RADIO
There should not be as many fantasy footballers out there in need of a tight end this early in the season as there is.
Millions of fantasy managers were already shorthanded at the position thanks to the season-opening injuries of Cleveland’s David Njoku and Dallas’ Jake Ferguson. Now add Jacksonville’s Evan Engram to the list after his pregame injury on Sunday. Meanwhile, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce, Detroit’s Sam LaPorta, and Baltimore’s Mark Andrews are not exactly blowing up boxscores with catches and touchdowns.
2024 has not gotten off to a great start for most NFL tight ends, that’s for sure. If your fantasy roster needs an upgrade or just a healthy body, keep reading! Without further ado, here are the top tight ends to pick up for Week 3, starting with a longtime fantasy force who showed up big time on Sunday:
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Top Tight Ends to Pickup - Week 3 Waiver Wire
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
I told you in last week’s column to ignore the fact that Jacoby Brissett is Henry’s quarterback and that the Patriots offense is not the second coming of the run-and-shoot Houston Oilers from 1990.
Henry has always been a mainstay in fantasy football thanks to his nose for the end zone (38 career touchdowns), and he should be a solid TE2 this season thanks to the lack of playmakers in New England’s receiving corps. Case in point – in New England’s Week 2 loss against Seattle, Henry racked up eight receptions for 109 yards.
The rest of the team combined for seven catches for 40 yards. You can never argue with an ungodly 50-percent target share, and that is what Henry had.
Hunter Henry so far in this game:
7 catches for 99 yards. 🔥🔥
pic.twitter.com/ZxnlxGKj1a— Pats Buzz (@PatsBuzz) September 15, 2024
New England has no Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, or Randy Moss on the roster. Henry is the top option for Brissett to throw to for the foreseeable future. Fantasy managers can pick him up and play him on weeks when he is facing a below-average pass defense.
I would not count on Henry every week because he does have his fair share of dud performances (Week 1 = 18 yards), but he is probably the best TE available on your waiver wire this week.
Other Tight Ends to Consider Adding
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
Talk about a tight end bringing his fantasy value out of the ashes and back from the dead. I did not think clairvoyant Tyler Henry would have been able to find Gesicki’s fantasy value after it had been dormant for a couple of years, but Gesicki shocked the fantasy world by catching seven passes for 91 yards against Kansas City.
Gesicki saw more passes due to the hamstring injury of WR2 Tee Higgins, but now that he has proven to QB Joe Burrow that he can make plays, do not be surprised to see the burly tight end involved in the offense more in the coming weeks.
Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders
Rookie Ben Sinnott might be the future starter at tight end for the Commanders, but Ertz is still the present starter and is providing fantasy managers with surprising numbers in the early going.
He led Commanders' pass catchers with 62 receiving yards against the New York Giants and gave rookie signal caller Jayden Daniels a reliable target throughout the game. Pick him up now and then you can drop him down the line once Sinnott is given more playing time and targets.
Luke Schoonmaker, Dallas Cowboys
The Michigan product filled in admirably for the ailing aforementioned Ferguson and caught all six passes thrown to him during Dallas’ blowout loss to New Orleans. If he is gifted another chance to start because of Ferguson’s injury, I feel better about picking him up and plugging him in than I did coming into Week 2. Dak Prescott loves throwing to his tight ends, no matter who they are.
Do Not Forget About…
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
Strange was forced into being Jacksonville’s top tight end when Evan Engram hurt himself during warmups, and the second-round rookie did not disappoint. I would not hang too much on his three catches for 65 yards, but he is someone to keep an eye on in dynasty leagues considering he might be the team’s TE1 in 2025 or 2026.
Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams
Now that the Rams are without Pro Bowl receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, someone has to catch Matthew Stafford’s passes. Parkinson’s target total, yardage total, and touchdown total have nowhere to go but up, and the increased volume of passes coming his way should do the trick.
Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins
Will Smith’s fantasy value go up or down now that Tua Tagovailoa has been concussed again? I think it might go up because Skylar Thompson could be more apt to throw short to Smith than dare 50-yard passes to Tyreek Hill if the young QB is not confident in his accuracy and arm strength.
Smith faces the same Seattle team in Week 3 that allowed Hunter Henry to have a 100-yard game, so he might find some room to roam in the Seahawks' secondary.
Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
Chig’s five catches for 31 yards and a TD in his first two games of the season probably will not cause fantasy managers to call out of work so they can pick him up on waivers before anyone else does. That said, this talented youngster should perform better as the season wears on as long as green quarterback Will Levis cuts down on the bonehead plays and zones in on making the smarter plays.
Tommy Tremble, Carolina Panthers
When you were the best pass catcher on your team in a game but only mustered three receptions for 23 yards, something is very wrong with your offense and quarterback. That is Tremble’s problem in Carolina, but if Andy Dalton steps in to start or Bryce Young irons out the kinks in his throwing motion, then Tremble could be a sneaky low-cost play this year.
Will Dissly, Los Angeles Chargers
Dissly will not make any Chargers fan or fantasy managers forget about Antonio Gates, but he might be the most serviceable tight end on Jim Harbaugh’s 2-0 roster right now. The veteran caught all three passes thrown to him on Sunday and could be Justin Herbert’s favorite tight end over Hayden Hurst.
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