Week 9 Tight Ends: Waiver Wire Pickups & Adds

What's up my fellow fantasy football geeks? Welcome to Week 9 of the NFL season.

We all know how unpredictable tight ends are week to week, and it's especially difficult to get consistent results from outside the top seven. But that’s not going to stop us from trying to find the best tight end waiver wire sleepers all season long.

To help accommodate your fantasy football needs in various leagues and formats, I’ll also be looking at deeper sleepers (way off the radar) to give this article a measure of uniqueness. All of my waiver wire recommendations will be organized by priority, so those players closer to the top of the article are the more valuable ones to target. My goal here is to recommend both short term tight end options (i.e., matchup plays, injury fill-ins), and also longer term tight end considerations (i.e., emerging rookies) for Week 9. With that said, let's get to it!

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Fantasy Football Tight Ends (TE) – Week 9

Larry Donnell (TE, NYG) – 57% owned in Fleaflicker

This week, my number one recommendation is Larry Donnell; he's coming off a bye week and should be refreshed.  With that extra rest, Donnell will be playing a Colts defense that allowed 112 yards and a TD to Heath Miller last week.  Donnell has had an up-and-down season thus far, but he's coming off a decent Week 7 performance which saw him earn 90 yards receiving on seven catches.  The Colts defense currently allows the fourth-most points to opposing TEs, which presents a plus matchup for Donnell to take advantage of.  If you are looking for a bye-week fill-in and Donnell's available on waivers, I'd target him first.

Recommendation: waiver wire pickup in 10+ team leagues (standard, PPR)

Kyle Rudolph (TE, MIN) - 49% owned in Fleaflicker

My second recommendation, Kyle Rudolph, is a player who has disappointed fantasy owners more than once a year for the past two seasons.  Rudolph is currently out with a sports hernia, but he's due back in Week 11, and he has the intangibles to be a good player.  The problem is that he's been very inconsistent, and he gets hurt a lot.  Rudolph has good size (6'6'', 259 lbs.) and hands (2012 had 53 catches on 93 targets), and he plays in a tight-end-friendly Norv Turner offense.  Rudolph can produce (159 PPR points in 2012), which is why Minnesota signed him to a five-year extension this offseason.  If you have the bench space and need depth at tight end, target Rudolph before his value increases.

Recommendation: waiver wire pickup in 12+ team leagues (standard, PPR)

Tim Wright (TE, NE) - 17% owned in Fleaflicker

Wright is someone I'd reserve for deeper leagues.  Last week, he showed what he is capable of (seven catches for 61 yards and a TD), but the problem is that he hasn't got a lot of opportunity.  Over the season, he's received 18 targets over six games (three per outing), and that's including the season-high of seven he managed last week.  This week, the Patriots will be facing the Broncos, currently allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing TEs.  This presents a nice chance for Wright to show that he's the real deal.  My word of caution, though, is that he hasn't been consistently productive, and because of that I'd recommend him only in deep leagues or for those owners desperate for a bye-week fill-in.  If Wright continues to build upon last week and shows some consistency, I imagine you'll see me start to fully endorse him going forward.

Recommendation: add in 12+ team leagues, continue monitoring in shallower formats

Clay Harbor (TE, JAX) - 11% owned in Fleaflicker

Clay Harbor is my streamer and deep-league choice of the week.  Harbor will be facing a Cincinnati Bengals defense which has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, and which generally struggles against the pass (ranked 23rd).  Harbor has shown glimpses of success this season (see Weeks 4 and 6), and he has done a nice job filling in for Marcedes Lewis who is out with an injury.  I anticipate that the Jaguars will target Harbor around four-to-seven times, and he'll post around 10+ PPR fantasy points.  If you are in a deep league or need to stream a tight end due to bye weeks in a PPR league, I would target Harbor as a waiver pickup.  One thing to keep in mind is that Lewis is coming back in Week 12, so if you intend to keep Harbor, know that he will go back to TE2 on the Jaguars once Lewis returns.

Recommendation: streamer for Week 9 in 12+ team leagues (PPR)

Tyler Eifert (TE, CIN) - 11% owned in Fleaflicker

Tyler Eifert will be my last recommendation for the week; he's a guy that many fantasy experts were mentioning as a breakout player this year.  Sadly, Eifert dislocated his elbow early this season, and he's been sidelined since.  Offensive Coordinator Hue Jackson stated early this season that Eifert would be a big part of the offense, and so he could be an intriguing pickup.  While Eifert has been out, Jermaine Gresham has not produced much as a pass catcher, and with the other injuries to the receiving corps (A.J. Green and Marvin Jones), Eifert could fill a void for their receiving offense (outside of Sanu).  Eifert is targeting a Week 11 return, and if you have a deep bench or are a forward thinker, he could be a nice option for you to pick up off waivers.  If you are in a shallow league, continue monitoring Eifert and the overall health of the Bengals receivers.

Recommendation: continue monitoring, pick up next week in deeper leagues

Highly Owned Tight End Waiver Wire Options

45% owned or more in Fleaflicker

Jordan Reed (WAS), Dwayne Allen (IND), Travis Kelce (KC), Heath Miller (PIT)

Super Deep Tight End Waiver Wire Options

Fewer than 20% owned in Fleaflicker

Jace Amaro (NYJ), Scott Chandler (BUF), Austin Seferian-Jenkins (TB), Marcedes Lewis (JAX)

Recap of Last Week’s Recommendations

Last week was overall a bust for me.  Allen got his predicted touchdown, but Clay disappointed on a very nice matchup, and Daniels had a surprise knee procedure after the article was posted.

• Dwayne Allen: two targets, one catch, 21 yards, one TD (9.1 PPR points)
• Owen Daniels: Out due to injury (surprise surgery on knee after article posted)
• Charles Clay: three targets, one catch, one yard (1.1 PPR points)

I hope these guys help you in your matchup next week and going forward for the season. If anyone has any specific questions or is looking for any assistance, hit me up @businesssoxroto. See you all next week RotoBallers!