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The tight end position is a barren wasteland in daily fantasy, but sometimes, just sometimes, you can find a bargain player who gets you massive numbers but saves you massive dollars. It’s time to salute those men and celebrate the role a cheap, productive tight end can have on your DFS squad.
Here are three tight ends, all under $4,000 salary, who are worth adding to your lineup this week. (Salaries via DraftKings.)
T.J. Hockenson (at Raiders) - $3,700
There have been some serious lows to Hockenson’s rookie year so far, but there have been the occasional highs. He’s scored double-digit fantasy points twice this year and has seen 12 targets the past three weeks. That’s at least a positive step in the right direction. The Raiders have been terrible against tight ends this season, giving up the third-most points and the second-most touchdowns to the position. It’s risky to put your faith back in Hockenson, but he has the talent to take advantage of the matchup and I like the Lions’ passing game to continue to roll.
Greg Olsen (vs. Titans) - $3,500
Olsen is coming off a rough game against the 49ers, but I’d like to point out that really everyone has a rough game against the 49ers (except for the Cardinals, I guess). He gets a much better matchup agains the Titans, who are giving up the fourth-most touchdowns to the position this year. Olsen has shown that he can still rise to the occasion when the matchup allows it, as we saw with his two 20-plus point performances against the Buccaneers and the Cardinals. The quarterback situation is shaking in Carolina, but I trust Olsen to still get his.
Cameron Brate (at Seahawks) - $3,100
Filling in for an injured O.J. Howard last week — if you can call playing in place of someone who doesn’t do anything in the offense “filling in” — Brate saw the second-most targets on the team with six, catching three for 32 yards. Not a great outing, but if Brate sees that same target load in a game that promises to have a lot of passing and two high-flying offenses, he can put together a solid performance for your fantasy squad. Added bonus: the Seahawks are tied in third for most touchdowns surrendered to tight ends the last four weeks. It should be noted that Brate (ribs) is officially questionable for Sunday’s game.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is petermcdrogers) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.