Streaming Tight Ends: Week 17 Targets
If you’re reading this, your fantasy league runs until Week 17, or you just can’t get enough of TE streaming. In such a down season for the position, if you’ve managed to make it this far without a top-tier TE, a huge high five to you.
For streaming purposes, 4for4’s Schedule-Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed (aFPA) is a metric we rely heavily on to determine weekly matchup strength. Targets and efficiency metrics are also considered when choosing weekly streamers. 4for4 rankings also come into play here and should always be considered when making league-specific roster decisions.
Last week, I had one guy, Ed Dickson, produce starting TE numbers, and after 16 weeks of football, our optimal TE streamer has 221.4 PPR fantasy points—good enough for TE4 on the season thus far. On to Week 17, and the players who can help you hoist that championship trophy.
In order to provide advice that you can actually implement, candidates for tight end streaming consideration must be owned in no more than 40 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues.
Top Streaming Picks
MyCole Pruitt/ Anthony Firkser (Titans) vs. Colts
Yep, we’ve come to this. Don’t fret, Tennessee is in a must-win situation and happens to be playing against the defense ranked dead-last in TE aFPA in Week 17. Each of these guys saw three targets last week which translated to 10.9 PPR points for Pruitt and 3.6 from Firkser. Deciding between the two may not be a picnic though, as they’ve seen similar usage over the past four games. Firkser is averaging 2.3 balls per contest in that time frame with Pruitt seeing 1.8. This duo is widely available so grab whichever one speaks to you and cross your fingers.
Chris Herndon (Jets) @ Patriots
New York is out of postseason contention, but will always love to play spoiler to their division rival Patriots. Herndon is second on the Jets’ offense in total fantasy points since Week 6 and third in both total targets and targets per game. His usage has been consistent with Sam Darnold under center, which should continue this week in New England. Ranked 26th in TE aFPA this season, the Patriots are yielding 14.9 PPR points to the position weekly, which bodes well for Herndon this week. The rookie is on the waiver wire is 87 percent of Yahoo leagues and makes for a decent choice in Week 17.
Mark Andrews (Ravens) vs. Browns
Baltimore’s TE room has been a tough one to navigate this season, but Andrews leads the pack in targets over the past four matchups. He’s seen 11 to Hayden Hurst’s five and Nick Boyle’s four. In Week 16, Andrews turned two receptions into a team-high 83 yards and a touchdown, and the 23-year-old also owns the two longest plays for the Ravens in 2018. It’s tough to trust such a crowded position timeshare, but he does have a juicy matchup this week against Cleveland’s 30th ranked defense in aFPA to TEs.
Deeper-League Streaming Picks
Dallas Goedert (Eagles) @ Redskins
Zach Ertz is still the man in Philly, but if things are going their way in terms of the playoff hunt, Goedert could see some garbage time usage down the stretch in this contest. The Eagles need a win and for Chicago to beat Minnesota in order to punch their ticket. If it appears a wild-card game is within their reach, the coaching staff could choose to rest Ertz, with Goedert being the beneficiary. He’s only rostered by five percent of Yahoo players, so he should be there in larger leagues.
Antonio Gates (Chargers) @ Broncos
The 38-year-old saw five targets in Week 16, just three behind Keenan Allen. He’s still out there making plays and I am here for it. LA will need all they have an in attempt to shoot up to the top spot in the AFC. A win over Denver and a Chiefs loss gives them that No. 1 seed and home field advantage, or they’ll be the five seed with a road game on wild-card weekend. Gates had his best game of 2018 against Denver earlier this season, burning them for 5-80-1 on seven targets. At just a four percent ownership on Yahoo, Gates is a better dart throw than most this week.
