Finding the right fantasy football TE sleepers can make a huge impact in Week 5, especially for managers dealing with injuries, difficult matchups or tough start-sit decisions. Beyond the obvious weekly starters, several tight end sleepers could see increased opportunities this week.
Each week, we highlight five tight ends who have a path to outperform expectations because of their role, matchup, recent usage or opportunities in their offense. These picks can help season-long fantasy football managers looking for a sleeper or FLEX option, and we include DraftKings salaries for players in good spots to provide DFS value.
Best Fantasy Football TE Sleepers for Week 5
Here are five fantasy football TE sleepers to consider for Week 5. A quick analysis for each tight end is below.
- Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders ($3,500)
- Chig Okonkwo, Washington Commanders ($3,300)
- Darnell Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers ($2,900)
- Elijah Higgins, Arizona Cardinals ($2,700)
- Will Kacmarek, Miami Dolphins ($2,500)
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders ($3,500)
Why he’s a Week 5 fantasy football sleeper: Even with Brock Bowers ($7,000) back after missing the first two weeks of the season, Mayer has stayed very involved in the new-look Raiders passing game. Mayer has actually posted better numbers with Bowers in the lineup than when he was out, finishing with 12.5 FPTS and 16.2 FPTS in the last two weeks. He hauled in eight of his 10 targets against the Chiefs last week, and is getting enough work to be a strong sleeper play since the Raiders receivers are leaving lots of work for both tight ends.
Chig Okonkwo, Washington Commanders ($3,300)
Why he’s a Week 5 fantasy football sleeper: The Commanders will be without Stefon Diggs (hamstring) and possibly Terry McLaurin ($5,300; hamstring), who is trending towards being a game-time decision. They will get back Jayden Daniels ($6,000), though, and Daniels has a history of relying heavily on his tight ends like Okonkwo. The former Titans tight end missed two weeks with an injury of his own, but he doesn’t have an injury designation this week after full practices.
Darnell Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers ($2,900)
Why he’s a Week 5 fantasy football sleeper: Washington caught three of five targets for 27 yards, a touchdown and 11.7 FPTS last week against the Browns, and he has multiple catches in three of his four games this season. The Colts are a favorable matchup for Washington, and he is getting enough looks to be a solid fantasy football sleeper even though he’s the second TE on the team behind Pat Freiermuth ($3,900)
Elijah Higgins, Arizona Cardinals ($2,700)
Why he’s a Week 5 fantasy football sleeper: Like Washington and Mayer, Higgins isn’t the top tight end on his team but is getting enough snaps and targets to still be a sleeper. Higgins caught his first touchdown of the year last week and had 9.9 FPTS. With Marvin Harrison Jr. inactive before a potential trade and Higgins potentially getting some extra targets, he’s a great bargain option against the Lions, who have allowed more FPTS to tight ends than any other team in the NFL.
Will Kacmarek, Miami Dolphins ($2,500)
Why he’s a Week 5 fantasy football sleeper: Rookie third-round pick Will Kacmarek got more snaps last week for the Dolphins than Greg Dulcich ($3,100). Kacmarek caught one of his two targets for 15 yards, which was actually the second-highest total of receiving yards on the team since Malik Willis ($4,600) struggled so badly against the Vikings. Kacmarek did a great job blocking and got lots of attention this week as a potential piece of the young core Miami is trying to develop. He could get more time against this week against the Bengals, who have allowed the fourth-most FPTS per game to tight ends this season. At the very bottom of the salary structure, Kacmarek can give you lots of salary cap space in either your TE or FLEX spot this week.
Last Week’s Fantasy Football TE Sleeper Results
Here’s how our five fantasy football TE sleeper picks performed last week:
- Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams: 11.7 FPTS
- Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles: 3.3 FPTS
- AJ Barner, Seattle Seahawks: 2.2 FPTS
- Foster Moreau, Houston Texans: 1.1 FPTS
- Jeremy Ruckert, New York Jets: 0.0 FPTS
Fantasy Football TE Sleepers FAQ
Who are the best fantasy football TE sleepers for Week 5?
Michael Mayer, Chig Okonkwo, Darnell Washington, Elijah Higgins and Will Kacmarek are five tight ends to consider as fantasy football sleepers for Week 5.
What is a fantasy football TE sleeper?
A fantasy football TE sleeper is a tight end outside the most obvious weekly starters who has an opportunity to outperform expectations because of factors such as an expanded role, increased targets, injuries, recent usage or a favorable matchup.
Can these TE sleepers also be used in DraftKings DFS lineups?
Some fantasy football TE sleepers can also provide DFS value when their DraftKings salary does not fully reflect their projected role or upside. DraftKings salaries are included above to help identify players who may be useful in both season-long fantasy football and DFS contests.
- Start Kendrick Bourne as a Week 5 Fantasy Football Sleeper with Marvin Harrison Jr. Out
- Is Antonio Williams or Treylon Burks the better start if Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs sit in Week 5?
- Can you start Dohnte Meyers if either Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins sits vs. the Dolphins?
- Is Mike Washington Jr. a must-start in Week 5 if Ashton Jeanty is injured?
- Is Tyler Allgeier a must-add waiver pickup if Jeremiyah Love misses Week 5?
- Is the Giants defense a must-add Week 5 waiver pickup if Jayden Daniels remains out?
