Best available tight ends on the Week 9 waiver wire

The tight end position continues to be a tough spot for most fantasy managers, and the Week 9 bye won’t make it any easier. T.J. Hockenson and Rob Gronkowski won’t be available, meaning managers will have to go to the waiver wire for the position. Here are the best options at the position ahead of Week 9.

Week 9 byes: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Football Team, Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers (6.2% in ESPN leagues)

Next up — Chicago Bears

Freiermuth finished with four catches for 44 yards and a score in Pittsburgh’s 15-10 win over the Browns. The rookie is starting to get more involved in the offense, specifically in the redzone. With Eric Ebron hampered by injuries, the time seems right for Freiermuth to become the lead tight end for the Steelers. A good matchup against the Bears awaits in Week 9.

Evan Engram, New York Giants (23.7%)

Next up — Las Vegas Raiders

Of all the tight ends available on waivers, Engram has the most upside. The talent has always been present, but Engram has not been able to stay on the field enough. The Giants are having a lot of injuries at the skill positions, so opportunities will be there for the tight end in the passing game. Engram might also be traded, so his new team could be a better offensive situation than New York.

Tyler Conklin, Minnesota Vikings (17.6%)

Next up — Baltimore Ravens

Conklin had five catches for 57 yards in Minnesota’s disappointing 20-16 loss to the Cowboys Sunday night. The tight end isn’t the primary option in this offense but receivers a lot of checkdown throws as Kirk Cousins continues to struggle with the deep ball. Look for him to get more opportunities as a safety valve when Cousins and the Vikings deal with Baltimore’s ferocious pass rush coming out of a bye week.

Dan Arnold, Jacksonville Jaguars (3.6%)

Next up — Buffalo Bills

Arnold saw 10 targets in Week 8, which is easily the most he’s had all season. The Jaguars traded for him, so they clearly want to use him more in the passing game. The Bills present a tough matchup, so Arnold is near the bottom of streaming options for the week. He is a value play in DFS.

C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals (25.6%)

Next up — Cleveland Browns

Uzomah was never going to replicate his massive weeks as one of the lesser options in Cincinnati’s passing offense. However, he’s still getting targets and has a great chance to find the endzone with this offense. He’s in the same tier as Arnold when it comes to streaming tight ends.