Heading into the final week of most fantasy football regular seasons, it is the witching hour for managers, specifically at the tight end position. Either you have a secure spot in the playoffs and you are trying to add to your team looking at the big picture. Maybe you are in a playoff spot but need a win this week to get in or you’re on the outside looking in and you have to win this week. This is the best time of year and every decision matters. That starts with focusing on the waiver wire and making a major splash to get a huge advantage in your league.
Top 3 Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14
Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth
The former Penn State tight end has finally begun emerging as a reliable fantasy start since Russell Wilson has taken over at quarterback. Now it helps that Pittsburgh played Cincinnati this past week, as they look like the worst defense in the sport. The Steelers are flying offensively and it feels like everyone is in the mix.
But as we hit December, this is where they will continue to play in cold games, meaning they will run the ball or check it down to tight ends. Freiermuth is a great tight-end pickup for the present to plug and play now but it also works as a big-picture pickup for postseason fantasy football.
Saints TE Juwan Johnson
The Saints have had a very up-and-down season and you can say the same for the Saints starting tight end. But the main reason why now is the best time to buy some Juwan Johnson stock is because of the supposed season-ending injury to Taysom Hill. The Saints gadget player gets so many touches and a lot of those come from the tight end spot. That is a lot of touches that need to be accumulated by other players.
The player that has the best chance to do that is Johnson. As the starting tight end, he will be on the field consistently and Derek Carr loves throwing to the tight end. This might be the steal of the week for tight ends that are on the waiver wire.
Panthers TE Ja’Tavion Sanders
The Panthers rookie has come out of nowhere and has made a huge impact on a now-competitive Panthers football team. The rookie tight end did not play this past week with a neck injury but it seems he should be good to go in week 14 against the Eagles. The quarterback Bryce Young went from seemingly being a bust a mere year into his NFL career into being one of the best quarterbacks playing in the league at the moment.
The Panthers will continue to be trailing in these games and being in passing situations has been a good thing of late for Carolina. Everyone is feeling the Young love at the moment and that means to hop on this bandwagon. Many people don’t talk about him but he is a worthy pickup for any week moving forward.
Conclusion
There is no better time to be a fantasy football owner but it can also be extremely stressful. The tight end has been a position of no consistency in 2024 and if you have been starting tight ends through the waiver wire the whole year, that would actually make a lot of sense. That might be the most shocking aspect of this football season. Star tight ends have either been hurt or have had major down years, while the majority of good ones have come out of the blue to many football fans. So with that said, this could be your biggest decision of the fantasy football season.
