BJ VanderWoude: With Rob Gronkowski and Jordan Reed playing on Sunday and Monday nights, respectively, and Travis Kelce playing on Thursday night, the top tight ends on the main slate are Delanie Walker, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Jimmy Graham, Cameron Brate, Jason Witten and Evan Engram. Which of these tight end's will you have exposure to in week 7? Are there any better PP$ options out there at the position?
Jason Wood: Delanie Walker has to be atop the list. The Titans face Cleveland this week and the Browns have allowed 8 more points to opposing fantasy tight ends (using PPR scoring) than the average NFL defense. They're the easiest defense in the league against tight ends. The Jets (Sefarian-Jenkins) and Seahawks (Graham) also have two of the easiest matchups of the week. All three will factor into my lineup matrix.
John Mamula: Of the tight ends listed, Austin Seferian-Jenkins peaks my interest most. He is starting to emerge as the go-to receiving option for the Jets and an every-week TE1. Josh McCown has a history of leaning on the tight end position as he turned Gary Barnidge into a fantasy force (79 receptions for 1043 yards and 9 touchdowns) just two seasons ago. Seferian-Jenkins has at least four receptions in every game this season and a touchdown in each of the past two weeks (should have been multiple touchdowns this past week against the Patriots!).
Phil Alexander: Tight end has been so hit or miss this year, not having to consider paying way up for one on this slate is a welcome change. All of the guys mentioned in the body of the question are in play. Walker and Graham are top talents in A+ matchups, Seferian-Jenkins and Engram are effectively the WR1s on their respective teams, all Brate does is score a touchdown every week, and Witten is a high-floor option due to his reliable target volume.
One tight end I'm looking at whose name wasn't listed is Hunter Henry. The Chargers have shifted to more two tight end sets in each of their last two games, which has resulted in back-to-back games with roughly 80% of the offensive snaps for Henry. The extra field time has predictably resulted in more targets. Henry has a combined 15 targets in his last two games, compared to a total of 10 through his first four. His price on DraftKings only increased by $100 despite consecutive games with more than 13 fantasy points, and tight end happens to be Denver's weakness on defense. The Broncos entered last week ranked 26th in pass defense DVOA vs. tight ends and proceeded to give up a 5-82-1 receiving line to Engram on Sunday night. Denver hasn't allowed less than seven tight end targets in a game since Week 1. This is the last week we'll be able to use Henry at a discount.
Justin Howe: It’s depressing to see so many options simultaneously priced at their ceilings. I’ve always finished well when rostering the likes of Value Brate, Value Engram, and even Value Seferian-Jenkins. But that’s not happening this week, where I’d essentially have to pay for a touchdown and/or a five- or six-catch game. I love those guys I mentioned, but (with the possible exception of Engram) they’re not legitimate threats to score that far beyond their costs. If I’m paying up, I’d much rather get some ceiling on the side; this is what I typically pay for Greg Olsen!
