Fantasy Football: 3 Tight End Streaming Options for Week 2

Last week, I called the tight end position a wasteland.

Safe to say, that was an understatement.

In half-PPR scoring formats, only two tight ends scored in the double digits (not including the Monday night game).

Two!

Coming into Monday night, at least 10 players from every other position eclipsed double-digit points, and that includes kickers!

Pat Freiermuth (who caught just 1 pass for 4 yards and a touchdown) played sparingly in the second half and managed just 6.3 fantasy points in Week 1.

He finished as the TE9 on the week.

Clearly, the bar isn't high at the most barren position in fantasy football.

We knew the position would be difficult to manage in 2023, but injuries to a number of the typically dependable tight ends have diluted the player pool even further.

That makes streaming tight end not only a viable strategy but perhaps an essential one in this fantasy landscape.

Don't sweat, though.

I have you covered with 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 1 Tight End Streamers

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots

After a 14.1-point, TE1 finish in Week 1, Hunter Henry looked like a major part of the New England Patriots' new-look offense.

A touchdown helped his cause, but Henry was widely involved in New England's offense in Week 1. He secured 5 receptions (on 6 targets) for 56 yards and a score.

While he only finished with an 11.1% target share, he ran a route on an encouraging 67.9% of his snaps and flashed some of that same chemistry with Mac Jones that propelled him to a TE9 finish back in 2021.

Even more encouraging from a fantasy perspective, Henry racked up a 10.7-yard average depth of target (aDOT). That was a noticeable uptick compared to last year's 7.7 and gives me confidence that he could be a quality fantasy option not just in Week 2 but beyond.

Looking at Week 2 specifically, Henry will be a solid option thanks to his matchup with the Miami Dolphins. Miami's defense gave up 34 points and 228 passing yards in Week 1, allowing an opposing tight end to score the in process. Last year, they allowed the fifth-most fantasy points, the second-most touchdowns (11), and the highest catch rate over expectation (7.1% CROE) to opposing tight ends.

It's not a stretch to say Hunter Henry will be an easy TE1 in Week 2, and, consequently, he's the top streaming option.

Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals

Zach Ertz largely went undrafted in fantasy football leagues this season. After suffering a torn ACL and MCL in Week 10 of last season, he wasn't expected to be ready for Week 1 of this year. Then, even when he eventually came back, there wasn't much excitement for a 32-year-old tight end playing on arguably the worst team in the NFL.

Well, Ertz made it back for Week 1, though the results were mixed.

Ertz finished with 6 receptions (on 10 targets) for 21 yards, culminating in a TE18 finish (5.1 half-PPR points).

While that yardage total limited his fantasy numbers, he had strong underlying metrics. Ertz paced the Arizona Cardinals (and the tight end position as a whole) with a 33.3% target share and ran a route on 90.9% of snaps. He saw 2 red zone targets and didn't look at all limited, handling a 77.6% snap share.

Keep in mind, Ertz was the TE5 in 2021 and the TE3 through the first nine weeks of last season. Yes, the quarterback situation is shaky, but with Kyler Murray eligible to return from the PUP list in Week 5, Ertz could wind up being a set-and-forget starter when it's all said and done.

At the very least, with a home matchup against the New York Giants next week, he's a quality tight end streamer for Week 2.

Last season, New York allowed the third-most fantasy points to tight end. They tied Miami for the highest CROE (7.1%) allowed and just gave up a 32% target share to the Dallas Cowboys tight ends in Week 1.

Ertz should be added in essentially all leagues and makes for a strong play this week and perhaps the rest of the season.

Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys

Fancy seeing you here, Jake Ferguson.

A repeat member of this list, Dallas' new tight end likely won't see a massive uptick in his roster rate after a quiet Week 1.

Ferguson finished with just 2 receptions (on 7 targets) for 11 yards. With just 2.1 fantasy points and given how unproven he is, I understand the hesitation in rolling him out there for Week 2.

However, you can't just focus on that 2.1-point number. Context (and usage stats) matter.

In an odd, 40-point Dallas blowout, Ferguson led the team with a 28.0% target share. That ranked second among all tight ends and was a higher number than Justin Jefferson (27.3%).

Perhaps most encouraging was his red zone usage. Quarterback Dak Prescott looked for Ferguson early and often inside the 20. His 5 red zone targets led the league last week, and with a 50% red zone target share, he's as good of a touchdown candidate as you'll find on the waiver wire.

After all, simply scoring once all but ensures you'll finish as a TE1 on the week.

A Week 2 matchup with the New York Jets is far from ideal, but there's certainly an argument to be made that their elite secondary could funnel more looks Ferguson's way. After all, the Jets allowed the 12th-most fantasy points and the 2nd-highest target rate (20.9%) to opposing tight ends last season.

Already one of Dak's go-to guys, I wouldn't be surprised to see Ferguson finish inside the top 10 at the position next week in a game Dallas won't (presumably) win by 40 points.

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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.