Week 9 was an improvement over Week 8, if by improvement I mean I didn't lose all my money in DFS. Progress, right?
Regardless, I will put on a brave face. It's time to give the people what they want, nay, crave -- tight end streamers. The good ones.
Throughout the season, this column should/will/must be your go-to resource for identifying tight ends to stream when you're in a pinch. Based on monitoring 12-team Yahoo! roster percentages, everyone listed will be rostered in fewer than 60% of Yahoo! leagues.
While from a pure volume standpoint it was a light week of tight end injuries, sadly Noah Fant AND Albert Okwuegbunam both sufferied injuries. Albert O is done for the year with a torn ACL. Fant returned to the game but didn't catch a pass again and was notably also dealing with an ankle injury earlier this year. It's a situation to monitor.
Mo Alie-Cox is still dealing with a knee injury, and he missed practice on Monday. Jack Doyle left the game with a concussion.
Based on the incredible reputation of this column (surely it's famous by now), Week 9 was an average output. Ross Dwelley was fine thanks to garbage time, but Jordan Reed surprisingly had just one catch despite coming off the injury report. Our champion Eric Ebron shouldn't even be eligible for this column, but he came through with a top-10 Week 9 tight end performance. Logan Thomas didn't get there, but it's tough to fault the process, which was based entirely on his developing efficiency with Kyle Allen under center.
As bye weeks continue, identifying usable streamers will become even more valuable. The Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs, and Dallas Cowboys are all on bye, which takes two of our best tight end options off the board. Of course, we'll need to monitor any potential COVID-induced byes or missed games.
It usually takes a good six weeks before positional points allowed data is somewhat reliable. Now that we're there, I'll lean a bit heavier on points allowed to the position in this process where applicable. In the end, though, we're chasing opportunity.
We're not exactly shooting fish in the barrel with tight end streamers, but we'll aim for more successful plays in Week 10.
Trey Burton, TE, Indianapolis Colts
Roster Percentage: 23%
If you've been tuning in this season, then you know all about streaming disciple Trey Burton. Burton smashed two touchdowns as a recommend streamer in Week 6, despite being rostered on just 1% of teams. That doesn't help you now, but it's a fun way to pay myself on the back.
What is helpful, however, is that running mate Mo Alie-Cox was sidelined in that game. As noted above, Alie-Cox missed Monday's practice and has been battling a knee injury. Meanwhile, Jack Doyle (who also caught a touchdown in that Week 6 game), left the game with a concussion. Considering the Indianapolis Colts play Thursday night, it's unlikely we'll see Doyle.
We also might not see T.Y. Hilton, who didn't seem particularly close to playing this past week. Burton's numbers don't jump off the page, but with 4.8 targets per game this year, he has a palatable floor. It also doesn't hurt that he has two rushing touchdowns this year. While not sustainable, it shows this team wants to utilize Burton near the goal line.
The matchup is tasty, too. The Tennessee Titans have allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to tight ends. With a slew of pass catchers out and a potential featured role, Burton is a top-15 option this week.
Austin Hooper, TE, Cleveland Browns
Roster percentage: 41%
He's baaaaack. Okay, you probably haven't been waiting on the edge of your seat for Austin Hooper to return. But you clearly don't write a tight end streamer article every week.
Hooper has become a staple here, quietly delivering three straight usable performances before being sidelined for two games. While out, the Cleveland Browns unfortunately lost Odell Beckham for the year. Now three weeks removed from his appendectomy, Hooper steps in as a legitimate top-10 option this week.
Not only will the usage be there (Hooper had a 20%+ target share over the three weeks before his injury), but the matchup is exploitable. Houston has allowed the 11th-most fantasy points and 7th-most yards to tight ends this year. Hooper simply needs to be on rosters at this point.
Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
Roster Percentage: 56%
Phew, thank goodness Dallas Goedert qualifies here. Things were getting rough at the bottom of the tight end position this week. We both know you want to start Jimmy Graham as much as you want to stub your toe.
It's Goedert szn. While he only saw one target in his return, his underlying usage was super promising. Goedert was in on 84% of the Eagles offensive snaps and ran 11 routes from the slot.
It doesn't really matter that the matchup is somewhat tough on paper. The New York Giants have played a very pedestrian tight end schedule to date, and Richard Rodgers ripped them up for 6 catches and 85 yards in Week 7. Goedert is immediately a top-eight option.