Fantasy Football: 3 Tight End Streamer Options for Week 12

Tight end, as the kids say, is a wasteland.

Of all the positions in fantasy football, tight end has consistently been the most volatile. It's gotten to the point where we're lucky to have even a handful of tight ends we can rely on week to week.

This year is no different. Unless you were one of the lucky few to nab a top option at the position, you'll likely be scouring the waiver wire in search of a diamond in the rough.

However, just because you punted on the tight end position doesn't mean you've punted on your team as a whole.

Streaming tight end is a real, and effective, strategy -- you just have to know where to look.

That's where I come in, giving you three tight end streamers to target each and every week of the 2023 NFL season. All of these guys should be available in the majority of 12-team leagues and at the very least possess value for the upcoming week.

Projections and rankings via numberFire.

Week 12 Tight End Streamers

Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens

Mark Andrews is likely out for the season and will almost surely miss the Baltimore Ravens' Week 12 bout with the Los Angeles Chargers.

That thrusts Isaiah Likely firmly into the fantasy spotlight. Likely stepped right into a starting role last week. Although he finished without a catch, the sophomore tight end ran a route on 88% of dropbacks.

Likely flashed real potential in his rookie season, especially in the three games Andrews was out or limited.

In Week 8 (when Andrews left early), Likely was the TE2 (16.7 points). He secured six of seven targets (20.6% share) for 77 yards and caught a touchdown.

In Week 9, he was the TE9 (8.9 points) via a 23.8% target share and a touchdown.

Finally, in Week 18, Likely was the TE3 (14.3 points). He caught 8 of 13 targets (31% share) for 103 yards.

Overall, Likely ran a route on 78.9% of dropbacks, commanded a 25.8% target share, and averaged 2.27 yards per route run without Andrews. That translated to 13.3 fantasy points per game -- a number that would rank second among all tight ends this season.

Granted, we can't expect him to step right into that role this week, but the matchup is there for him to thrive. Per FantasyPros, the Chargers have let up the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends. They've surrendered the second-most receptions (6.5) and yards (67.5) per game to the position. This Sunday Night Football matchup has a healthy 46.5-point total, too, per the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

While he hasn't done much this season, the flashes Likely showed last season are a huge reason why he's our top waiver wire target at tight end. He's someone who can help you this week and going forward.

Donald Parham Jr., Los Angeles Chargers

With Gerald Everett out last week, Donald Parham Jr. stepped into an elevated role and finished as the TE7 in half-PPR. His 7.7 fantasy points were the fourth-most he'd scored all season. The 6'8" tight end now has four TE1 finishes in 10 games.

Parham may not have had his best fantasy outing of the year, but he enjoyed easily the best utilization of the season. He set season-highs in route participation (68%), target share (15%), and air yards share (17%). His 11.6 average depth of target (aDOT) was nice to see following three straight weeks of single-digit aDOTs.

Those kinds of numbers are good enough to be in the TE streaming conversation regardless of who's under center, but Parham catching passes from Justin Herbert gives him a level of upside that other tight ends don't have.

Still, Parham's value in Week 12 hinges on Gerald Everett's health. Additionally, we can't discount the absence of Jalen Guyton. Everett's status will have the biggest impact on Parham's startability this week, but if both pass catchers remain out, Parham will get a huge boost.

The matchup isn't great, so we should temper expectations. The Ravens have allowed the seventh-fewest points per game to opposing tight ends, but they've also let up the eighth-most targets. With Herbert under center, the matchup matters a little less.

Keep an eye on Everett's status, but if he's out, then Parham has as good of a chance as anyone to finish as a TE1.

Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cade Otton came crashing back to Earth after his Week 9 breakout, but he came clawing back this past week.

Otton is the TE10 (6.9 points) heading into Monday night's action. Despite a tough matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, Otton totaled four receptions (on five targets) and 49 yards. Those 49 yards were his second-most of the season.

His utilization remained stellar. Otton has now run a route on 87% of dropbacks for the season. His target share (14%) leaves something to be desired, but he's crept up to 17% since Week 7.

Otton has some of the most reliable utilization in the sport. He's not always going to be a fantasy asset given the offense, but he has a steady floor and is a threat to score each and every week.

Week 12 pits Otton and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers up against the Indianapolis Colts. Indy has been a nice matchup for opposing tight ends. They've let up the 10th-most fantasy points, third-most targets, and eighth-most yards per game to the position.

The matchup has a decent 43.5-point total, as well, so Otton should again be a threat around the end zone. He's a fine fill-in option for TE-needy squads.

Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.