Fantasy Football Tight Ends Banners and Waiver Wire Goals (Week 1)
The tight end position is hugely important in fantasy football. They’re not as flashy as their road-going counterparts at wide receiver. They also don’t get the same amount of touches as a related fantasy linebacker. Sometimes this can lead to them being ignored or treated as an afterthought. Don’t make this mistake.
The narrow pool is the least shallow of the imagination. Finding production there on a weekly basis can be very challenging, especially for those who haven’t invested in one of the top TE options during their drafts.
How does one find success in this position? Well, one way to do that is to play carefully waiver wire week to week. The goal of this weekly article is to help fantasy managers do just that by finding the low-listed TEs (less than 75%) in the best positions for that particular week.
Waiver wire options for the first week
Greg Dulcic (Denmark) vs. Greg Dulcic (Denmark) Las Vegas Raiders
Russell Wilson’s home run kicks off in Denver against the rival AFC West Raiders on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, Wilson’s expected first goal in attack is likely to be completely out of action, as Jerry Goody recovers from the hamstring injury he picked up on August 24.
Courtland Sutton is the obvious ‘next man’ in the Broncos’ passing attack, but it wouldn’t be wise to sleep on Greg Dolcic. During his 10 games as a starter last season, the third-round UCLA player hauled in at least four passes in half of them while also passing 40 yards five times.
Dulcich caught an 11-yard touchdown run from Wilson in Week 16 last season before he was knocked out for the last two plays. The veteran quarterback should look to the young TE’s way a lot, especially in the red zone, against a Raiders defense that allowed seven points to the position during the 2022 campaign.
Joanne Johnson (no) vs. Tennessee Titans
Joan Johnson proved himself in the Saints’ passing game last season. During a strong third-year breakout period that few people seem to discuss, he recorded 42 receptions while passing the 500-yard threshold. More importantly, the 6-4 TE has hit paydirt seven times in 16 games. Johnson has been targeted 11 times in the red, and is in the 13th overall.
The Saints promoted Derek Carr at center, which should benefit Johnson more. Carr has certainly been a boon to TEs during his tenure with the Raiders – check out Darren Waller’s stats as he’s been paired with Carr in recent years.
With WRs like Chris Olave and Michael Thomas in the mix, Johnson is unlikely to be a big passing player, so the upside is mostly in his scoring potential. The Giants defense struggled to slow down opposing TEs all last season. They were one of only three units to give up 1,000 yards and at least eight touchdowns to the site.
Hayden Hurst (CAR) at the Atlanta Falcons
Like the Saints, the Panthers are moving to a new QB position. Unlike the Saints, the Panthers’ new QB has no NFL experience. That’s not to say that Bryce Young’s 2023 No. 1 pick lacks ability. However, even the most casual NFL fan knows that the transition from the college game to the pros takes time and can be very difficult.
Early in the process of developing young quarterbacks, experienced receivers often play a vital role. Hayden Hurst fits this bill, having played in 70 games during his five years in the league. That includes last season when he made 52 grabs in 13 games for the Bengals. Young will likely be eyeing Hurst on the high-ratio short-courses more than a few times on his debut this week.
Another problem for Hearst in the season opener on Sunday is that he will be visiting Atlanta for the first time since spending two years in a Falcons uniform from 2020-21. He played for the Falcons in Cincinnati last season, scoring six of their eight goals. 48 yards. The Falcons defense was one of six to surrender more than 90 receptions to opposing tight ends in 2022.
Participate: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast | sound Cloud | I heart radio
Nate Miller is a Featured Writer for FantasyPros and a 9-year veteran of the fantasy sports industry. For more from Nate, check out his Archives And follow him on Twitter @Miller_RotoDad.
