NFL

3 Fantasy Football Tight End Streamer Options for Week 9

Josh Shepardson  —  @BChad50 Nov 1st, 2022
Evan Engram continues to have an encouraging role in the Jaguars' offense, and he draws a plus matchup this week. Which other tight ends should we consider picking up?

The tight end position isn't overflowing with depth. Instead, it's still top-heavy. So, those of you who kicked the can down the road at the position instead of investing in an elite tight end might dabble in the streamer waters. Some of you came out of drafts with the intention of streaming.

No matter the path to this point, those who need help identifying widely available tight ends to help their fantasy squad each week have found the correct spot. This is your weekly home for streaming options. Here are three choices for this week.

Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars

Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 43%

Evan Engram isn't a highly efficient player, but he's heavily involved in the Jacksonville Jaguars' offense. The veteran tight end ranks well among his peers in many categories. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), among tight ends, Engram is third in routes (245), seventh in targets (45), tied for seventh in receptions (32), eighth in receiving yards (330), and has a touchdown reception this season.

The sixth-year pro has also been relatively consistent. He's had at least four receptions and 40 yards in his previous four games and hauled in at least four receptions six times this year.

Engram should stay in a groove in a fantastic matchup this week. According to Football Outsiders, the Las Vegas Raiders are tied for the 13th-most receiving yards per game (52.8) allowed to tight ends this season. Moreover, per Pro Football Reference, Las Vegas has allowed the 3rd-most touchdowns (6) and tied for the 15th-most receptions (36) yielded to the position.

Engram is a low-end TE1 available in too many leagues, and his outlook is better than usual because of the plus matchup. He's listed in this space as a streamer because he's on less than 50 percent of Yahoo teams, but he should be rostered universally.

Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens

Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 5%

Mark Andrews was banged-up entering last week's game and left the contest early. Fortunately, head coach John Harbaugh doesn't seem concerned about Andrews' injury.

The news isn't as promising for Rashod Bateman. The second-year wideout will be out for a few weeks with a foot injury.

Isaiah Likely would be a slam-dunk starter in leagues as shallow as 10 teams if Andrews sits out this week. However, the rookie tight end is a defensible bye-week fill-in this week if Andrews plays. Likely had a breakout performance in Week 8. He had six receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown on seven targets.

The Baltimore Ravens are desperate for playmakers, and their desperation will be even more significant without Bateman. Likely has also carved out playing time this year, albeit without eye-catching production before last week. Per PFF, since Week 6, Likely is fourth on the Ravens in routes (51).

Can Likely co-exist as a reliable passing-game option with Andrews? Frankly, it's yet to happen, so there's a risk to using Likely. The explosion last week might foreshadow a step forward, though. A glimmer of hope is the best gamers can ask for from their tight end because there's a dearth of consistently helpful fantasy choices at the position.

Donald Parham Jr., Los Angeles Chargers

Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 0%

Since I included a tight end on more than 40 percent of rosters, I feel compelled to have an option for gamers in deep formats. Thankfully, Donald Parham Jr. is an intriguing one who fits the bill.

The Los Angeles Chargers were on their bye last week, and Parham was out in Week 7 with a concussion. Parham was practicing on Monday, an encouraging sign for his availability this week.

Parham wasn't a world-beater when he was last on the gridiron in Week 5, but he flashed some potential. He ran 11 routes and secured all three of his targets for 53 yards. The Chargers might ask more from the athletic tight end because of injuries to their receiving corps. As the tweet above noted, Keenan Allen was absent from Monday's practice. He returned from a Week 1 hamstring injury in Week 7, but Allen's absence has to be monitored.

Additionally, Mike Williams is almost assuredly out this week with a high-ankle sprain. Even if Allen failing to practice on Monday doesn't impact his availability this week, the Chargers could use more two tight end formations. Per PFF, Allen has aligned in the slot for 62.1 percent of his passing snaps this year. Diminutive wideout DeAndre Carter has played 74.9 percent of his passing snaps from the slot. Thus, Carter isn't a clear-cut replacement for Williams, and the Chargers might not want to kick Carter out to the perimeter.

So, it's unclear how the team will replace Williams. Parham will mix in with Gerald Everett and Tre' McKitty at worst with the potential of sharing the field with another tight end semi-frequently in a best-case scenario.

Finally, the matchup is tantalizing. The Atlanta Falcons permit the third-most receiving yards per game (67.9) to tight ends. They've also allowed the second-most receptions (54) to the position. As a result, Parham is a nifty deep-league option.

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.