Is Hayden Hurst A Good Fantasy Football Pickup for Week 5? Waiver Wire Outlook

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst had fantasy sleeper status heading into the 2022 season, but after drawing 21 targets through four weeks, he's becoming a trendy tight end waiver add.

The tight end position is always a tricky one to navigate and the options are once again scarce in 2022. Fantasy managers without big-name studs like Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce, Darren Waller, George Kittle, or Kyle Pitts are often scrambling to find one-week streamers at this frustrating position to predict.

After Hurst has shown some promising production through four weeks in Joe Burrow's offense, is he worth picking up on waivers heading into Week 5? Let's find out.

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What Did Hayden Hurst Do In Week 4?

Hurst caught three of his four targets for 27 yards and a touchdown in the win against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. Of course, he would've been a bust without the touchdown, but that's often the name of the game at tight end.

Hayden Hurst with his first TD as a Bengal! 🐅 pic.twitter.com/0UyC6TQ9VU

— PFF CIN Bengals (@PFF_Bengals) September 30, 2022

Hurst played 56-percent of the Bengals' offensive snaps, up from Week 3's 38-percent of snaps. Both are lower than in Weeks 1 and 2, but he's on the field enough to be a fantasy-relevant option.

Should I Pick Up Hayden Hurst in Fantasy Football?

Hurst is worth a pickup since the tight end position is always in desperate need of producers. He won't be a consistent producer and a must-start stud, but in favorable matchups, he warrants strong consideration in the Bengals' high-powered passing offense.

Leading up to Week 4, he was the 12th-most targeted tight in the NFL, so he's firmly on the fantasy radar. Players such as Irv Smith Jr., Robert Tonyan, Dawson Knox, and Albert Okwuegbunam have been major busts in the early part of the season, and Hurst can replace several disappointing tight ends on fantasy rosters.

Despite competing for targets with Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tyler Boyd, Hurst has held his own, and his upside would skyrocket if any of those wideouts had to miss a game or two at some point this season. Hurst isn't the No. 1 waiver priority by any means, but fantasy managers desperate for upside in their tight end slot should give him some consideration.

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