Week 8 TE Rankings PPR: Tight End Fantasy Stats & Projections

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This fantasy season, there have been a ton of breakout fantasy stars at the tight-end position. Austin Hooper and Darren Waller have been incredible this year, ranking in the top three in terms of catches and receiving yards. Rookie Lions’ tight end, T.J. Hockenson, has also had his fair share of flashes during the 2019 campaign.

While there has been a multitude of pleasant surprises amongst fantasy tight-ends, there has also been some puzzling regression. After starting the year off with five straight games with 10+ points, Zach Ertz has struggled to reach double-digit fantasy points. Below is the Week 2 rankings for PPR and their projected fantasy points and overall season stats on a per-game basis. You can all find all our NFL Waiver Wire pickups and adds in one place each week.

Week 8 TE Rankings

Week Seven Studs

Darren Waller has gone from a Hard Knocks celebrity to one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL. Waller currently has the second-most receptions for a tight end this season and has quickly asserted himself as Derek Carr’s favorite target. After failing to catch a touchdown for six straight games, Waller was able to haul in two TDs, along with seven receptions for 126 yards. He currently enjoys over 30% of the target share for Oakland tight ends, and if he can continue his touchdown success, he has a good chance of being the most productive fantasy tight-end in football.

Eric Ebron also had himself a day during the Colts’ hardly contested victory against the Houston Texans. Ebron was able to complete four catches for 70 yards, while also finding the endzone as well. Ebron has seen a slight increase in his targets and has had at least five targets along with one touchdown in two out of his last three games. Jimmy Graham was also a top tier tight end this season, finishing with four catches, 65 yards, and a touchdown. Graham has had one of the rockiest seasons in the NFL, but due to his massive height advantage, he is always prime for red-zone targets from Aaron Rodgers.

Week Seven Duds

Eagles tight end, Zach Ertz, struggled mightily in his game against the Dallas Cowboys. He was only able to catch two of his five targets 38 yards, and couldn’t connect with QB, Carson Wentz, for a touchdown. It’s too early to abandon ship with Ertz totally, but it concerns that his teammate TE, Dallas Goedert, has scored more fantasy points and touchdowns than Ertz has the past two weeks. Speaking of touchdowns, Ertz has only been able to hit pay dirt once in 2019. If Ertz continues to struggle to find the endzone, his value will plummet drastically, especially as the Eagles schedule plays stingy defenses like the Buffalo Bills.

If Zach Ertz was a disappointment, Evan Engram was a nightmare. With the return of running back Saquon Barkley, the second year bell-cow reemerged as the focal point of the offense. As a result, Engram only caught one of his five targets for only six yards. What’s astonishing about Engram’s miserable day is that he was going against the Arizona Cardinals, who have surrendered the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.

Tough Matchups

George Kittle is in for a challenge against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers have been the seventh-best defense when it comes to limiting tight-end fantasy points. While Kittle usually is a must-start option, who has scored 11+ fantasy points in four of his six games this season, he is coming off a rather underwhelming outing against the Redskins. However, Kittle is currently 2nd in target share percentage among NFL tight ends, and his ability to rack up yards after the catch make him a quality TE2 option.

Greg Olsen is also in for a tough game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners are currently in the top three of NFL defenses and have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to a tight end this season. While Olsen has had two big-time games this year, he has failed to score a touchdown in five games and has been unable to reach double digits in four of his six games this season. As a result, Olsen is a low-end TE2 option that should be avoided by most fantasy owners.

Tight Ends To Look For/Be Cautious Of

Eric Ebron is a tight-end who should be highly coveted by fantasy owners. Despite being the top 20 amongst TE’s in terms of fantasy points, He is only owned by 53% of fantasy owners. After experiencing a slow start to the season, Ebron has scored 10+ points in three of his five games this season and has seen his target share increase gradually throughout the season. He’s a highly volatile fantasy TE, who’s production unpredictably fluctuates from game to game. However, as his rapport with Colts signal-caller, Jacoby Brissett develops more, he should see his target share increase.

If you haven’t cut ties with Tampa Bay Buccaneers’, O.J. Howard, you should probably do so as soon as possible. Coming into the year, Howard was one of every draft expert’s favorite sleepers in fantasy. Unfortunately, Howard has wholly fallen short of expectations, failing to score 10+ points or gain a touchdown in any of his games this year. To make matters worse, Howard has had three or fewer targets in three games this season and hasn’t been able to receive 5+ targets since week one. Regardless of this low productivity, Howard is still owned by 50%+ of fantasy owners. Due to his inability to get targets, his low stats, and the increasing uncertainty at the Bucs’ QB position, it would be wise to find another TE to replace Howard if you haven’t done so already.