Hayden Hurst (TE, BAL) - Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: It was always going to be hard for Hayden Hurst to shine in an offense that already featured a no. 1 tight end with upside in Mark Andrews, and that has actually been the case all season long. This past weekend, though, Hurst made a name for himself catching three balls for 73 yards and a score, and on top of that, we saw Andrews get down injured. It doesn’t look like the injury (thigh bruise) is going to keep Andrews out of the field for long, but Baltimore plays on Thursday and the short recovery time might make him miss the game or at least have him limited.

With Andrews in the lineup and leading at the tight end position for the Ravens, Hurst has averaged 2.5 targets and 2.0 receptions per game on the season. He scored a touchdown in Week 2 and another this past weekend, but he has only been targeted six times inside the 20-yard line in his 14 games. That could change with Andrews out or not at 100%. The Ravens offense has relied heavily on the rushing game either with Lamar Jackson or Mark Ingram, and the receiving corps lack options and talent. They flash it from time to time, but it is nothing close to a constant thing. That gives Hurst some upside in the upcoming games as one of Jackson’s go-to options.

The tight end position has been a constant headache for fantasy owners all season long. You either have one of the two or three locks at it or have been streaming the position for a while. If the latter is the scenario you find yourself into, then you should consider Hurst ROS. If you play on a borderline deep league (14 teams), maybe you can find a better option, but if you play on a way deeper one or can afford to pick Hurst up from waivers and wait until we know about Andrews status then you should do. If Andrews misses time then Hurst becomes an instant play only because of the Ravens offensive upside and his role as the no. 1 tight end. If you don’t want to risk the chance of Andrews being back at 100% on Thursday then pass on Hurst.