Tight-end is a fickle position in fantasy football and this season is no different. There is the usual variety of underwhelming options in the back half of the TE1s. If you need to stream the position, or have had enough of your starter already, we’ve got you covered.
All of the options discussed in the article are rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo fantasy leagues. These suggestions are aimed at players in 10-12 team leagues. In shallower leagues there may be better available. In deeper leagues there’s a good chance some of these players will not be available for you.
Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers
Rostered in 18 % of Yahoo Leagues
Luke Musgrave has already established himself as a key part of the Green Bay offence. Through three games, Musgrave has been targeted 15 times by Jordan Love including 8 in week 3. So far, the touchdowns haven’t come on his 3 red zone targets, but with his size and athleticism it should just be a matter of time. The concern going forward is how much the returns of Aaron Jones and Christian Watson will cut into his workload. However, what he loses in volume he may be able to make back up in efficiency as defences are more stretched.
Musgrave has two really nice match-ups coming up before the Packers take an early bye in week 6. First up, the Packers host Detroit, who have given up 216 yards to the position so far this season. In week 5, it’s a trip to Las Vegas to play the Raiders who have given up 2 touchdowns and 150 yards to the position in 2023. If you’re streaming, Musgrave is a great option for the next two weeks and is probably worth considering beyond that if he keeps earning targets.
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
Rostered in 19 % of Yahoo Leagues
When it all goes right Taysom Hill can be a fantasy football cheat code at the tight-end position. The issue is it can be hard to predict when he’s going to see a lot of opportunities. This week his outlook looks pretty good with Derek Carr set to miss at least week 4 with an AC joint sprain. This could clear the way for Hill’s package of plays to increase alongside Jameis Winston under centre.
The Saints host the Buccaneers this weekend who have been surprisingly competitive to start the season. They have allowed 20+ points just once in three games, so it’s not a smash match-up by any means. However, if Hill can earn 10+ touches as he did in week 2 he should provide a TE1 fantasy performance.
Donald Parham Jr, LA Chargers
Rostered in 1 % of Yahoo Leagues
Donald Parham has been running really hot so far this season. He’s scored three touchdowns over just 7 targets, obviously not a sustainable rate. However there is some hope that his target numbers can increase over the next few weeks. Mike Williams is now done for the season with an ACL injury, opening up more targets for a big receiver both in the red zone and between the 20’s.
This week the Chargers host the Las Vegas Raiders, although home field advantage doesn’t seem to count for much in LA. As mentioned above, the Raiders have been pretty kind to tight-ends so far this season, and were last season as well. It feels a bit risky given his lack of yardage this season, but Parham has a good chance at another touchdown this week and a strong fantasy performance.
Other Options
Dawson Knox (20% rostered) is a TD dependant option for Buffalo, but in a potential shoot-out against the Dolphins he’s worth a look this week.
Jake Ferguson (41% owned) now has two games with 7+ targets for the Cowboys, although the match-up with New England is a tricky one.
Logan Thomas (3% owned) missed last week with a concussion but should return this week. The match-up against the Eagles is a good one. They didn’t give up much to Bucs tight-ends but they were shredded in weeks one and two.
Zach Ertz (38% owned) disappointed in week three. But his target numbers should rebound this week as Josh Dobbs will need to get the ball out quickly against the 49ers.
Interested in reading more? Check out our Rookies to Watch series here. Follow on twitter @ThinkingFantasy for more thoughts and notifications when new articles go live!
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