We are entering bye week territory. The Chiefs and Panthers are the only two teams on bye in Week 5, which means players like Travis Kelce and Darren Waller will be unavailable for fantasy managers this week. That makes the tight end position even tougher to navigate, especially for teams already dealing with injuries or inconsistent production.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best tight ends to target on the waiver wire or stream in Week 5.
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Week 5 Tight End Streamers
T.J. Hockenson
Hockenson absolutely smashed in Week 4, catching all 13 of his targets for 119 yards. He earned a massive 40% target share with Justin Jefferson sidelined.
Obviously, I’m not expecting another 13-target performance every week; Minnesota clearly leaned on him in the passing game. The big question heading into Week 5 is whether Jefferson will be back. If Jefferson misses another game, Hockenson immediately becomes a top-10 tight end option because of the target volume. If Jefferson returns, we should expect his targets to come back down closer to his normal range, but clearly there is some rapport with Murray.
Mike Gesicki
The tight end waiver wire isn’t exactly loaded this week, but Gesicki produced and may have more work coming for him.
He has now scored a touchdown in three of Cincinnati’s first four games and finished Week 4 with three catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. He’s now up to 11 catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns on 15 targets this season.
The biggest thing working in Gesicki’s favor is the current state of the Bengals’ wide receiver room. With Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Andrei Iosivas dealing with injuries, Gesicki could see his role increase, especially since he already spends a lot of time working from the slot.
The concern is the target volume. He’s averaging fewer than four targets per game, so you’re relying heavily on touchdowns to get a big fantasy performance. If Chase sits, Gesicki becomes a very interesting streamer against Miami.
Week 5 Tight End Sleepers
Tyler Higbee
Higbee is another tight end who could benefit from injuries around him. He caught five of six targets for 67 yards in Week 4 against Philadelphia after putting together eight catches for 62 yards and a touchdown the previous week against Denver.
The situation around him is serious. Terrance Ferguson is now on injured reserve with an ankle injury, while Colby Parkinson missed Week 4 with shoulder and knee issues. That opened up additional snaps and routes for Higbee, and he took advantage of the opportunity.
Higbee is a viable streamer heading into Monday night’s matchup against Buffalo.
Pat Freiermuth
Let’s be honest: the tight end waiver wire is ugly in most competitive 12-team leagues. Freiermuth is worth taking a look at if he’s still available.
The volume hasn’t been anything crazy, but it’s been consistent. Freiermuth has seen five, five, four, and five targets through the first four games of the season. He’s clearly established himself as a reliable safety valve for Aaron Rodgers. The problem is the lack of yardage. Freiermuth hasn’t topped 50 receiving yards in a game this season and has only gone over 35 yards once.
For Week 5, Freiermuth is basically a touchdown-or-bust option vs. the Colts.
Hunter Henry
Hunter Henry got off to a slow start along with the rest of the Patriots offense, but Week 4 was encouraging. Henry finished with five catches for 62 yards against Buffalo, and that type of volume could become more important while A.J. Brown remains sidelined with his ankle injury.
The schedule is also working in Henry’s favor. New England gets back-to-back home games against Las Vegas and the New York Jets over the next two weeks, giving Henry some favorable opportunities to continue building momentum.
I’m not expecting massive fantasy numbers, but Henry has a realistic path to becoming a steady streaming option over the next couple of weeks.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 5 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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