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.
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 to take 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. Austin Hooper ($3,500 DK, $5,100 FD) hasn’t had a lot of big weeks this season, but he is heading into a week facing a New York Jets team that has given up the most fantasy points to Tight-Ends in all formats this season. If there was ever going to be a week to play Hooper, this is going to be it.
Want more kick-ass DFS picks? We got them for a one-time fee of $99 per year. All sports including NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, PGA Tour golf, NASCAR and League of Legends. And you can try it out for a month free. We know the picks are good. You will too.
Always Travis Kelce ($8,500 DK, $8,800 FD). It is hard to avoid Kelce on any given week. He is easily the top tight end in the league. The simplest argument for using Kelce is that he is often priced below the top wide receivers, and when you look at his performance you are in someways getting him at a discount. This week isn’t really any different. If you’re going to pay up for a Chiefs receiver you can get Kelce for a lot less than you’re getting Hill, and you’re getting a lot more consistency. Oh, the other thing that shouldn’t be forgotten is the Falcons have given up big games to TE’s this year. The Falcons have given up the fifth-most fantasy points on DK and FD.
On the Falcons side of the matchup, Hayden Hurst ($3,400 DK, $5,600 FD). It is expected that the Falcons will be playing from behind in this one, and when that occurs there is always room for receivers to have big days. The Cheifs have given up the tenth-most fantasy points to tight ends, so if you’re not looking to pay up, for TE this week in your GPP, Hurst is worth consideration, as he could easily give you 50+ receiving yards and a touchdown this week.
If you haven’t noticed yet, I am definitely picking on the Jaguars. Jimmy Graham ($3,100 DK, $5,400 FD) is another player that you should consider in this match-up. The great part about his pricing is it lets you stack Bears relatively easily as well. With the news that Allen Robinson potentially being out, Graham could see an uptick in targets as well.
Logan Thomas ($4,400 DK, $6,000 FD) is a slightly higher priced option, but still a very viable option. The reason to look to Thomas is his target share. He is coming off a week where he saw 16 targets. While his target share likely won’t be that high this week, you can expect his number to be close to 10. The other factor that makes Thomas enticing is the Panthers are in the top 10 for points given up to tight ends. So all that being said, I think Thomas is usable in both cash as a Kelce alternative, and in GPP contests.
Jordan Akins ($3,300 DK, $5,100 FD) your tight end option on the Texans if you’re looking to try and get some shares of their matchup against the Bengals. The Bengals are another team that gives up lots of fantasy points to tight-ends (7th most on DK and FD). I expect his ownership to be low with some many low priced tight-end options, many of which are names people are more familiar with. Those things make Akins a great GPP option this week.
