NFL

3 Fantasy Football Tight End Streaming Options for Week 17

Josh Shepardson  —  @BChad50 Dec 29th, 2021
Cole Kmet has developed a rapport with all three of his quarterbacks, so the Bears' starter against the Giants doesn't impact him. Which other tight ends are worth a look?

The story of the tight end position is a tale similar to every sports offseason. There's annual optimism in advance of the season. Yet, optimism turns into reality without fail, and every team isn't playing for a championship. Or, in the case of tight ends, the many mid- and late-round breakout candidates fail to materialize into weekly contributors.

Some gamers understand this reality and pounce on an early-round stud. Others recognize it and intend on streaming out of the chute. Still, others arrive in the streaming group unwittingly after their middle-tier or late-round dart throw flops.

Regardless of how you got here, this is your weekly home for streaming options. Below you'll find three widely available options for Week 17.

Gerald Everett, Seattle Seahawks

Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 43%

The Seattle Seahawks have lost back-to-back games. However, Gerald Everett has played at a fantasy-friendly level. He's caught precisely four passes in each, recording 60 yards and 68 yards, and he scored a touchdown in Week 16.

Everett has reeled in multiple receptions in seven straight contests, exceeding 35 receiving yards or scoring a touchdown in six of those games. In addition, according to Pro Football Focus, since Week 13 among tight ends, Everett has been 15th in routes (99), tied for 14th in receptions (14), 12th in receiving yards (150), and tied for third in touchdown receptions (two).

So, he's right on the borderline starting tight end line. This week, I nudge him over the line into clear low-end territory in a plus matchup. According to our power rankings, the Detroit Lions are the seventh-worst pass defense. Further, according to Pro Football Reference, Detroit allows the 10th-most FanDuel points per game to tight ends. Finally, our projection algorithm projects Everett to be the TE16 this week.

Tyler Conklin, Minnesota Vikings

Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 42%

I should be charging Tyler Conklin for rent; he's claimed a spot in this space more often than not this year.

Unfortunately, streaming Conklin is never exciting. However, if you're swinging for a single in hopes of getting any production out of the position, he's tailor-made for that role.

Conklin is 10th in routes (425) among tight ends for the year, 10th in routes (127) since Week 13, and 4th in routes (40) in Week 16. He's turned his steady diet of routes in the Minnesota Vikings' offense into fairly consistent production. Conklin has had three or more receptions in 10 of his 15 games, and he's reached at least 25 receiving yards or scoring a touchdown in 10 games, too.

Are those high bars to clear? No, of course, they aren't. Still, the floor is dangerously low with many streaming options at tight end. As a result, Conklin is attractive for any gamers just needing more than a bagel at the position.

Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears

Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 33%

Cole Kmet caught four passes for 49 yards on five targets for the Chicago Bears' quarterback carousel landing on Nick Foles last week. So, Kmet has proven to be quarterback-proof. Thus, if Justin Fields is out again with an ankle injury, I still suggest Kmet as a streamer with Andy Dalton or Foles manning the quarterback position.

Since Week 13, among tight ends, Kmet is ninth in receiving yards (178), tied for sixth in routes (140), and receptions (16), and tied for fifth in targets (25). The second-year tight end has three receptions or more in nine of his last 10 games, clearing 40 receiving yards seven times. Sadly, he hasn't scored a touchdown this year. Nevertheless, the rest of his production is fringe-starter caliber.

The New York Giants are a thoroughly mediocre matchup for Kmet, not tipping the scales significantly in either direction.

So, as a result, he's squarely in the fringe-starter mix.


Joshua Shepardson is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Joshua Shepardson also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username bchad50. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.