Arizona Cardinals tight end Troy Niklas emerged in Week 8, catching two passes for 12 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-20 win over the Cleveland Browns. The second-year tight end hasn't been much of a factor for the Cardinals' offense due to injury and a deep roster. Lately, he has seen more playing time with tight end Darren Fells dealing with a shoulder injury. Niklas has mostly been used as a blocker, but Sunday proved that he is a capable route runner and red zone threat for quarterback Carson Palmer. At 6'6 and 270 pounds, Niklas is a huge target that simply needs to continue improving at the pro level.
Troy Niklas finds end zone twice in Week 8, Cardinals TE makes for deep waiver grab
Troy Niklas scored a pair of touchdowns on Sunday. We take a look at the fantasy implications.
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Fantasy impact: Niklas has yet to live up to his second-round pedigree in Arizona, but Sunday’s performance was promising. Unfortunately for fantasy purposes, Niklas is part of an offense with a lot of quality receivers. He’s not worth owning in redraft leagues, but provides tremendous upside in dynasty leagues. Niklas is available in virtually every league out there. He’s worth stashing in deep leagues if you’re in need of a tight end, but we don’t expect him to be a consistent or immediate contributor for the remainder of the season.
