If you didn't already feel like there were no great options at the tight end position, here's the bye week to drill that unfortunately reality into your face. Jimmy Graham, Vance McDonald, and Jared Cook are all staying home this Sunday. But fear not, I've found some very respectable fill-ins to get you through Week 7. Onto the rankings!
Target Monsters
Over the last two weeks, David Njoku has 23 targets, more than any other tight end over that span. Njoku and Baker Mayfield have become BFFs (Buds in Fantasy Football) over the last few week, and their connection could ramp up even more this week against a withered Bucs defense.
Is Austin Hooper the real deal? His 10 targets last week were impressive, as was his 90% catch percentage and his 71 yards. I'd still temper expectations a bit this week, as the Giants are much better against tight ends than the last two teams Hooper's faced.
Despite heading into their last two matchups as favorites, the Packers have found themselves playing from behind an awful lot as of late. That's good news for anyone rostering Jimmy Graham. Graham picked up 9 targets against San Francisco. He also had his first 100-yard game since November of 2016.
Jordan Reed also had 9 targets, but it wasn't the bounce back performance most were hoping for. Reed caught 5 passes for just 36 yards and no touchdowns. Ouch, you guys. His target volume still makes him a good play against Dallas this week, mostly because so many of the best tight ends are on bye.
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| Rank | Player | Team | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zach Ertz | PHI | CAR |
| 2 | Travis Kelce | KC | CIN |
| 3 | George Kittle | SF | LAR |
| 4 | David Njoku | CLE | @TB |
| 5 | Rob Gronkowski | NE | @CHI |
| 6 | Austin Hooper | ATL | NYG |
| 7 | Eric Ebron | IND | BUF |
| 8 | Jordan Reed | WAS | DAL |
| 9 | Evan Engram | NYG | @ATL |
| 10 | C.J. Uzomah | CIN | @KC |
| 11 | Trey Burton | CHI | NE |
| 12 | O.J. Howard | TB | CLE |
| 13 | Kyle Rudolph | MIN | @NJY |
| 14 | Cameron Brate | TB | CLE |
| 15 | Greg Olsen | CAR | @WAS |
| 16 | Ricky Seals-Jones | ARI | DEN |
| 17 | Benjamin Watson | NO | @BAL |
| 18 | Geoff Swaim | DAL | @WAS |
| 19 | David Grinnage | JAC | HOU |
| 20 | Jeff Heuerman | DEN | @ARI |
| 21 | Vernon Davis | WAS | DAL |
| 22 | Charles Clay | BUF | @IND |
| 23 | Hayden Hurst | BAL | NO |
| 24 | Dallas Goedert | PHI | CAR |
| 25 | Chris Herndon | NYJ | MIN |
| 26 | Ryan Griffin | HOU | @JAC |
| 27 | Nick O'Leary | MIA | DET |
| 28 | Mike Gesicki | MIA | DET |
| 29 | Gerald Everett | LAR | @SF |
| 30 | Mark Andrews | BAL | NO |
