Tight end is always a difficult position to manage in fantasy football. Chances are, you didn’t end up with one of the elite tight ends, leaving you with an up-and-down player or other streaming options. Well, unless you picked up rookie stud Oronde Gadsden II. The Syracuse product has burst onto the scene with TE1 production and changed the fantasy fortunes of many. However, he got some rough news in Sunday night’s game.
The upside is that Gadsden avoided significant injury, but his status for Week 11 is very much up in the air. If Gadsden can’t go, how do we replace him?
Analysis
This late in the season, adding another tight end to hedge against Gadsden’s absence is necessary. With the playoffs looming, you can’t afford to be shorthanded at any starting position. So let’s work through a few good waiver options.
If you’re in a PPR league and Harold Fannin Jr. is out there, scoop him up with haste. He’s been the favorite short and intermediate target for Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who loves a good checkdown. He’s recorded at least four catches in all five of Gabriel’s starts and provides a great floor. That’s far and away my number-one option if he’s available.
Option two is Theo Johnson. New York’s unheralded tight end has been the preferred red-zone target for rookie QB Jaxson Dart. He’s got a ton of upside for scores, even if the bottom can fall out, and is a worthy streamer against Green Bay since the Giants should lean pass-heavy.
Looking further down the ownership shares, AJ Barner and Luke Musgrave make sense as dart-throw streamers. Barner has had some down weeks, but remains a high-snap player on a high-value Seattle offense. Meanwhile, Musgrave is trying to fill the shoes of Tucker Kraft. It’s a tall task, but he can do some work over the middle catching passes from Jordan Love.
If you’re a Gadsden manager, don’t panic and make unnecessary moves. He could certainly play, but it’s wise to make a backup plan for Week 11 nonetheless.
