Week 17 is the second-to-last week of the NFL regular season, and DraftKings has eight games on the main slate. If you’re shopping for fantasy football sleepers at tight end as cheap plays for DFS contests or as a last-minute addition to your season-long league, there are some players in key positions to step up and contribute in expanded roles. Check out my top five fantasy football sleeper tight ends for Week 17 listed below.
Earlier this week, I ranked my top-10 plays at the position. The plays listed below are not in my top 10, but can be nice cheap plays at tight end if you’re looking for fantasy football sleepers to fill in.
Payne Durham, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I highlighted Payne Durham ($2,900) as a strong sleeper play on Friday when Cade Otton (knee) was ruled out for a second straight week.
Durham had five catches on seven targets last week while stepping in for Otton and finished with 29 receiving yards. He only had two catches on two targets for 34 yards in his first 13 games of the season.
He’s also in a great matchup against the Panthers, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season. Tight ends have scored 11 touchdowns in 15 games against Carolina and averaged 54.5 receiving yards per game.
In DFS contests like the NFL $2.25M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st], Durham is an amazing value under $3,000 and is a strong punt play at FLEX even if you have another high-priced tight end you target in your TE spot. No receiver or running back is priced this low, so Payne is a sneaky way to unlock extra salary for the rest of your positions.
Jordan Akins, Cleveland Browns
Otton isn’t the only top tight end missing this week. David Njoku (knee) was ruled out for the Browns after he caught 8-of-10 targets for 66 yards last week while serving as the top target for Cleveland’s QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson ($4,800). Since DTR is going to make his second straight start, he could rely heavily on Njoku’s replacement Jordan Akins ($2,700).
Akins caught 3-of-4 targets for 30 yards while starting for Njoku in Week 15, and he caught 1-of-2 targets for eight yards last week. Akins should get plenty of targets from DTR since he tends to be a check-down specialist instead of a downfield passer like previous Browns’ QB Jameis Winston ($4,800).
While DTR’s limitations make Akins’ ceiling a little lower than Durham’s, he has a slightly higher floor since Njoku is such a target magnet. Akins is also a little cheaper, so he can give you solid value at a bargain price, leaving more salary to spend at other spots.
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
Conklin missed Week 15 due to the birth of his child, but he came back with “Dad strength” and hauled in 5-of-7 targets for 59 yards and 10.9 fantasy points.
It was his most targets since Week 5 against the Vikings and his most yardage since Week 3 against the Patriots. Conklin has at least three catches in each of his last three games and should remain involved in the Jets’ passing game as they try to knock off the Bills in Buffalo.
Against the Bills, tight ends have averaged 47.6 receiving yards per week and scored a total of four touchdowns on the season. It’s a slightly below-average matchup for Conklin, which is why I have him below Durham and Akins, even though he is the actual starter rather than just a fill-in.
Foster Moreau, New Orleans Saints
With Spencer Rattler ($5,300) at QB and multiple WR injuries, Foster Moreau ($3,000) has become involved in the Saints passing game the last few weeks.
The veteran tight end has multiple catches in five straight games and has at least 30 years in each of the last three weeks. He had a touchdown in Week 15 against Washington to post 13.9 fantasy points, which was his highest total since Week 1, when he had 14.3 fantasy points in his season debut.
Both Chris Olave ($5,200; concussion) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($4,200; chest) are questionable, so there could be a ton of targets for Moreau or a ton of competition for those targets, which would leave him without much to work with.
At just $3,000, he’s a boom-or-bust play, but if Olave and MVS are both out, Moreau will be an intriguing option against the Raiders, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends this season.
Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
I’ve had Chig Okonkwo ($3,600) in my sleepers several times this season, and he’s priced up a little bit too high to be a true “sleeper” this week.
Still, he’s still a solid play after catching 17 passes on 21 targets for 140 yards the last two weeks. The Jaguars have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season, and Okonkwo should be able to improve on his three catches for eight yards he had against Jacksonville three weeks ago.
The Titans are starting Mason Rudolph ($5,000) this week, and Rudolph has relied heavily on Okonkwo in his action the last two games. He’s not as deep a sleeper as the options listed above, but he has a high ceiling and a high floor if you can afford the few hundred extra in salary to get a solid, low-cost option.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) 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 do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. 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.
