Week 13 has already been a big week for tight ends with Brock Bowers and Jonnu Smith getting the party started early by feasting in the early games. While there are no teams on a bye, eight teams have already played, leaving 12 games and 24 teams for the rest of the weekend, including 10 games on Sunday’s main DFS slate. Whether you’re looking for a fill-in on your season-long roster or just a cheap DFS tight end, check out my five fantasy football sleeper tight ends for Week 13.
Last week, my five sleepers were Luke Schoonmaker (14.5 FPTS), Ja’Tavion Sanders (7.9 FPTS), Theo Johnson (6.9 FPTS), Noah Gray (22.6 FPTS) and Austin Hooper (15.9 FPTS).
This week, I ranked my top-10 plays at the position on Monday, but several of last week’s sleepers and many of those top-10 options aren’t options for this Sunday and Monday. From the players who have yet to play in Week 13, here are my top five fantasy football sleepers at the position.
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
While Taysom Hill ($5,000) is the top tight end for fantasy football from the Saints, he’s his own category and doesn’t really cut into the potential workload of traditional tight end Juwan Johnson ($3,100).
Johnson brings a good ceiling and floor in the Saints’ passing game, especially with Chris Olave (concussion) still sidelined. Johnson, Hill and even Foster Moreau ($3,000) have helped pick up the slack with multiple receiver injuries.
In each of his last eight games, Johnson has multiple catches with a high point of 48 yards, which he achieved twice.
Last week, Johnson caught all three of his targets and totaled 30 yards and scored a touchdown to finish with 12.0 fantasy points.
In DFS contests like the NFL $2.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st], Johnson is very affordable at just over $3,000. Tight ends in this salary range can also be good options in FLEX positions since they are the cheapest options in that slot, leaving more room for superstars in other spots.
Johnson’s ownership is under 5% in season-long leagues coming into this matchup against the Rams, who rank in the top 10 in most fantasy points allowed to tight ends.
Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills
Another widely available option in season-long leagues is Dawson Knox, whose ownership is under 10% coming into the Bills’ Sunday Night Football matchup vs. the 49ers.
I highlighted Knox’s upside as a potential starter earlier this week, and he can definitely be used in single-game DFS Showdown contests like the NFL Showdown $1M Sunday Night Showdown [$250K to 1st] (SF @ BUF).
Last week, the Bills were on a bye, but it still wasn’t enough to get Dalton Kincaid (knee) back from injury. Before the bye, Knox set season highs across the board with four catches for 40 yards on six targets while starting in place of Kincaid.
The 49ers have been solid against tight ends, but Knox can still be a viable option since he’ll be stepping into a full starter’s workload.
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
The Texans are looking to bounce back from a tough home divisional loss last week to the Titans. Dalton Schultz ($3,300) had a down game with two catches on two targets for 20 yards while his backup Cade Stover ($2,500) had a touchdown and 11.5 fantasy points.
Both are interesting plays this week in a favorable spot against the Jaguars, who have given up the ninth-most fantasy points to the position this season. Schultz has been the more consistent option this season, producing 3.0 catches for 30.3 yards per game. He had at least three catches in four straight before last week’s down game, including a season-high 9.6 fantasy points in Week 10’s loss to the Lions.
Schultz is owned in over 60% of season-long leagues, but Stover is almost universally available. Stover has developed a significant role working with his former college QB. He has multiple targets in five straight weeks and is coming off a season-high 11.6 fantasy points last week.
Schultz is the stronger play since he plays so many more snaps, but Stover is an interesting punt play at the minimum salary for DFS this week.
Austin Hooper, New England Patriots
Austin Hooper ($3,200) is the Patriots’ second tight end behind Hunter Henry ($4,200), but he has also become a viable cheap play since he continues to get enough work with Drake Maye ($5,600) at QB. Both tight ends are good plays against the Colts this week, and Hooper can bring significant salary savings and upside at just over $3,000.
Last week, Hooper had a touchdown, 59 yards and 15.9 fantasy points as one of my tight end sleepers, and I’m coming back to him this week vs. the Colts. He has exactly four targets in four of his last five games and has totaled 11 catches for 158 yards in his last three weeks.
With Demario Douglas ($4,700; ankle, questionable) uncertain, Hooper and Henry could draw even more targets, especially since the other Pats’ receivers have been hit-or-miss over the last few weeks.
Tommy Tremble, Carolina Panthers
Another tight end I’ve had several times in my sleepers this season is Panthers’ rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders (neck). However, this week Sanders is out with his neck injury, which leaves Tommy Tremble ($2,800) as the top tight end option for Bryce Young ($4,700).
Young has been playing much better since getting his starting job back in Carolina, and the Panthers will look to take down Tampa Bay this week. The Bucs have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends this season, and Tremble could be a solid option as a result.
On the season, Tremble has 10 catches for 77 yards in his six games, but Sanders had been very involved with 10 catches in the last three games prior to his injury. Since Tremble played every snap after Sanders left, he has flier upside this week from his salary under $3,000.
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