What Week 4 tells us about Week 5 tight end DFS salaries

The tight end position is one I usually battle with on a week-to-week basis. Aside from some of the more obvious names like Zach Ertz or George Kittle, teams often use this position sparingly as receivers. Nailing down the correct option on a given week can sometimes be one of the biggest differences in your lineup. As we saw in Week 4, only one tight end scored over 20 DKFP when Austin Hooper had 25 against the Titans. With that in mind, let’s look at two tight ends for Week 5 and how their matchups breakdown.

Jimmy Graham ($4,300) vs. Dallas Cowboys

Graham saw quite the uptick in his production in Week 4, drawing a season-high nine targets while making six receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown, good for 18.1 DKFP. It certainly felt out of left field, as the last time he saw at least nine targets in a game you’d have to go back to Week 13 in 2018 against the Cardinals, who are notoriously one of the worst defenses in the league against tight ends. Quite frankly, I don’t think they even bother covering the tight end position. They say “the hell with it” and move on to the rest.

With his big week in the rearview mirror, Graham received a $600 jump in salary ahead of their Week 5 matchup against the Cowboys. It’s been a position they’ve struggled with thus far, allowing an average of 14.8 DKFP, 60.5 receiving yards and a touchdown. Graham looks to be an interesting target in Week 5 considering how well the Cowboys’ secondary has played. They’ve only been scored upon twice against opposing receivers and have held them to an average of 136 receiving yards. Granted, the toughest opponent they’ve faced is the Saints, as they’ve also seen the Giants, Dolphins, and Washington. Nonetheless, Graham is still an affordable option although asking for nine targets again would be a stretch.

Tyler Eifert ($3,300) vs. Arizona Cardinals

It’s now at the point where you almost have to consider the top tight end for whatever team is facing the Cardinals. Will Dissly is coming off a week where he was targeted eight times and made seven catches for 57 yards and a touchdown, good for 18.7 DKFP. With his numbers included, the Cardinals have now allowed 117 DKFP, which is 32.5 more than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are in second with 84.5. The Cardinals have given up an average of 107 (!) yards and six touchdowns. No other team has allowed more than three touchdowns to opposing tight ends in the league.

Eifert is certainly not a sexy name to consider but he’s dirt cheap regardless of how he performs Monday night against the Steelers. He only drew a single target in Week 3 against the Bills but prior to that had five targets in the first two weeks of the season, making eight receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown. It’s nothing that blows you away but with how generous the Cardinals are against this position, he has to be considered.

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Steveazors) 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.