Top 5 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Tight Ends (Week 7)

We will have you covered throughout the fantasy football season with our bevy of tools, including our Waiver Wire Assistant. Find the top available players and get detailed analysis on how potential fantasy football waiver wire adds will impact your team. Of course, our team of analysts will also have written advice each week. Check out some of our top fantasy football waiver wire tight ends to target for the week below. And check out all of our fantasy football waiver wire pickups and advice for Week 7.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Tight Ends

Tight Ends

Written by Derek Brown

Mason Taylor (TE – NYJ): 34% Rostered

Next Opponents: CAR, CIN, BYE
True Value: $5
Desperate Need: $7
Budget-Minded: $2

Analysis: Well, after two nice performances, Mason Taylor came crashing back to earth in Week 6, as Justin Fields turned into a rotten pumpkin. In the two games prior to the Denver debacle, Taylor was a focal point of the Jets’ passing attack as the TE9 in fantasy points per game. In Weeks 4-5, Taylor had a 26% target share, 66 receiving yards per game (1.89 yards per route run) and a 27.8% first-read share, per Fantasy Points Data. In Week 6, he turned his only target into two receiving yards. Don’t fear: Taylor will bounce back in the next two weeks with cupcake matchups incoming. Carolina and Cincinnati have respectively allowed the third-most and second-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to tight ends.

Harold Fannin Jr. (TE – CLE): 25% Rostered

Next Opponents: MIA, @NE, BYE
True Value: $4
Desperate Need: $6
Budget-Minded: $2

Analysis: In Dillon Gabriel‘s first start, Harold Fannin Jr. had a 12.1% target share, a 47.2% route share, 13 receiving yards (0.76 yards per route run) and a 14.3% first-read share, per Fantasy Points Data. It was Fannin’s smallest route share of the season, and the touchdown he secured saved his fantasy day. David Njoku suffered a knee injury on Sunday, and Fannin became the Browns’ full-time tight end, playing 80.2% of the snaps with a 75.8% route share and a 20.8% target share, per PFF. He finished with seven grabs and 81 receiving yards. Fannin will be a strong streaming option over the next two weeks, assuming Njoku plays. But if Njoku is out, Fannin will be a must-start TE1. The Dolphins and Patriots, respectively, have allowed the eighth-most and seventh-most fantasy points per game to tight ends.

Oronde Gadsden II (TE – LAC): 1% Rostered

Next Opponents: IND, MIN, @TEN
True Value: $2
Desperate Need: $4
Budget-Minded: $1

Analysis: Oronde Gadsden just had a wonderful breakout performance. He was the Chargers’ full-time tight end in Week 6 with a 75% snap share, an 82% route share and a 21.6% target share, per PFF. Gadsden turned eight targets into seven receptions and 68 receiving yards. If he keeps this role moving forward, catching passes from Justin Herbert, Gadsden will have plenty of streamer-worthy weeks and could flirt with TE1 value for the rest of the season.

Theo Johnson (TE – NYG): 20% Rostered

Next Opponents: @DEN, @PHI, SF
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: Since Week 4, Theo Johnson has had an 18.4% target share with 25.7 receiving yards per game (1.04 yards per route run) and a 21.7% first-read share, per Fantasy Points Data. That’s solid usage, especially when you consider that he’s also had three end-zone targets and three touchdowns in that time frame, too. In those three games, Johnson has averaged 12.2 PPR points. His upcoming matchups aren’t great, but if he continues to see this usage moving forward, he will continue to flirt with TE1 value.

AJ Barner (TE – SEA): 13% Rostered

Next Opponents: HOU, BYE, @WSH
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: AJ Barner has three TE1 finishes this season (TE9, TE8, TE1). He entered Week 6 with a 10.9% target share, 1.52 yards per route run (26.8 receiving yards per game) and a 9.5% first-read share, per Fantasy Points Data. Against the Jaguars on Sunday, he secured all three of his targets for 71 yards. Barner is a low-end streaming option. He’s especially valuable if your tight end is on bye in Week 9 (David Njoku, Harold Fannin Jr., Mason Taylor, Dallas Goedert). In Week 9, he’ll be a priority streaming option against the Commanders, who have allowed the 10th-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to tight ends.