It sucks that tight end has been such a mess this season with so many TEs that were regarded as “TE1s” that could explode just flat-out not producing so far this season. Many guys that myself and the industry was high on this draft season (like Jonnu Smith, Dallas Goedert, Mark Andrews, Evan Engram, Hayden Hurst) just simply haven’t met the upside of being a gamechanger or even the production as a reliable TE1 so far this season. It has reached the point where unless if you have a Dallas Goedert (no Ertz), Darren Waller, George Kittle, or Travis Kelce, you really can’t trust your TE.
Most teams face the same TE dilemma though, so it’s not all bad, BUT wolves don’t settle. For our manager in deeper leagues, let’s sift through some TEs that may still be on the free agent market that can serve as at least as a short-term solution. The TEs we are looking at are currently rostered in less than 25% of Yahoo! leagues.
Trey Burton, IND (23%)
Remember when Trey Burton was a popular sleeper heading into drafts when he was on the Chicago Bears…. and he totally busted? I think we all need to put the past behind us and realize that Trey Burton is the TE1 in Indianapolis. Since Week 4 when Trey Burton started to play, he has run the most routes on his team while averaging an impressive (for a TE) 1.77 yards per route run. From Weeks 4 to 6, he actually scored the seventh-most PPR points amongst TE. He has already used his BYE, so this could be someone you could roster ROS hoping that he sees more volume as a result of securing the top spot on the depth chart. It also helps that he plays in a dome (against a Kleenex-soft Detroit Lions defense) while many games will be outside subject to 25+ MPH winds and rain.
Verdict: Makes for a fine stream this week given the nasty weather affecting so many games and even nastier TE position. He could also make a nice stash for managers hoping he develops into an every-week start.
Logan Thomas, WAS (21%)
Logan Thomas is on BYE this week, but if you already have an answer at TE this week that may be an iffy long-term solution, I think Thomas is viable as an ROS TE1. Volume hasn’t been the issue for Thomas, but it’s been production. Despite running the third-most routes and receiving the tenth-most targets, Thomas has yielded a paltry .88 yards per route run. However, the last few weeks and cupcake schedule moving forward bring cause for optimism. Since Week 6 (when Kyle Allen took over and actually got to finish the games), Logan Thomas has averaged 51 receiving yards a game and caught a TD in each game. He played QB his entire college career, so it’s possible that that as he sees more reps in live game situations (which he has and should continue to get), his production will improve. When finding scrounging for a TE1 in the bargain bin, I think you could find much worse prospects than Logan Thomas.
Verdict: Stash if you want to find a TE that could potentially be an every-week start moving forward.
Irv Smith Jr., MIN (7%)
Irv Smith Jr. seems to have firmly planted his flag as the top TE in Minnesota. His last two games have been very encouraging, as the 50th overall pick in the 2019 draft has posted over 50 receiving yards in each game. There were no TDs in those two games, but he did see 4 red zone targets. I expect TDs in his future if he continues to see his high route volume from the last two games. Considering the MIN defense is so porous, I expect the Vikings to throw plenty ROS. I would be wary about playing him this week, because of the nasty weather, but I definitely feel hopeful about his development into a TE1 ROS.
Verdict: More of a stash than a stream with the nasty weather this weekend, but his talent and playing time is definitely worth betting on.
Harrison Bryant, CLE (7%)
While Nick Chubb and Austin Hooper are still out in Week 8, I think Harrison Bryant makes for a fine desperation stream as I expect the team in general to pass more than they usually would if Chubb were in. He had an exceptional game last week (4 receptions for 56 yards and 2TD) and was one PFF’s highest-graded players in Week 7. However, he only ran a paltry 17 routes (compared to David Njoku’s 12 routes), so I don’t know how high his upside without catching multiple touchdowns. I think the talent is there, but the volume is sketchy. To create some more doubt, the weather will feature 25MPH sustained winds, gusts around 40MPH, and potential showers. At least he’s playing a very soft Las Vegas Raiders defense. Boy… these options are UGLY.
Verdict: I think this is a fine desperation stream, but the weather is very scary. You just really have to hope the weather doesn’t turn his game turn the clock back into the 1920s where every play is 3 yards and a cloud of dust.
Albert Okwuegbunam, DEN (1%)
A lot of hype has been built around this guy, who I like to call Swole Al. In case you didn’t know, Swole Al scored 99th percentile in both the 40-yard dash and Speed Score according to PlayerProfiler. I love the talent, but Noah Fant has practiced in full on consecutive days. With Fant back and eating into the passing pie, I project way too sparse of a floor and ceiling in terms of volume. I cannot get behind this guy as a stream in Week 8. If you’re in a really deep league, I guess you can stash to see if he ever gets the volume that could open the opportunity to be a TE1. If he ever gets to see 25+ routes a game, I think he would become a great every-week start. He’s seen a very limited workload this season, but the efficiency has been incredible. In my opinion, he’s easily the second-best TE on that team.
Verdict: Nothing more than a stash in deep, deep leagues. Love the talent though.
