Six more teams are on bye in Week 10, and some of them include big names at the tight end position. The New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers, Houston Texans and Washington all get the week off. That means fantasy owners need to find replacements for studs like Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Gates, while waiting at least one more week for Jordan Reed to get healthy. Even competent streaming options like Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen won't be available.
Fantasy football waiver wire: 5 tight ends to target for Week 10
Need a replacement for Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Gates or Jordan Reed this week? The waiver wire should have you covered.
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With the tight end position such a top-heavy wasteland this season, expectations have to be adjusted somewhat. Here are five guys owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues who might help you out, if not help you win your matchup this week.
Charles Clay, Miami Dolphins (43 percent) -- Clay found the end zone for just the second time all season in Week 9, but it was also his second touchdown in the past three games. With Ryan Tannehill settling into a groove, Clay is back on the low-end TE1 radar after a sluggish start to the season. He'll be more of a TE2 against the Detroit Lions' imposing defense next week.
Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings (28 percent) -- The Vikings are on bye this week, but Rudolph is fully expected to return in Week 11, so now's the time to grab him if you haven't already. Big things were expected from Rudolph in Norv Turner's TE-friendly offense, but he missed most of the year with hernia surgery. Rudolph could end up being a big factor in the fantasy playoffs if he clicks with rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
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Owen Daniels, Baltimore Ravens (29 percent) -- Daniels made a quicker-than-expected return from a knee scope, grabbing six catches for 53 yards in Baltimore's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. He also led the team with nine targets and played 53 of 71 offensive snaps, suggesting that the knee is no longer a concern. Daniels is clearly past his prime and no longer an every-week starter, but you could do much worse as a streaming option during the lean bye weeks.
Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals (14 percent) -- This is the most speculative add on my list. Eifert is eligible to be activated from the injured reserve/designated to return list this week, but the Bengals have given no indication that he'll be ready to play yet. He could be back as soon as Week 11, but we'll obviously have to see him get some practices first. Either way, Eifert showed promise in Hue Jackson's offense before dislocating his elbow, and should have little trouble winning the starting job from an unimpressive Jermaine Gresham. He's worth the roster stash in deeper leagues.
Mychal Rivera, Oakland Raiders (1 percent) -- Rivera is on a little hot streak after doing nothing of note for most of the season. Over the past two games, he has 15 catches for 121 yards and scored two touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Rivera isn't an impressive talent on paper, but his increased targets suggest that Derek Carr is getting comfortable with him as a safety valve. The 0-8 Raiders take on the Denver Broncos next Sunday and Carr will need all the safety valves he can get. With most of the intriguing tight ends on bye, Rivera is worth a gamble in 14- and 16-team leagues.
Honorable mentions: Clay Harbor (8 percent), Eric Ebron (4 percent), Scott Chandler (4 percent), Austin Seferian-Jenkins (3 percent), Crockett Gillmore (2 percent)
