December 13, 2016

Craig Rondinone 2016 fantasy football tiered rankings for Week 15 tight ends (TE) - waiver wire pickups, adds & sleepers for PPR and non-PPR. These are NFL TEs to target.

Many if not most fantasy football leagues are starting their playoffs this week. If you did not qualify for the playoffs in your league, you might as well stop reading.

A tight end’s touchdown or zero-point outing could decide millions of fantasy playoff games across the globe. So if you need a tight end because you have the injured Rob Gronkowski or the ineffective Clive Walford on your roster, you better not butcher your waiver pick this week. No pressure, fantasy owners!

Here are three tight ends to consider on the waiver wire this week:

Editor's Note: Once you're done here, be sure to read about even more Week 15 waiver wire recommendations, for all fantasy-relevant positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS

Week 15 Waiver Wire – Tight Ends (TE)

Jermaine Gresham, Arizona Cardinals

I never would have guessed that Gresham would have a fantasy impact again after spending 2015 in fantasy Alaska. His 18 receptions for 223 yards and one touchdown were all career-lows and he looked like a shell of his former self. There is no way he was drafted in any fantasy leagues this year except for the rare NFC West-only leagues.

But Gresham has caught five passes in each of his past three games, has scored two touchdowns over his past four games, and has reached the 30-yard plateau in all of his past half-dozen contests. It only took a year and a half, but Gresham and Carson Palmer finally seem like they are on the same page. It is also helping that Arizona’s receiving corps has had a down year, which has opened up opportunities for Gresham.

Gresham and his Cards host a sinking New Orleans Saints team whose pass defense has been down at the bottom of the pass defense statistics all season long. Gresham is likely the best bet of the free agent tight ends in your league, so feel free to sign him up for your playoff run.

Daniel Brown, Chicago Bears

Chicago’s new starting tight end is starting to have an effect on the fantasy football world. There were not many fantasy experts who thought Chicago’s former backup tight end would do much after Zach Miller and Jay Cutler suffered season-ending injuries. Brown was an undrafted second-year player with six career catches, and his quarterback was going to be the mediocre-at-best Matt Barkley. That does not sound like fantasy gold on paper.

Yet Brown has done all right for himself in his last three games. He had 24 yards and a touchdown three weeks ago and had a career-high six receptions for 42 yards last weekend at Detroit. With Chicago lacking in the receiver department, Brown has been a dependable option for the short-throwing Barkley.

Brown is slated to face division rival Green Bay and its 19^th-ranked pass defense this weekend. With Green Bay rolling up the points these days and Chicago being downright dreadful, the Bears figure to trail early and be forced to throw often. That could mean decent numbers for Mr. Brown.

Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills

Every week I say Clay is a waiver wire nominee to consider, and every time I do that he makes me look dumber than the Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne. But this time I am gambling and going all-in on Clay, because I believe this could be the week he could really help fantasy owners out.

Clay is coming off a game against Pittsburgh where he had three receptions for 52 yards and his first touchdown of the season.  Quarterback Tyrod Taylor, whose play has gone from stellar to stale over the course of the season, seems to be trying to find Clay more often these days. That could bode well for Clay considering which team he will be trying to get open against this Sunday.

Clay has a date with the winless Cleveland Browns in Buffalo’s friendly confines. If there is any week Clay could have 55 yards and a TD, this is the one. If he does not come through now I will not make him a waiver wire candidate in this column again until 2017. Pick up Clay and hope for a solid day.

Other Options

Dion Sims, Miami Dolphins

The 271-pounder will never be a yardage machine or a confused with a greyhound, but he has caught two touchdown passes over his last three contests. If he keeps using his big frame to his best ability in the red zone, the touchdowns should keep coming.

A.J. Derby, Denver Broncos

Who is this guy?  That’s what most fantasy owners must be asking themselves. He only has seven career catches coming into this past weekend, but came away with five receptions for 57 yards against Tennessee. Maybe Denver has finally found a tight end who can make some plays and stay somewhat healthy?

Garrett Celek, San Francisco 49ers

This is such a stretch Plastic Man himself would think it is too much, but with San Fran starting tight end Vance McDonald shelved with a shoulder injury, Celek will get some additional targets against Atlanta’s porous secondary this weekend.