Unless you have one of the few star names at the tight end position, chances are you’ll be playing it by ear as the fantasy season rolls along. After the dust has settled on Week 1 of the season, we’ve got more than a few names worth adding off the waiver wire, so long as you know where to look.
Fantasy football waiver wire: TE pickups for Week 2
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Rostership: 42% ESPN
Johnson caught three of his five targets for 36 yards with an average of 12.0 yards per reception, and he has an opportunity to carve out a solid role for himself with his new quarterback. Derek Carr has traditionally been comfortable using his tight ends as a security net, from his early days with Jared Cook to Darren Waller in Las Vegas. As Carr gets more efficient in the red zone, Johnson could benefit from added attention being given to Michael Thomas and Chris Olave in such situations.
Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
Rostership: 34.6% ESPN
Laporta caught all five of his targets Thursday night to finish with 39 receiving yards and 8.9 standard fantasy points. Perhaps most encouraging was that his five targets were second-most among all Lions receivers, behind only Amon-Ra St. Brown. As a clear-cut TE1 for Detroit, his target volume could be a precursor to his emerging as a go-to target for Jared Goff. Finding a suitable tight end in fantasy is rare, so if you have a chance to snag LaPorta, go for it.
Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers
Rostership: 7.9% ESPN
Musgrave caught three of his four targets for 50 yards with an average of 16.7 yards per reception. The rookie tight end finished second in receiving yards and tied for second in targets as Jordan Love looked more than competent as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. With a clear hold on the TE1 spot, now is a great time to add Musgrave to your roster with a likely increased role moving forward.
Adam Trautman, Denver Broncos
Rostership: 0.1% ESPN
If you have Greg Dulcich on your fantasy team, it may be worth adding Trautman as a handcuff for the short term. Dulcich was forced out of Sunday’s game against the Raiders due to a leg injury, and though we await the latest update leg injury is never a promising sign. Trautman looked like a sufficient replacement following Dulcich’s departure, catching all five of his targets for 34 yards against the Raiders.