If you find yourself still reading fantasy football columns after NFL Week 14, congratulations, as you are likely headed to your playoffs.
As such, it is important to look ahead at the upcoming schedule and find every possible edge you can to best the competition. As bad as it’s been all year, tight end just might be the answer.
Every year, we see players emerge as late-season fantasy stars, and though they won’t win fantasy matchups on their own, their contributions can be the difference between advancing and going home.
You can start by looking at Jacksonville’s Evan Engram, who stole the show in Week 14 with 11 catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns. He has been up and down throughout the year, but so has everyone else at this position. If he is available in your league, then he is a must-add. However, the competition for him will be fierce, so looking deeper might be necessary.
When Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing stood at the podium after Week 12 and declared back-up tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo “has earned more opportunities” and the team has “looked at drawing up more ways to get him the football,” savvy fantasy managers stood up and took notice. He was only seeing a small handful of targets, but he was also making catches of over 40 yards and helping keep drives alive.
This past week, he saw six targets, and though there were no deep plays, he finished the day with six catches for 45 yards and a touchdown. He also added a catch for a 2-point conversion, which made him the second-highest-scoring tight end for the day. Given the limited receiving corps in Tennessee, Okonkwo is expected to maintain this new role.
If neither Engram nor Okonkwo are available, look to see if Cleveland’s David Njoku is available. His injuries have caused him to be frequently added and dropped, so he could be an overlooked asset. With Cleveland also dealing with a limited receiving corps, Njoku has been third on the team’s target list and has quickly built a strong rapport with Deshaun Watson.
Digging deep at the tight end position hasn’t been the most fruitful waiver strategy this season, but when it comes to the playoffs, every point counts. If you can find a tight end who is seeing a solid target-share, grab tight and don’t let go.
Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy sports advice, player projections, injury updates and more.
