It seems as though the tight end position has been more barren than usual this season through three games.
Travis Kelce, a near no-brainer as a fantasy football first-round pick in years past, has eight receptions on the year and has yet to hit a single player prop over for catches, yards, or scores all season. Mark Andrews has eight targets and seems to have lost his status as TE1 in Baltimore to Isaiah Likely. Last year’s darling and many people’s dynasty TE1 Sam Laporta is battling an ankle injury and has only eight receptions.
Entering Week 4, we now see underproduction from the consensus top three options at the position, and additionally, two other proven TE1s, Evan Engram and Trey McBride, are unavailable this week. In the crapshoot of fantasy football Week 4 TE streamers, this is who we are targeting this weekend.
Dalton Schultz, HOU (69% Rostered on Sleeper)
Dalton Schultz, who is considered a borderline TE1 for most of his career, seemed to be a lock to maintain that status as he took over in Houston last season. Paired with the dazzling rookie QB CJ Stroud, Schultz finished as the TE10 last season and hauled in five scores. But like many of the once-thought-of locks at the position this year, production is down.
The six-year vet has a meager 48 yards on seven receptions through three weeks and is still floating on 30% of waiver wires. Going into Week 4, the opportunities are there for a boom week, however. Tank Dell is inactive this week against Jacksonville, vacating his average ~6 targets per game, and leaving one less red zone weapon at Stroud’s disposal.
Playing time is not the issue for Schultz thus far, as he has yet to take less than 71% of snaps in Houston’s first three games. If Schultz can see six targets this week and two red zone looks, you may just catch lightning in a bottle.
Zach Ertz, WAS (45% Rostered)
The Washington Commanders have been the biggest story this season, which is a sentence I never thought I would write in 2024. Rookie QB Jayden Daniels already has buzz around him for being the QB1 of the draft, sort of a Bryce Young/CJ Stroud situation all over again. In all fairness, No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams is not Young, but Daniels’ play has wowed much of the football world.
The ever-reliable Zach Ertz has been a huge part of the Commie’s success, but the TE10 this year is still available in just about half of fantasy leagues out there. Ertz has 13 targets through three games this year, and no games with less than four. He is also averaging 43 yards per game – not eye-popping numbers, but has taken on the role of the de-facto second target behind Terry McLaurin. Look for Ertz to continue this strong output in a favorable matchup vs Arizona.
Mike Gesicki, CIN (53% Rostered)
Just as Ertz has maintained his success and production throughout his career, so has Mike Gesicki. After a down year in New England, the sixth-year vet has half of his entire fantasy production last year in just three games. He also joins an offense more similar to the pre-Mike McDaniel Dolphins this year in Cincinnati, allowing him to better utilize his 6’6″ frame.
Gesicki has seen at least four targets in each of the first three games, amounting to 14 catches and 156 yards. He’s still without a score this season, however the Bengals’s offense has been stagnant at times and historically takes a few weeks to shake off the offseason rust.
With Carolina next up on the schedule, what better timing to have a “get-right” game. The Panthers are allowing an average of 5 receptions and 51 yards to opposing tight ends this year, just about the same pace that Gesicki is running at this season. Currently the TE7, odds are Gesicki will be the epitome of a week to week streamer this season and might just end up a fringe TE1 in the process.
