Fantasy tight end owners were in a real bind last week when six teams were on bye and players like Julius Thomas and Jordan Cameron had to sit. That won't be the case this week, with only the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins getting Week 5 off. So unless you were really counting on Charles Clay, there won't be as much panic this week.
Fantasy football waiver wire: 5 tight ends to target for Week 5
We look at five tight ends fantasy owners should target on the waiver wire for Week 5.
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The tight end position remains thin, but there are still some interesting waiver options if injuries have your roster stretched thin. Here are five tight ends owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues worth a look.
Owen Daniels, Baltimore Ravens (43 percent)
Daniels has a bigger role with Dennis Pitta done for the season, getting 43 yards on four catches in Week 4. Daniels is starting to slow down at age 31, but he's still a reliable safety blanket and familiar with Gary Kubiak's offense. The Ravens take on the Indianapolis Colts next week. Daniels only has TE1 potential if he finds the end zone, something he hasn't done since his two-touchdown performance in Week 2.
Dwayne Allen, Indianapolis Colts (40 percent)
Andrew Luck is finally getting the keys to the offense, and responded with another outstanding performance Sunday, shredding the Tennessee Titans for 393 yards and four touchdowns. Allen saw only 38 of those yards, but he reeled in his third touchdown of the season and should keep getting lots of looks in the red zone. The presence of Coby Fleener means Allen's ceiling will still be capped some, but he's emerging as a worthy streaming option during the bye weeks.
Waiver Wire Advice
Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions (8 percent)
Ebron caught his first touchdown pass in Week 4 and appears to be settling into a regular role with Joseph Fauria out. Brandon Pettigrew is still the clear starter, getting 54 snaps to Ebron's 33, but Ebron is the superior pass catcher despite his drops. He could grow into a respectable TE1 later in the season, but for now Ebron's still just a speculative add in 14- and 16-team leagues.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 percent)
After missing two games with a foot injury, ASJ not only came back and saw seven targets, but played all 71 offensive snaps. That's incredibly rare for a rookie tight end and suggests that Brandon Myers is not a threat for the starting job. With Mike Evans out for two to three weeks, ASJ could see more red zone looks, with a quarterback (Mike Glennon) willing to throw jump balls. ASJ has TE1 upside against a New Orleans Saints defense that looks worse than ever.
Luke Willson, Seattle Seahawks (less than 1 percent)
Zach Miller had ankle surgery during the bye and will be out several weeks. That leaves Willson as the next man up on the depth chart. Miller was never used much in the passing game, but the Seahawks will miss his blocking prowess and might have to change up their game plan against Washington. That could include putting Willson's impressive athleticism to use.
Seattle’s run-first offense means that its passing weapons rarely get enough targets to be useful in fantasy, but Willson has as good a chance as anyone to break a few big runs against Washington’s defense. That’s enough to put him on the TE2 radar while Miller is out.
