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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Week 16 Fantasy Football Tight End Streamers & Waiver Wire Pickups
The following tight ends are rostered in fewer than 75% of Yahoo! Leagues.
Colston Loveland (TE – CHI) vs. GB | 40% Rostered
It will be Bears vs. Packers: Round 2 in Chicago on Saturday night. The Packers outlasted the Bears 28-21 in Week 14, but this time, the Green Bay defense will be reeling a bit after the unfortunate loss of superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons (ACL).
Loveland’s rookie campaign got off to a slow start, but he has developed into a significant factor for the Bears’ passing attack from around mid-season on. The 10th-overall pick in this year’s draft has caught at least three passes in nine consecutive games, and he hit paydirt with one of his four receptions against the Packers in that Week 14 bout.
Loveland put up his second-highest yardage total of the season this past Sunday opposite the Browns, finishing with 63 on four grabs. A similar output could be in the cards this week, along with the potential for another score.
Darren Waller (TE – MIA) vs. CIN | 37% Rostered
Following an extended stint on the sideline due to injury, Waller technically returned to the field for the Dolphins three weeks ago. He was REALLY back Monday night in Pittsburgh. Granted, the Dolphins got down big in the second half and reverted to a pass-heavy approach. Still, the Steelers were not trying to let them score, and Waller hauled in two TD passes during the fourth quarter.
There should be more of the same coming from Waller against the Bengals on Sunday. Cincinnati’s unit has been shredded by opposing tight ends throughout the season, allowing a league-high 15 touchdowns to the position. Waller has found the end zone in four of his seven games this season, with a total of six. He’s also coming off new season highs of seven grabs and eight targets.
Colby Parkinson (TE – LAR) at SEA | 4% Rostered
A few fantasy managers jumped on the Parkinson TD parade last week. Far, far more will be joining in ahead of Thursday’s all-important NFC West matchup.
Before Sunday’s win over the Lions, Parkinson had scored in four of five games. For those who bought in, he delivered a personal-best performance in Week 15. The sixth-year veteran recorded his first multi-score game while gaining a career-high 75 yards. Parkinson has secured 10-of-15 red-zone targets over the past six weeks, topping the league in both categories during that span. He has averaged nearly four receptions and 40 yards per game in the same stretch.
Seattle brings one of the league’s top-ranked defenses to the field, but opposing tight ends have presented a problem for the Seahawks. The unit has allowed the second-most receptions and fourth-most yards to the position on the season. One of Parkinson’s six touchdowns over the past six games came against the Seahawks back in Week 11.
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