When one thinks of key injuries that have the potential to impact the fantasy football world in a big way, tight ends typically aren’t the first players that come to mind. Well, this past week produced injury carnage across numerous positions, and the TE position was no exception. Both Darren Waller and Dan Arnold are set to miss varying lengths of time with ailments. Each player was owned in the majority of leagues prior to Week 12 play. In addition, there are four NFL teams on bye in Week 13. If you are in a pinch, do not fret! This column has you covered with some fantasy football TE streamers candidates to consider.
Read on for three fantasy football streamers at tight end for Week 13 of the NFL season. At the end of the column, readers will also find lists containing the starting tight ends on bye this week as well as a few players who might be worth fading in difficult matchups.
Week 13 Fantasy Football TE Streamers
Ownership percentages reflect those across all Sleeper Fantasy Football leagues
Cole Kmet | Chicago Bears (vs ARI)
Current Ownership: 28%
Second-year Bears tight end Cole Kmet has seen his fantasy football ownership continue to rise, albeit very slowly. Playing for a team that has seemingly quit on its head coach, Kmet has emerged as one of the two most reliable fantasy contributors on the Bears offense. He and wideout Darnell Mooney benefitted from both the continued absence of Allen Robinson and the forced switch back to veteran QB Andy Dalton last week. For the second time in the last three games, Kmet scored over 14 PPR points with 65 yards on eight catches. The line came courtesy of a season-high 11 targets in the Bears’ Thanksgiving Day win.
Even going back to when rookie Justin Fields was starting under center before the team’s Week 10 bye, Kmet has now seen no fewer than six targets in four of the last five outings. That said, the Bears’ passing attack is clearly better with Dalton under center. While some reports seem to indicate that Fields will return for Week 13, the fact that he has multiple cracked ribs makes such a claim seem rather odd. Assuming it is Dalton at QB again on Sunday, Kmet should once again be heavily involved in the offense. While a matchup against the Arizona Cardinals defense isn’t great statistically, the current situation in Chicago should see Kmet overcome this.
Jack Doyle | Indianapolis Colts (at HOU)
Current Ownership: 3%
Jack is back in Indianapolis baby! That’s right, 31-year-old veteran Jack Doyle has quietly made his way back to fantasy football relevance after a string of seasons in which he offered little production. Doyle announced his presence to the fantasy world this past week when he scored over 20 PPR fantasy points and finished as the TE1 overall. Six receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown were the final numbers behind his impressive stat line. The fact that this marked the third straight game in which Doyle saw at least five targets suggests that there is indeed more where that performance came from.
Colts quarterback Carson Wentz targeted his tight ends heavily while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. Given that the Colts lack a true game-changing wide receiver, there is good reason for managers to believe Doyle’s role in the passing game will continue. He is an excellent blocking TE on a team that wants to run the football. Should Indianapolis establish Jonathan Taylor on the ground for a series of plays and then call a play-action, Doyle will undoubtedly be one of the pass-catchers in the running to receive those targets. Considering Week 13 specifically, he also stands to benefit from a healthy matchup against the Houston Texans. While the Texans’ biggest defensive weakness is stopping the run, they have also allowed over 15.5 PPR points per game to opposing TEs this season.
Foster Moreau | Las Vegas Raiders (vs WAS)
Current Ownership: 2%
The in-house replacement for Darren Waller owners is backup Raiders tight end, Foster Moreau. In reality, the former LSU Tiger would likely provide more consistent fantasy football production if he wasn’t on the same team as Waller. The third-year pro has sound pass-catching abilities and figures to fill in nicely for the duration of Waller’s injury absence. Moreau saw five targets right away in the wake of Waller exiting the Raiders’ Thanksgiving Day win. While he only managed to catch one of them, the immediate target share bodes well for his fantasy prognosis as the starter moving forward.
Week 13 sees Las Vegas host a red-hot Washington Football Team. While Washington’s defense has improved after a horrendous start to the season, they have continued to struggle with opposing TEs. The Football Team enters the week allowing 13 PPR fantasy points per game. The other factor that benefits Moreau is the lack of receiver depth in the Raiders offense. With Waller going down, Moreau has a clear path to be the No. 1 or 1A preferred target for Derek Carr alongside slot receiver Hunter Renfrow. It is rather surprising to see that Moreau has only been claimed in 2% of leagues thus far.
RELATED | Week 13 Fantasy Football Rankings
Tight Ends on Bye in Week 13
- Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble | Carolina Panthers
- Austin Hooper and David Njoku | Cleveland Browns
- Marcedes Lewis | Green Bay Packers
- Geoff Swaim and Anthony Firkser | Tennessee Titans
Tight Ends Facing Tough Week 13 Matchups
- T.J. Hockenson | Detroit Lions (vs MIN)
- Dawson Knox | Buffalo Bills (vs NE)
- Dalton Schultz | Dallas Cowboys (at NO)
