The worst part of fantasy football reared its ugly head when Mark Andrews went down with a season-ending ankle injury. The good news is that in most league software, the waiver wire is open to make moves to reinforce your tight end depth chart, and you might even be able to make a trade to help a team with their Week 11 lineup and give you a better chance at surviving this major loss. If you don’t have Andrews, there’s an opportunity to make a move in dynasty or redraft that can benefit the short- and/or long-term picture for your team. You might even want to add one of the few viable tight ends on the wire to block a contending Andrews team from improving for free. Who are some players to make an offer for/offer up or add/block while we are still absorbing this news?
Trade Targets
Trey McBride, Arizona - McBride could be available because he’s a waiver wire that has turned into a fantasy TE1. Maybe you can trade for the team’s other tight end if they don’t want to deal McBride. Check to see if the Dalton Kincaid and Sam LaPorta teams have good #2 tight ends while you’re at it.
Kyle Pitts, Atlanta - The perennial disappointment is on bye, and his team might not have been starting him over the last few games. Hopefully, the team gets their passing offense straightened out and refines/expands Pitts' role before next week’s showdown with Atlanta.
Taysom Hill, New Orleans - Hill’s red-hot three-game elite fantasy scoring streak came to a halt going into his bye, so he might be available. The Saints should realize that their offense is better when he is on the field and refocus their efforts to take advantage of his Swiss army knife talents after the bye.
Jake Ferguson, Dallas - Ferguson is probably his fantasy team’s #2 tight end and has scored in three straight weeks as part of the Cowboys pass offense revitalization coming out of the bye.
Logan Thomas, Washington - He might be free on the waiver wire, but if not, he’ll be cheap in a trade as the likely #2 for his fantasy team. Thomas has been consistent with only one game below seven points in PPR leagues.
Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia - Goedert had surgery on his broken forearm but didn’t land on injured reserve. That means the Eagles expect he could return in less than four weeks. He might be available for cheap in redraft or possibly was dropped if you’re in a short bench league. He’s a perfect target if you are already comfortably in the playoffs.
Waiver Wire Pickups
Isaiah Likely, Baltimore - You can’t pick him up until next week because his game already took place, but Likely is the replacement for Andrews in the passing game. He hasn’t exactly broken out when Andrews has missed time, and he only caught one ball after Andrews left last night. Likely had only one catch in two games Andrews has missed since Likely joined the Ravens, but he did post 8-103 in the other last year vs. the Bengals.
Donald Parham Jr, LA Chargers - Parham is the healthier of the two Chargers receiving tight ends. The Chargers are down their top two wideouts for the rest of the season, they can’t establish the run, and Parham is known for being one of Justin Herbert’s favorite end-zone targets.
Luke Musgrave, Green Bay - Musgrave has been a big-play tight end as a rookie and continues to build momentum even though he’s in a wide target tree and an inefficient passing game. He could go off against the Chargers this weekend.
Tyler Conklin, NY Jets - Conklin has had two good weeks in a row, and it’s clear that other than Garrett Wilson, he’s the player Zach Wilson trusts in the passing game.
Jonnu Smith, Atlanta - The best Atlanta Falcons fantasy tight end to date this season is probably on your waiver wire. He’s on bye, so he was probably dropped this week.
Hunter Henry, New England - Mac Jones missing an open Henry in the end zone was one of the key moments in his tailspin out of the starting job. The Patriots passing game should get a revamp during the bye and, hopefully, at least a slight improvement in quarterback play.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh - His return from injured reserve window was just opened. He might not be active this week, but we know he’s one of Kenny Pickett’s favorite targets, including in the red zone. Maybe he can get 4-5 of the 25 or so targets Pickett will distribute most weeks.
Noah Gray, Kansas City - You shouldn’t wish misfortune on your competitors, but you never know if the next significant injury could be Travis Kelce. Gray has looked ready for more work if the Chiefs need to call on him in his third season.
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay - He’s on the field most of the time and had a two-touchdown game in Week 9. He actually has more PPR points per game than Kyle Pitts, so there’s that.