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New Orleans’ Taysom Hill was the top tight end on fantasy football waiver wires for three straight weeks/columns. Now that fantasy managers have wised up and grabbed him, it is finally time to start talking about other available tight ends that could help your fantasy squad.
Week 11 has four more teams on bye, so many fantasy teams will be impacted at the tight end position. The aforementioned Hill, New England’s Hunter Henry, and Atlanta’s dynamic duo of Jonnu Smith and Kyle Pitts will all be off. You might have just picked one of them to become your starting fantasy tight end, and now you need to pick somebody else up to replace them.
Without further ado, here are the best tight end waiver wire pickups for Week 11, beginning with a rising star in Arizona whose value has gotten even higher thanks to his franchise quarterback returning from his torn ACL.
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Top Tight Ends to Pickup - Week 11 Waiver Wire
Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
I am going to run out of superlatives when describing how amazing McBride has been in recent weeks, and how the best is yet to come from the young phenom. His star was already on the rise and he was one of the best bets on the waiver wire heading into Week 10, but his star-making performance against Atlanta has cemented him as the top tight end on fantasy free agent lists.
McBride caught eight passes for 131 yards versus the Falcons and was constantly open the entire game. He has proven he is not just a big body who can box out smaller cornerbacks for eight-yard tosses over the middle. McBride is a playmaker who can make big chunk plays downfield as well.
Having Kyler Murray back under center elevates McBride’s fantasy value, no doubt. Facing Houston’s 24th-ranked pass defense a week after the Texans made Tyler Boyd and Trenton Irwin look like Lynn Swann and John Stallworth helps his fantasy worth, too. McBride has short-term value in standard leagues and long-term value in dynasty leagues. He is the No. 1 tight end to pick up this week, and there are no others I would rank anywhere near him.
Other Tight Ends to Consider Adding
Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers
Another workmanlike effort from Musgrave this past weekend as he caught two passes for 64 yards. I wish Jordan Love and the Packers' offense were clicking better because it would afford Musgrave more red zone opportunities. But he is helped that the Packers’ receiving corps is inconsistent and lacks a true go-to guy, which turns into extra targets for him. Musgrave should do very well this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers’ 32nd-ranked pass defense.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
Freiermuth was probably dropped in thousands of fantasy leagues once he was placed on injured reserve due to his hamstring injury. The talented tight end could be activated this upcoming week, however, and if so, he will instantly become a hot commodity in leagues where he is not rostered. I just wish he had a better offense/passing attack to come back to, and I also wish his return to action was not coming against Cleveland’s staunch defense.
Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
Okonkwo is not exactly taking advantage of the quarterback upgrade in Tennessee now that Will Levis is running the offense (10-78-0 line over the past three games). He is too young and talented to give up on, though. What I like about Okonkwo this week is his matchup. In two games against the Jacksonville Jaguars last year, he had nine receptions for 96 yards and scored a TD in each game. I think 40 yards and another score for him this Sunday is a real possibility.
Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders
Did you know that Washington QB Sam Howell averages more passing yards per game this year than Kansas City superstar Patrick Mahomes? As Kurt Angle would say, “It’s true. It’s damn true!” Thomas is averaging 41.5 receiving yards per game over the last month. He will not win you a league if you pick him up now and use him every week the rest of the way, but he can gift you a couple of decent weeks when started at the right times.
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I warned you last column that Otton’s effort in Week 9 should not be exaggerated. Two weeks ago, he had two touchdowns. This past week, he had two catches. He is a distant third banana behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in Tampa Bay’s passing attack, and in reality, he is the fourth-best option because running back Rachaad White is doing more with his targets, too.
Do Not Forget About…
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders
Mayer scored the lone touchdown in Las Vegas’ far-from-scintillating victory over the offensively-challenged New York Jets on Sunday night. Hopefully, the Raiders coaching staff sees how Mayer can out-jump and overpower defensive backs in the end zone for 50-50 balls. The rookie tight end deserves to be passed to more, especially since the Raiders do not have much receiving depth behind Davante Adams.
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
In a game where his Chargers scored 38 points and threw the ball 40 times, Everett finished the game with no catches and no yards. Inexcusable from a fantasy perspective. I am not giving up on the veteran yet, but he better show something over the next game or two or else his name will not be appearing in my future columns.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
Do not forget about Henry because he has the week off. He might be of no help this weekend for you, but he could be down the line if you are thin at tight end. In Week 12, he will be up against the New York Giants, who are now the worst team in the NFL because of their quarterback situation. Then in Week 13, Henry runs routes against the worst pass defense in football, the previously mentioned L.A. Chargers.
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