Week 16 Tight End Outlooks: Delanie Walker, Gary Barnidge, Julius Thomas

There haven’t been many more tight ends who’ve had the type of year Delanie Walker has. It doesn’t matter who his quarterback is either. Somehow, Walker has found a way to get open, and he’s about to finish the most impressive season of his NFL career.

Walker has averaged nearly 13 fantasy points per game since Week 9 and has three touchdowns in his last three games. With a limited number of offensive threats available in Tennessee, Walker is used frequently and he’s made the most of his chances. The Titans will host the Houston Texans in their home finale on Sunday, and Walker averaged 10 yards per catch when he faced them in Week 8.

Gary Barnidge, much like Delanie Walker for the Titans, is Cleveland’s best offensive weapon and has cashed in as such this season. Barnidge has been one of the NFL’s better stories this year, amassing nine touchdowns in a position that is lucky to see a handful over the duration of the season. Barnidge only has eight catches over his last two games, but he saved those performances by scoring a touchdown in each of them.

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The Browns will be in for a difficult matchup when they travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs, but Barnidge has fared well among the league’s best defenses this year. He’s averaged 11.4 fantasy points per game over his last six road games and remains a must-start even with a tough matchup in Kansas City.

Julius Thomas’ touchdown-scoring streak stopped at four games after failing to reach the end zone against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15, but he still finished with a solid 7.9-point fantasy outing. Thomas and the rest of the Jacksonville Jaguars offense will be licking their chops as they get ready to face the abysmal New Orleans Saints defense.

I expect Thomas to be the beneficiary of at least one Blake Bortles touchdown on Sunday. Thomas is averaging 11 fantasy points per game over the last month, and the Saints have allowed an average of 276 passing yards per game this year. This is a very good matchup for Thomas.