There are only two teams on bye this week, but the top tight ends on those teams reside on millions of fantasy rosters.

Carolina’s Greg Olsen and Dallas’ Jason Witten are off this upcoming week due to their teams being on bye. That means fantasy owners of either will be scrambling like Marcus Mariota to fill that lineup void before their next fantasy contest.

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 7 waiver wire recommendations, for all fantasy-relevant positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS

 

Week 7 Waiver Wire – Tight Ends (TE)

Vernon Davis, Washington Redskins

This is not 2013 anymore. That was when Davis was a fantasy superstar who racked up 850 yards and 13 touchdowns on his way to being the second-most valuable tight end that year, just behind Jimmy Graham.  But a lot has changed since then, and not only on the Billboard charts and on the shelves at your local department store. One thing is that Davis has not had any fantasy worth since then.

Fantasy owners knew that Jordan Reed is as injury-prone as he is talented, and that one tackle could knock him out for a month or for the season. Unfortunately, his latest concussion could be his undoing this year. So Davis will be Washington’s starting tight end now and for the immediate future, which could mean the rest of the season if Reed does not recover.

Davis did not waste his first opportunity to start in Reed’s place, catching a touchdown toss from Kirk Cousins and totaling 50 yards against Philadelphia. There is no telling if Davis can keep up that type of pace at age 32 when his better days have long since passed, but if you are a Reed owner and think Cousins will keep his backup tight end involved in the offense, Davis should be your number one target this week.

Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills

This is third time Clay has been featured in my column over the past four weeks, yet he has remained unclaimed in many fantasy leagues.  I guess not everybody reads my articles and/or listens to me. Shame on them!

Clay led the Bills in targets this past weekend and caught five Tyrod Taylor passes for 52 yards. This makes three straight five-reception games for Clay as he has become the first or second option in Buffalo’s passing attack since Sammy Watkins was placed on injured reserve. And while Buffalo has a run-first offense centered around LeSean McCoy, when Taylor does pass his options on the outside are limited, so Clay is guaranteed to get his fair share of looks.

Clay’s schedule stretching beyond this upcoming week does not bode well for him as Buffalo hosts New England the day before Halloween and then goes on the road to play at Seattle. But if you are stuck for a tight end this week, his matchup against division rival Miami should not scare you. Clay should be able to give fantasy owners another five receptions this week and maybe, just maybe, score his first touchdown of the season.

Lance Kendricks, Los Angeles Rams

Don’t look now, but Case Keenum is playing like Peyton Manning in his prime.  Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but he has improved since his disastrous Week 1 effort that had many clamoring for him to be benched. And as Keenum has improved, so has Kendricks.

Kendricks scored his first touchdown of the year against Buffalo in his last game, and has been seeing more targets in recent weeks. He has been targeted 18 times over his last three contests, and is slowly becoming a steady option rather than a safety valve that Keenum dumps to when the quarterback checks down.

If you are looking for a tight end to average 15 yards per catch and run seam routes like he is the next coming of Shannon Sharpe, you need to look elsewhere. But if you are looking for a big body who can get 30-50 yards and has a 20 percent chance of finding the end zone, then Kendricks is your man. Also, none of his next four opponents – both New York teams, Carolina and Miami – boast an above-average pass defense.

 

Other Options

Larry Donnell, New York Giants

Will Tye had his chance to steal Donnell’s spot while Donnell was sidelined with a concussion, but Tye fumbled it away like he was Tiki Barber between 2000 and 2003. Donnell caught six passes in his return this past week, so he could do some damage against Los Angeles’ spotty secondary this Sunday morning in London.

Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts

Dwayne Allen injured his ankle on Sunday night and his status has yet to be determined. Meanwhile, Doyle caught his third touchdown pass in a half-dozen games and would be in line for more work and targets if Allen misses games.

MarQueis Gray, Miami Dolphins

Third-string tight ends make their way on fantasy rosters as often as waterboys and assistant coaches, but Gray is someone to watch in deep leagues after catching three passes for 81 yards against Pittsburgh.  With Jordan Cameron concussed and Dion Sims ineffective, Gray could play a larger role in Miami’s offense in the weeks to come.

Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!