When addressing your dynasty problem, your solution should be proportionate to the size of your problem. At the tight end position, there can be three levels of solutions: small measures, half measures, and full measures.
Small Measures
The scoring at the tight end position can get condensed. We currently project 17 tight ends to finish with at least 50 catches and 500 receiving yards, and they are all projected in the top 17 tight ends in our projections.
We project 10 tight ends with 60 receptions and 600 yards and only four at 70 receptions and 700 receiving yards. In the two to three points-per-game differential between 50/500 and 70/700, there are 13 tight ends projected who will be subjecting themselves to the whims of touchdown variance.
That is a very flat range of the position and warrants caution if you are trying to upgrade in the range. If you are looking to make a change in the position, be careful about paying for a tight end that will not change your reality.
Depending on the size and premium some names to consider who could produce top 15 tight end production this year and may be on your waiver wire include:
Otherwise, streaming options off the waiver wire in season is an acceptable stopgap option to do on the cheap until a better solution is available on favorable terms for your team.
Medium Measures
With the flat nature of the position, this is a tough place to invest. The half-measure type of fix would be to address the position with a tight end in the TE4-TE15 range of the position. Spending a lot of attention on this range of the tight end position is a low payoff and subjects your team to a lot of variance.
When you are looking for targets in this range, look for players that stand out. There are three ways to stick out of tight ends in this range: high-efficiency, high-volume, and low-cost.
High-efficiency players in the range include George Kittle and Dallas Goedert. Both are capable of leading the league in production on a per-route basis and could be top 3 finishers at the position if they stay healthy and their teams trend more pass-centric.
High-volume players in this range include Evan Engram and Darren Waller. Both will be high participants, and while below Kittle and Goedert in efficiency, could be well above average producers on a per-route basis.
The low-cost players include David Njoku and Greg Dulcich. Both are cheaper than rookies like Sam LaPorta and Michael Mayer.
To get a sense of the market, here are some recent actual trades from MyFantasyLeague.com leagues. Every league is different of course, but these trades in existing real leagues can give you a pretty good feel for the cost and type of trade packages in the market.
Recent Trades
In a Superflex/TE Premium league (2PPR)
- Trade Away: Sam Howell
- Trade For: Evan Engram and 2024 4th-round rookie pick
In a Superflex/TE Premium league (2PPR)
- Trade Away: Gabe Davis and Mike Williams
- Trade For: Darren Waller
In a Superflex/TE Premium league (2PPR)
- Trade Away: Alexander Mattison
- Trade For George Kittle
Full Measures
High-end solutions at the position include the handful of truly elite tight ends in any given year. These include three to five in any given year.
These elite options can come in multiple forms. At present, the elite tight ends include Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, and Kyle Pitts.
The cost differs and requires your full measure to match your contending window. If you are in a contending window with aging players, taking a discount on Travis Kelce, who has a higher immediate upside, may make more sense than paying up a longer-term but lower immediate upside player in Kyle Pitts. Andrews is in the middle of his career, blends the timelines, and has a TE1 overall finish on his resume.
Regarding paying up at positions, tight end in premium scoring formats ranks second behind quarterbacks in Superflex/2QB leagues in the ability of elite players who can make the difference.
Recent Trades
In a Superflex/TE Premium League (1.75PPR)
- Trade Away: Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Mingo, Juwan Johnson, and 2024 2nd-round rookie pick
- Trade For: Mark Andrews and Dalvin Cook
In a Superflex/TE Premium League (1.75PPR)
- Trade Away: Daniel Jones and Greg Dulcich
- Trade For: Travis Kelce and Marvin Jones Jr
Takeaways
The tight end position can be solved by streaming the position in season, and it can be difficult to find a difference-making solution as a half measure. If you have a contending team, upgrading to an elite tight end, particularly in premium formats, is one of the most consequential and predictable ways to upgrade your team.
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