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Tight end waiver wire pickups and streamers for Week 13 of the fantasy football season. Craig Rondinone recommends TE free agents to consider adding off waivers.
There’s nothing worse than having a turkey at the tight end position!
Sorry for the Thanksgiving-related lead. Sometimes I cannot help myself. The fact is that there is something for fantasy football players to be thankful for besides sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie. No NFL teams are on bye for the first time in a long time, just when fantasy players are a week or two away from their playoffs beginning.
Without further ado, here are my tight end waiver wire picks for Week 13!
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TE Waiver Wire Options for Week 13
Ryan Griffin, New York Jets – 46% owned
You cannot say that Griffin is one to rest on his millions. After signing a three-year, $10.8 million contract extension this past week he went out and caught his fourth touchdown pass over the past five games. He has already set a new career-high in touchdowns, and could very likely set several others before the end of the season with the pace he is currently on.
So Griffin was unable to make much happen with Deshaun Watson as his QB and Bill O’ Brien as his head coach, but he might have the best year of his career with Sam Darnold as his QB and Adam Gase as his head honcho? Makes no sense to me, but neither does algebra. Griffin now gets the 0-11 Cincinnati Bengals and their undermanned defense thrown in his lap. There is no reason to think Griffin cannot score another touchdown and have a decent amount of yardage again this week.
Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins – 28% owned
Put your hands together for Mr. Gesicki, who FINALLY found the end zone in his 24th career NFL game! This proves that miracles do indeed happen as I was thinking there was a better chance that Vladimir Putin might become the U.S. Vice President than there was of Gesicki hauling in a touchdown toss with the way things were going.
All kidding aside, Gesicki has improved as a player and has become one of Miami’s more viable pass catchers, which is not saying much but needs to be noted. He is averaging 42 yards per game over the past month and is taking on a Philadelphia squad whose pass defense has been average or below average all season long. Many fantasy players would take 40 yards out of their tight end this week. Gesicki might be able to supply 40-50 and his second career TD.
Noah Fant, Denver Broncos – 43% owned
The best thing that could have happened to Fant happened when Joe Flacco was shut down for the season. Now Denver’s 2019 first-round draft choice is clicking with second-stringer Brandon Allen and playing the best ball of the season, although he let fantasy owners down in a crucial spot by only mustering three catches for 14 yards against Buffalo’s stingy secondary on Sunday.
You have to overlook the bad Buffalo game for Fant. There are not many pass catchers who run roughshod over the Bills Defense, and Fant was still second on the Broncos in targets in the contest. Fant is going to run smack into another staunch secondary this week when he plays the Los Angeles Chargers, but he has to be considered as a waiver wire choice because of the volume of passes that will be headed his direction. Fant also has the extra-added bonus of being keeper quality in dynasty leagues because of his first-round pedigree and his escalating position in Denver’s offense.
Other Options to Consider
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams – 55% owned
If Everett is still somehow available in your league, by all means get his name on your roster because this week he should be open as often as Walmart is. Everett will be “defended” by an Arizona secondary that has done the worst job in the NFL at stifling tight ends. His target total is dependent on the availability of wideouts Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods, so keep that in mind as well.
Jacob Hollister, Seattle Seahawks – 39% owned
All Hollister has done over his past three games is produce as much if not more than most of the tight ends in the NFL. He has 14 receptions for 121 yards and three touchdowns while taking over the tight end spot in Seattle. Veteran Ed Dickson has been shelved for the season after a setback with his knee, so Hollister will continue to be the top tight end from here on out unless he pulls a Will Dissly and suffers a season-ending injury. Hollister opponent on Monday night, Minnesota, has watched its pass defense ranking plummet over the past month, so Hollister should find some openings to make plays within the Vikings secondary.
Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts – 46% owned
Doyle is up against the division rival Tennessee Titans this week, a team that he has averaged five receptions per game against over the last half-dozen times he has faced them. The longtime veteran also has a streak of eight straight games where he has caught at least three passes.
Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles – 50% owned
All Goedert does is stick stats on the board week in and week out. He has three touchdowns and five 30-yard performances over his past six contests. Fantasy players probably wish he would produce on a larger scale, but he cannot since Zach Ertz is atop the tight end totem pole in Philly. Goedert should be open all day long against Miami’s sad-sack secondary. The only question is how often quarterback Carson Wentz throws the ball at him. If Philadelphia is still missing multiple wide receivers, Goedert’s chances for a bigger game certainly increase.
Kaden Smith, New York Giants – 0% owned
With top two tight ends Evan Engram and Rhett Ellison out with injuries, the unheard-of Smith stepped in as the starter this past weekend and had five receptions, including one for a surprise touchdown. Who knows what Smith could do for an encore if he starts again against a Green Bay Packers Defense that allowed San Francisco’s George Kittle to light them up for 125 yards and a score this past Sunday night.
Don’t Forget About…
Darren Fells, Houston Texans – 47% owned
After having the most scintillating stats stretch of his career earlier in the season, Fells has fallen back into fantasy mediocrity with three consecutive one-reception outings. Things probably will not be much better for him on Sunday evening against New England, but fantasy owners can always pray that he finds the back of the end zone somehow.
Nick O'Leary, Jacksonville Jaguars – 0% owned
The former Miami Dolphin caught all four of the pass thrown his way against Tennessee last week and is slated to play/be open versus Tampa Bay’s dreadful defensive backfield this weekend. It might seem like a desperation play, but if you have no other options and have a chance at a playoff berth in a deep league, you might have to take a flyer on him.
