It seems like every year around Week 4, I start to get finicky about the tight end position. Maybe it’s because I often fear taking one early in drafts. Maybe it’s because I pour over the waiver wire until the names blend together. Regardless, there are still some diamonds left on the wire.
Big shoutout to all my Darren Waller enthusiasts and my Chigoziem Okonkwo truthers: this fantasy football Week 4 tight end streamers, sleepers, and stashes list is for you.
Note: Roster % based on Yahoo!
JAKE FERGUSON, DAL (42% ROSTERED)
PPR points by week: 3.1, 10.1, 9.8
The second-year pro entered the season with a decent amount of hype, but with a similar amount of uncertainty — the Cowboys drafted Luke Schoonmaker out of Michigan in April following the departure of Dalton Shultz. Shultz was a favorite of Dak Prescott‘s, but Ferguson has fit nicely into Dallas’s offense. He has 18 targets through three games, good for second on the team. Despite three drops in three games, Dak continues to look his way due to his reluctance to target receivers outside of CeeDee Lamb.
Ferguson’s touchdown numbers should spike, as he leads all tight ends in red zone targets through three weeks.
LUKE MUSGRAVE, GB (29%)
PPR Points per Week: 8.0, 4.5, 10.9
Jordan Love and the Packers have been a surprise story through three weeks, and Luke Musgrave has been one of Love’s more consistent targets. He was a huge piece in the Week 3 comeback, totaling six receptions on eight targets for 49 yards. Musgrave ranks sixth in TE usage after three weeks, with an 80%+ route rate.
This year’s rookie crop of tight ends looks ready to contribute, and the Packers seem primed to give Musgrave ample opportunities. Not to mention he’s a great streamer option this week against a Detroit defense that’s allowing the most yards per game to the tight end position.
DONALD PARHAM JR., LAC (7%)
PPR Points per Week: 11.2, 1.7, 14.4
Perhaps the most significant riser this week at the position was Donald Parham Jr. Like Ferguson, he has stood out as a red zone monster for LA, scoring thrice in the red zone on only seven targets. Parham doesn’t have the same target share that Ferguson does, but he does have the elite size that could resemble a Jimmy Graham-esque role in the end zone.
With Mike Williams out for the season, the red zone and scoring opportunities for the Chargers will be available for the taking for the 6-foot-8, 238 lb tight end. Worth noting: Parham is the TE6 at the moment, showing the value of a big body on a high-powered offense (but also showing the volatility and touchdown dependency at the position).
