Week 10 is here. The NFL trade deadline just passed and your fantasy football season is probably past or soon to be. The tight end position has been a mind field for fantasy managers all season. We have three top guys out this week on bye so finding a replacement to get the win is even more crucial. Here are Week 10’s tight end streamers and sleepers.
Must starts- Trey McBride, TJ Hockenson, Evan Engram, Kyle Pitts, Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Cade Otton, George Kittle
Week 10 Tight End Streamers
Mike Gesicki – Cincinnati Bengals
Rumors are the Cincinnati Benglas will be buyers at the trade deadline. One of the biggest names out there is their own Tee Higgins who has missed the past two games with an injury. Could the Bengals be shopping Higgins and bringing in another pass catcher? That’s a situation to monitor as it directly impacts the output for tight end Mike Gesicki.
In the four games Higgins has missed this season, Gesicki has seen 26 targets. In the five games where Higgins has played, Gesicki’s opportunities have dropped to nine targets. Week 10 should be another week where Gesicki gets involved in the offense. Rookie tight end Erick All went down with a knee injury so his availability is in question. The matchup against the Baltimore Ravens is good. They have been giving up the ninth most points to tight ends. Gesicki wasn’t great in the first bout between these teams this year. He only had two targets catching both for 31 yards. That was a game where Higgins played. I expect Gesicki to continue to shine and have a big bump if Higgins is out and the Bengals don’t bring in another option.
Dalton Kincaid – Buffalo Bills
I’m sure there will be a ton of complaints here. People drafted Dalton Kincaid to be an every-week starter. But we have to face reality. Ten weeks into the season Kincaid is not that. He only has three games with double-digit fantasy points. He has seen five or more targets in every game since Week 2 but hasn’t been able to catch the majority of them. Despite seeing 44 targets on the season he only has 28 receptions. He just isn’t the monster young tight end that you expected him to be. You probably have been starting him most weeks because you invested in him higher in your draft but at this point, you might have been able to find another option on waivers or via trade.
I do think Week 10 is a great week for Kincaid. The Bills will be playing on the road in Indianapolis. The Colts have been giving up the eight most points to tight ends. Given the volume Kincaid has been seeing I expect him to at least match his typical stat line. The real story will be what the Colts are on offense. Can the Colts keep pace with the Bills and force them to have to throw the ball in the second half? I think The Bills want to continue to dominate and will use this game as a final tune-up before their Week 11 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jake Ferguson- Dallas Cowboys
You might be down on the Dallas Cowboys offense with Dak Prescott dealing with a hamstring injury. If Prescott can’t go it will be Cooper Rush or possibly Trey Lance under center for the Cowboys. Either way, I think that is a good thing for tight end Jake Ferguson. First, he is coming off his second week in a row with five or more catches, A threshold he has hit in five out of the seven games he has played. He did see three of this past week’s 10 targets from Cooper Rush. The game plan won’t change with a backup in the game.
Secondly, it’s a divisional matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. While they are giving up the fewest points to tight ends I think the game script can lean towards Ferguson. The Eagles have a great pass rush. That will put a ton of pressure on whoever is starting and the hot read and quick outlet passing will be crucial to keeping drives going. That’s where Ferguson can excel. In both games last season Ferguson’s had at least 70 yards. Tough matchup but divisional games bring a different level of familiarity that often breaks convention. I think Ferguson is a solid tight end streamer in Week 10.
Tight end Sleepers
Theo Johnson – New York Giants
I know. It’s the New York Giants. It’s a pass catcher, not named Malik Nabers or Wan’Dal Robinson. But hear me out. As a tight end sleeper, rookie Theo Johnson is someone you should consider. His snap share is one of the highest among all tight ends. His lowest percent on the year is 71% and hasn’t dipped below 90 % in the past three weeks. He is coming off his best game yet with 51 yards and his first NFL touchdown. He has seen 10 targets over the past two weeks.
Now you can play him against a team giving up the second most points to tight ends in the Carolina Panthers. On top of just a great matchup, the Giants have struggled all year so they will keep their foot on the gas all game. They are looking for any sort of spark and using each game as a way to evaluate plays and talent. You don’t need to worry about them pulling starters even if they have a massive lead. There isn’t a sign pointing to Johnson having a bad game other than his quarterback being Daniel Jones.
Jonnu Smith- Miami Dolphins
When I’m looking for a tight end sleeper I look for volume and matchup. Both of those are Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith this week. Let’s start with volume. Smith has seen at least five targets in the past four games. While he hasn’t caught many of them those targets should be better with quarterback Tua Tagovialoa throwing them, like he has in the past two games. Jonnu is still at best third on the passing depth chart behind wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and often behind De’Von Achane but having over five targets is a solid number for a sleeper tight end.
When it comes to matchups they don’t get much better then playing the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams are giving up the third most fantasy points to tight end. On top of being vulnerable to the tight end position, the Rams are a team that can score points. That will put the Dolphins in a game script that will keep passing as an option for four quarters. I want a piece of a game like that. This could go down as one of the highest-scoring games on the week with the pass catching weapons on both sides of the ball. Jonnu Smith won’t be the star but he will be a solid piece that gets opportunities.
Colby Parkinson- Los Angeles Rams
On the other side of the ball in that Rams vs Dolphins game is tight end Colby Parkinson. The big difference is the matchup. The Dolphins are giving up the sixth-fewest points to tight ends. It’s a game that doesn’t project well for Parkinson. He hasn’t been as involved in the offense as much since Cooper Kupp and Puka Nakua came back from injuries. So why is Parkinson a tight end sleeper?
Despite his snap share dropping he is still in the mix in terms of routes run. In Week 8 he ran 25 routes which is only three less the Kupp and four less than team leader Demarcus Robinson. He is still the top tight end on the team in terms of pass-catching opportunities. It’s not a great matchup at all but the game script is there. A sleeper tight end needs opportunities. Parkinson has that, especially in the red zone where he has six targets on the season. That number is ninth best among tight ends and ties him with players like Dalton Kincaid and Sam Laporta and ahead of tight ends like Trey McBride and Kyle Pitts
Make sure to check out all of our Week 10 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!