 21 times over his past four outings, but he has only turned those opportunities into 127 yards and has failed to reach the end zone this year. A change of scenery before the trade deadline looks like the only way his fantasy value will go on the uptick.
C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals – 6% rostered
Uzomah’s fantasy value is wishy-washy from week to week as you never know if he will be a part of Cincinnati’s passing plans or if he will be used primarily as a blocker. He scored for the third time in three games with his touchdown against Detroit this past Sunday, but the chances of him having any more 90-yard games like he did in Week 4 are slimmer than a toothpick.
Gerald Everett, Seattle Seahawks –31% rostered
Everett missed two games after being placed on the COVID IR, but he has had either 40-plus yards or scored in three of the four games he has suited up for so far. He has home games versus New Orleans and Jacksonville up next, so his schedule is on the positive side.
Do Not Forget About…
Tyler Conklin, Minnesota Vikings – 16% rostered
Conklin has had two 70-yard games and three games with 25 yards or less this season. Fantasy managers will forget about him with Minnesota off this upcoming week, but he continues to find a niche in the Vikings passing game despite Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson taking most of the targets. And speaking of Minnesota tight ends…
Christopher Herndon, Minnesota Vikings – 0% rostered
Whoa, Herndon not only caught a pass in Week 6, but it was a touchdown pass! Conklin has outplayed and outperformed Herndon, but Sunday’s score could be a sign he is ready to be a bigger part of the game plans, especially inside the red zone.
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears – 19% rostered
If only Kmet was in an offense that was pass-first instead of run-first and had a quarterback who was not in the midst of figuring out how to play the position in the NFL. Kmet had a season-high 49 receiving yards against Green Bay, but it is hard to take him seriously for fantasy until he scores a touchdown. If top target Allen Robinson is struggling to get 40 yards each week, how can we count on Kmet to be worthwhile soon?
Dan Arnold, Jacksonville Jaguars – 10% rostered
Jacksonville is on bye this week, so Arnold is more of a long-term solution if you have a tight end problem that needs to be solved, and he should certainly not be slated to be your savior. He has 10 catches for 120 yards in his three games since becoming a member of the Jaguars.
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