The tight end position matters greatly in fantasy football. Tight ends are not as flashy as their route-running counterparts at wide receiver. Most of them do not normally get the same volume of touches as fantasy-relevant running backs. That can sometimes lead to them being overlooked or treated as an afterthought. Do not make that mistake.
The tight end pool is the shallowest of them all in terms of fantasy. Finding production there weekly can be incredibly challenging, especially for those who did not invest in one of the top options during draft season.
One way to find success at the position is by carefully playing the waiver wire week-to-week. The goal of this weekly article is to help fantasy managers do just that by finding low-rostered tight ends in the best situations for that particular week.
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Fantasy Football Tight End Streamers & Waiver Wire Pickups
The following tight ends are rostered in fewer than 75% of Yahoo! leagues.
Zach Ertz (TE – WSH) vs. LV | 57% Rostered
Zach Ertz continues to silence the doubters, as the 13th-year pro has hit paydirt in each of the Commanders’ first two games. The three-time Pro Bowler doubled his catch total from Week 1 to Week 2, pulling down six passes for a team-high 64 yards during this past Thursday’s loss at Green Bay. Unlike the Packers, the Raiders’ defense should not scare anyone away.
Ertz is not really going to stretch the field at this point in his career, but he’s convincingly following up on last season’s surprising 66 receptions and seven touchdowns. Jayden Daniels obviously trusts Ertz, and he looks for him often, particularly in the red zone.
Juwan Johnson (TE – NO) at SEA | 45% Rostered
Juwan Johnson is clearly a preferred target for quarterback Spencer Rattler. The veteran tight end has seen 20 total passes thrown his way over the first two weeks, trailing wide receiver Chris Olave for the team lead by only three. Johnson has secured 13 of those targets for a team-high 125 yards so far.
JUWAN JOHNSON, WHAT A CATCH! ????
????: FOX pic.twitter.com/RZ828fjZs8
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 14, 2025
Johnson caught one of Rattler’s three touchdown tosses in Week 2’s close loss to the 49ers. The matchup is much more attractive in Week 3. The Seahawks allowed two touchdowns to opposing tight ends in Week 1 before giving up eight total catches to the position in Week 2. Johnson should continue to climb the tight end fantasy football rankings.
Ja’Tavion Sanders (TE – CAR) | 2% Rostered
The Falcons have given up next to nothing to the tight end position over their first two games, but let’s be honest, the Buccaneers and Vikings really didn’t even try to get their respective tight ends involved. The Panthers, with Bryce Young leading the offense, likely will.
Ja’Tavion Sanders served as a safety valve for Young in Arizona this past Sunday, setting new career highs with nine targets and seven receptions. The fourth-round pick from 2024 only gained 54 yards with a long of 12, but for PPR purposes, it was a solid day nonetheless. Sanders has been on the field for more than 60% of the Panthers’ offensive snaps in both of the first two games. Look for that share to maintain going forward.
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