When we talk about tight ends, upside doesn’t often come to mind. A large part of their value is dependent upon reaching the end zone but they don’t have upside in the way a wide receiver has. Seeing a tight end go for 100-plus yards just isn’t something that will happen often unless you are dealing in the truly elite territory. Fifty yards and a touchdown is a perfectly reasonable expectation from your tight end, and that means your budget should be allocated accordingly. Just make sure you are paying for the production you are getting though.
This doesn’t mean you should never look towards the higher end options if the situation dictates or the salary cap allows, but tread carefully here. There is a fine line to walk between risk and reward as you can’t afford taking a zero from a lineup spot. At the same time, you don’t want to spend any more than necessary at the risk of other positions.
For those who have yet to subscribe, what are you waiting for? Until then you will get one free pick to whet your appetite. It’s all about taking advantage of whatever opportunities you can find and with Kyle Rudolph sidelined this week Irv Smith ($3,600 DK, $5,400 FD) is in line for a larger role. Last week Smith returned to action and caught all four of his targets for 63 yards in what missed his best game of the season by one yard. Tyler Conklin also will have a role but Smith stands to be the biggest beneficiary. The overall body of work through 10 games so far this season isn’t great with 19 receptions for 245 yards and three touchdowns but Smith is talented and Chicago does struggle to defend opposing tight ends. Again though he doesn’t require a huge investment so there is some additional comfort here.
Subscribers can now expect to get six more picks as we take a closer look at some more tight ends at varying price points who deserve our attention this week along with a few from whom we should keep our distance. And not all will break the back either which will leave plenty of room for help at other positions. This includes our take on what to do with the most recognizable option. This is just the beginning though. For a one-time fee of $99 per year we have all sports covered here including NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, PGA, NASCAR, and League of Legends. We know how profitable these picks can be so you can even try it out for one month for free.
Do we really have to? Coming up with four more options to target in this week’s slate while maintaining some salary cap flexibility isn’t the easiest thing in world. But we don’t make excuses here so to Mark Andrews ($5,500 DK, $6,800 FD) we go. Lamar Jackson isn’t going to run out of the locker room on fourth down again to save the day but Baltimore should have success in the passing game against the Jaguars. After missing two games in what has been a disappointing season, Andrews returned last week to catch five of his six targets for 78 yards. We don’t have to worry about target share for Andrews who, in his last three games, has 17 receptions for 235 yards and a touchdown and he should have another strong performance in a favorable match-up against the Jaguars.
With George Kittle sidelined for another week, Jordan Reed ($3,200 DK, $5,100 FD) will continue to retain his temporary DFS relevance. Ross Dwelley is also a factor but from a receiving perspective the emphasis is on Reed. That wasn’t the case last week as he caught just two of his five targets for 13 yards but perhaps the best thing we can say about him is that he will receive six or so targets a game. Reed is held back by backup quarterback Nick Mullens under center but we can’t be too picky here.
Despite nursing a shoulder injury Mike Gesicki ($4,800 DK, $6,000 FD) was a limited participant in practice on Friday so at this point we are expecting him to play this week. Gesicki has certainly had his share of inconsistency and frustration so far this season but he is also one of the better options at the position. Things have gotten better for Gesicki over the past three games with four touchdown catches, including two last week, while taking on a greater role in Miami’s offense. In his last two games Gesicki was targeted 17 times and caught 14 passes for 153 yards. There is no reason not to expect to see him continue to be featured in Miami’s offense as the skill set is there.
Four touchdowns in four games certainly are going to attract my attention. The fact that Dan Arnold($3,500 DK, $5,200 FD) has just six receptions for 109 games doesn’t necessarily matter here because it is the touchdowns that we are really after. And did we say that this is a tough week at the tight end position? For as long as the Cardinals continue to look Arnold’s way in the red zone he warrants our attention.
There is no disputing Travis Kelce’s ($8,000 DK, $8,500 FD) skill level, track record, and production. With 90 receptions for 1,250 yards and nine touchdowns so far this season it’s hard to find fault with Kelce’s performance but based on the conditions this week, we are forced to hold him to the highest possible standard. To say that Kelce is expensive this week is an understatement and he carries that burden in your lineup. Going with Kelce compared to just about any other option at the position requires a substantial cost savings elsewhere, and unless he has his best game of the season it will be a disappointment. It will be a difficult matchup for Kelce against a tough New Orleans defense and rostering the Kansas City tight end, even if he goes for 100 yards and a touchdown, will lead to a drop-off elsewhere. And that isn’t even factoring in whatever production you get from the tight end who isn’t Kelce that finds his way into your lineup.
The natural inclination is to target anyone against the Jets but that is not Tyler Higbee ($3,800 DK, $5,700 FD). Despite being the ninth most expensive tight end on Draft Kings, while also being quite reasonably priced, and facing a New York team that has allowed the most points to opposing tight ends there is still not enough here to point me in Higbee’s direction. Last week Higbee caught both of his targets for 34 yards in what has been an underwhelming season with just 34 receptions for 379 yards and four touchdowns. Don’t fall into the trap of targeting New York as the Rams will likely lean on their running game and there are options with more upside available.
