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October is here, and so are the opening round of bye weeks!
The first four NFL teams are on vacation in Week 5, and the tight end position takes a seismic hit. Detroit’s Sam LaPorta and Philadelphia’s Dallas Goedert will have the week off, meaning millions of fantasy managers need a tight end as badly as the Dallas Cowboys need a healthy pass rusher.
You are shopping at the right store if you need a tight end for Week 5. Without further ado, here are the top tight end candidates on fantasy waiver wires this week, beginning with the surprising top tight end on the Green Bay Packers:
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Top Fantasy Football Tight Ends to Pick Up - Week 5 Waiver Wire
Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
Kraft has been outplaying and outgaining tight end teammate Luke Musgrave and had his best game of the year against the Minnesota Vikings, catching six passes for 53 yards and a touchdown. His TD was a thing of beauty, by the way. Kraft stiff-armed one defender and bowled over another on his way to the end zone. The play made the hair on my arm stand on end.
Tucker Kraft getting in the end zone no matter what pic.twitter.com/9ltGCMCDWD
— IKE Packers Podcast (@IKE_Packers) September 29, 2024
Green Bay has too many talented young pass catchers for Kraft to be a fantasy force consistently, but his value is on the way up as long as he keeps getting more looks than Musgrave. Jordan Love is finding Kraft more and more in the middle of the field and spending less time and targets on WRs Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson. Asking Kraft to be your TE1 might be too much, but making him your rotational TE1 or TE2 would be a great idea.
Other Fantasy Football Tight Ends to Consider Adding
Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders
Washington has been one of the biggest Cinderella stories in the NFL and Ertz has been instrumental in giving franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels a solid veteran option to throw to. One thing is for sure – Ertz has been a target vacuum. He has converted targets like Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase converts saves. Ertz has caught 15 of the 16 Daniels passes thrown to him this year.
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
Hill triumphantly returned after missing two games to score two rushing touchdowns against division rival Atlanta in Week 4. That’s the good news. The bad news is Hill left the contest early with another rib injury, so fantasy managers will have to wait until news breaks on Monday or Tuesday about his status for next week and the rest of the season.
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
Chicago’s top tight end has racked up 13 receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown over the past two games. He might be available in some leagues because trigger-happy fantasy managers gave up on him after his first two woeful outings where he only had five grabs for 31 yards. If he is on the waiver wire in your league, pick him up faster than you can say “Nice suit, Nate Burleson!”
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After being as invisible as Beetlejuice during the first two weeks (one catch for five yards), Otton has 13 receptions for 99 yards over the last two weeks. If you want to pick up Baker Mayfield’s safety valve, just remember to do it early in the week since Tampa Bay’s next game is Thursday night at Atlanta.
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
Conklin had a 93-yard game in Week 3 that made him a featured pickup in last week’s column. While he had four catches in Week 4, they only amounted to 17 yards, which means he has had three games of fewer than 20 yards in a month. Hopefully, Conklin likes eating bangers and mash and facing undefeated teams because he faces Minnesota next in London. Oh, did I mention the Vikings have the worst pass defense in the NFL?
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
One great game, three terrible games. That is Henry’s season in a nutshell. I do not know if it will matter much if Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye is his QB. Henry’s numbers have a low ceiling because his quarterbacks are no Joe Montana and Steve Young, but as long as the Patriots receiving corps is one of the worst in the NFL, Henry will always be a top target on the team.
Do Not Forget About…
Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams
Parkinson has not been burning up stat sheets with receptions, yards, or touchdowns. Until wonderful wideouts Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua return from their injuries, he will continue to be targeted more often than usual. Parkinson has a dozen targets over his last two games, including a season-high seven in Week 4 against Chicago.
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
The second-year second-stringer has compiled 96 yards and a TD over the last three weeks while filling in for Trevor Lawrence's favorite Evan Engram. If Engram continues to miss games, Strange is a decent low-price, low-risk, medium-reward DFS play or one-week stopgap in a standard league.
Austin Hooper, New England Patriots
I know Henry’s name pops up in this column every week, but Hooper has had more fantasy points than his teammate in three of New England’s four games. Hooper scored his first TD of the season Sunday and would see a huge fantasy jump if the oft-injured Henry got nicked up again at some point this season.
Erick All Jr., Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati’s rookie tight end is the model of consistency. In each of his past three games, he has done the same thing – four targets, and four catches. All Jr. has no 35-yard games or any touchdowns, but the youngster might have fantasy upside since he is only beginning his NFL career – and has Joe Burrow as his QB.
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