In the thick of the fantasy playoffs, once again we had another week of tight ends unknowns who made huge marks in week 15. It has been brutal to predict which players will have big weeks or not at the tight-end position in 2024. It’s the home stretch of the football season and it is still as unpredictable as week one started. That means that watching the waiver wire and making strategic pickups could take you to the promised land. These will have to be risky pickups but nothing beats taking huge risks at this point of the fantasy season.
Top 3 Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16
Jaguars TE Brenton Strange
The Jaguars’ tight end out of Penn State had an amazing week 15 with an 11 catch for a 73-yard game in the heartbreaking loss to the New York Jets. With Strange being the Jaguars’ number two tight end, that means that his practice reps had been with Mac Jones who is now the starting quarterback for the rest of 2024 due to a season-ending injury to Trevor Lawrence. That seemed to have helped Strange have a monster performance. 12 targets is a lot for any player but especially for a backup tight end.
The Jaguars have been a team that trails in the majority of their games so if that continues, Jones will be forced to air it out and the guy he seems to trust the most is the tight end he has had the most reps with on the team. This is a steal of a pickup at a time when most tight ends don’t get close to the production Strange had in week 15. So this is the biggest swing at the waiver wire but it has a high enough ceiling to even plug him in your lineup now.
Saints TE Foster Moreau
The Saints’ backup tight end is coming off his best game of the 2024 season in New Orleans tough loss to the Washington Commanders last week. Moreau had 4 catches for 39 yards with a touchdown. With Taysom Hill being out for the year, everyone expected his snap count to dramatically and that led to a season-high in targets and catches.
The Saints will be a team trailing in games to end the season which means more passing opportunities will be available. Juwan Johnson will still get tons of targets, but that doesn’t mean Moreau can’t be a major factor in Saints games moving forward which gives you some comfort.
Seahawks TE Noah Fant
Fant has had an injury-filled season which has made many people forget about his value as a player. The Seahawks have been struggling offensively but the volume is solid for Fant. This is a pickup to save in case he completely turns his season around. Fant did have 7 targets in the loss last week to Green Bay. He has not had a great season but it seems teams are taking Lockett and Metcalf away so someone needs to make plays and that player should be Fant.
Conclusion
To wrap things up heading into week 16, this is the time to make very calculated decisions. You obviously have to win this week but bet all your horses on one week could cost you if you get the win. Sneaky pickups this late into the season are definitively available but you have to take the risks to do it. I offered some players who you could plug and play this week but they also could be steals to have in your back pocket for the final two weeks of the season. So take risks but understand the ceilings for these players.
