Tight Ends Fantasy Football Waiver Wire - Week 16 TE Pickups Include Hunter Henry, Tucker Kraft, Darren Waller, Tyler Higbee, more

December 20, 2023

Craig Rondinone's fantasy football TE waiver wire pickups for Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season. His free agent tight ends to add, stream, and stash off waivers.

Fantasy football managers no longer have to worry about bye weeks! They just have to worry about injuries and the terrible quarterbacks throwing dying quails to their tight ends.

While no teams are on bye this week or for the rest of the season, there are fantasy football managers who are entering their playoff tilts with a below-average tight end. You can make the playoffs in a fantasy league with a mediocre-at-best tight end, but you might fail to make the championship game if your TE puts up a goose egg in the opening round. So if your league allows you to make a move during the postseason, you might be in line for a last-minute tight end upgrade.

Without further ado, here are the best tight end waiver wire pickups for Week 16, starting with the one and only decent pass-catching option for the New England Patriots:

Top Tight Ends to Pickup - Week 16 Waiver Wire

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots

Bailey Zappe is no Tom Brady. We know this. But you do not have to be to get the ball into your hands of your tight end, especially if it is a veteran who knows how to find seams in secondaries and openings inside the end zone. Zappe to Henry is no Montana to Rice, but the combo has been doing well together for fantasy managers who have scooped up Henry in recent weeks.

Henry has been finding the end zone more often than TMZ finds celebrities in airports. Five touchdowns over his past five contests, including three in his last two outings. Henry has two things going for him. One is New England trails most of its games and has to throw a lot in the second half to catch up. The other is that the Pats have no receivers on the roster as talented at catching passes and making plays as Henry is. He should be primed for another good game this week against Denver’s 23rd-ranked pass defense.

Other Tight Ends to Consider Adding

Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers

Not to be confused with Tyler Kroft, Kraft has been making Packers fans and fantasy footballers forget all about the injured Luke Musgrave. Green Bay’s other rookie tight end has 121 yards and a score over his past two games and has taken advantage of his team’s lack of receiving depth to gain more targets and scoring chances. Pick up Kraft now and enjoy the ride. Just know it will be a short one because Musgrave should be back soon.

Darren Waller, New York Giants

The former Pro Bowler is no longer hamstrung by his hamstring. Waller was finally activated from the injured reserve after missing several games and caught four passes for 40 yards in Week 15. In Week 16, he will run routes against Philadelphia’s 29th-ranked pass defense while the Eagles come off a short week. Pick Waller up and pray to your rosary beads that he does not pull his hammy again.

Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams

Higbee returned after a one-week absence and harpooned the burgeoning fantasy worth of understudy Davis Allen. Matthew Stafford’s top tight end has scored two touchdowns over his past three games and should find himself with advantageous matchups with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua getting double-teamed on the outside. Higbee is a TE2 who can possibly have 50 yards and a touchdown in a game or two down the stretch.

Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers

Everett is never going to win you a fantasy league, a DFS tourney, or even a game in your standard league. He just does enough so he will not lose you a game. With Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Donald Parham Jr. all out, Everett has moved up the target totem pole with the Chargers. I just wish Dan Fouts was throwing to him these days and not Easton Stick.

Do Not Forget About…

Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans

Tennessee’s playoff hopes might have been dashed by the Houston Texans, but Okonkwo’s fantasy value was not. The talented tight end had three catches for 36 yards and has now racked up 15 receptions for 189 yards over his last four games. Okonkwo has yet to find the end zone this year, so he is what Chicago’s Cole Kmet was in 2021. The youngster should keep learning and bonding with franchise quarterback Will Levis in 2024 and should take his game and fantasy value to another level next season.

Tanner Hudson, Cincinnati Bengals

Hudson keeps quietly posting solid games with backup quarterback Jake Browning throwing to him.  Fun fact -- Hudson has caught 33 of the 39 passes tossed in his direction. Another fun fact -- his next game is against a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that is reeling and just made Indy QB Gardner Minshew look like Andrew Luck this past Saturday afternoon.

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints

Johnson has been a disappointment after having a career year in 2023, so watching him post 38 receiving yards and a TD against the N.Y. Giants this past Sunday was a pleasant surprise. The problem for Johnson is New Orleans has more tight ends than Nick Cannon has kids. With Jimmy Graham, Taysom Hill, and Foster Moreau all in the TE mix, Johnson cannot be counted on week in and week out. If the tight end pool thins out for the Saints in 2024, feel free to take a flyer on Johnson again.

Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders

Is Las Vegas' passing attack a newfound juggernaut, or a one-week wonder buoyed by the badness of the Los Angeles Chargers’ lay-down defense? The rookie has tons of tools and potential, making him a long-term fantasy find in dynasty leagues, but he is not the best get in standard leagues this season. Mayer has only been targeted more than five times in one game this year, so too few targets equals too few opportunities for catches, yards, and touchdowns.

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