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I feel like the tendency in DFS is to gravitate toward the premium options and the bargain options at tight end, and I totally understand why. In fact, I do it too. Tight ends are usually pretty touchdown dependent, and since touchdowns can be fluky, I would prefer to save some money rather than pay up for someone who probably won’t catch a touchdown anyway. At the same time, if I am going to pay for a tight end, I want someone who has 100-yard potential. Why pay up, especially in a GPP, for a tight end whose ceiling is probably six catches for 70 yards? Because those are the players everyone else will likely ignore.
After I made my initial picks for this week, I realized I probably wouldn’t be playing my value options outside of cash games, even though I do believe they are pretty good at their respective prices. That may be a mistake. As I said before, touchdowns can be fluky, and if Zach Miller scores two of them, it could be even more valuable because he will almost certainly be owned less than Dennis Pitta or Jordan Reed. Which tight ends I play Week 3 may depend on how the other positions shake out, because I feel good about all of my picks this week, but I want to resist the urge to ignore the value options this week.
| PTS | OPP PASS | OPP DEF | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Player | Team | H/A | Opp | G | Snaps | TAR | TAR% | TAR/G | REC | REC/G | CATCH% | REYDS | RETDS | FUM | YPC | ALLOW | RANK | RANK | O/U | TOTAL | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Jordan Reed | WAS | A | NYG | 2 | 108 | 18 | 20.7% | 9 | 12 | 6 | 66.7% | 134 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 13.7 | 20 | 19 | 46 | -220 | $7,500 | $6,500 | $4,950 |
| Greg Olsen | CAR | H | MIN | 2 | 149 | 17 | 24.3% | 8.5 | 12 | 6 | 70.6% | 195 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 5.7 | 18 | 15 | 43 | -320 | $7,800 | $5,800 | $5,250 |
| Delanie Walker | TEN | H | OAK | 2 | 106 | 11 | 14.9% | 5.5 | 9 | 4.5 | 81.8% | 125 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 1.1 | 30 | 24 | 47 | -125 | $6,900 | $5,000 | $4,750 |
| Travis Kelce | KC | H | NYJ | 2 | 117 | 14 | 17.1% | 7 | 11 | 5.5 | 78.6% | 108 | 0 | 0 | 9.8 | 6.9 | 25 | 18 | 42 | -150 | $6,000 | $4,700 | $4,800 |
| Julius Thomas | JAC | H | BAL | 2 | 117 | 12 | 13.6% | 6 | 9 | 4.5 | 75.0% | 135 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 5.0 | 5 | 3 | 47 | -105 | $6,100 | $4,600 | $4,550 |
| Antonio Gates | SD | A | IND | 2 | 84 | 9 | 14.8% | 4.5 | 6 | 3 | 66.7% | 35 | 1 | 0 | 5.8 | 12.7 | 32 | 27 | 52 | -140 | $6,000 | $4,600 | $4,200 |
| Tyler Eifert | CIN | H | DEN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.8 | 7 | 2 | 41 | -180 | $5,500 | $4,500 | $4,500 |
| Jason Witten | DAL | H | CHI | 2 | 146 | 18 | 24.7% | 9 | 12 | 6 | 66.7% | 117 | 0 | 0 | 9.8 | 7.8 | 15 | 25 | 45 | -330 | $6,000 | $4,300 | $4,450 |
| Gary Barnidge | CLE | A | MIA | 2 | 112 | 7 | 11.9% | 3.5 | 4 | 2 | 57.1% | 37 | 0 | 0 | 9.3 | 5.2 | 14 | 23 | 42 | -500 | $5,800 | $4,000 | $4,250 |
| Zach Ertz | PHI | H | PIT | 1 | 60 | 7 | 10.0% | 7 | 6 | 6 | 85.7% | 58 | 0 | 0 | 9.7 | 12.4 | 10 | 14 | 46 | 160 | $5,800 | $3,900 | $4,250 |
| Dwayne Allen | IND | H | SD | 2 | 111 | 10 | 11.9% | 5 | 6 | 3 | 60.0% | 78 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 13.4 | 16 | 29 | 52 | -140 | $6,100 | $3,800 | $3,800 |
| Eric Ebron | DET | A | GB | 2 | 131 | 12 | 15.8% | 6 | 9 | 4.5 | 75.0% | 99 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 20.7 | 11 | 10 | 47 | -320 | $5,600 | $3,700 | $4,250 |
| Jesse James | PIT | A | PHI | 2 | 74 | 12 | 16.2% | 6 | 8 | 4 | 66.7% | 60 | 1 | 0 | 7.5 | 0.0 | 3 | 21 | 46 | 160 | $4,500 | $3,500 | $4,100 |
| Dennis Pitta | BAL | A | JAC | 2 | 101 | 16 | 20.8% | 8 | 12 | 6 | 75.0% | 141 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3.9 | 26 | 16 | 47 | -105 | $5,000 | $3,400 | $4,600 |
| Coby Fleener | NO | H | ATL | 2 | 103 | 12 | 14.5% | 6 | 3 | 1.5 | 25.0% | 35 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 20.9 | 31 | 30 | 54 | -150 | $5,500 | $3,300 | $4,550 |
| Jacob Tamme | ATL | A | NO | 2 | 96 | 16 | 22.2% | 8 | 11 | 5.5 | 68.8% | 126 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 4.0 | 28 | 31 | 54 | -150 | $5,500 | $3,200 | $4,350 |
| Kyle Rudolph | MIN | A | CAR | 2 | 114 | 16 | 25.0% | 8 | 7 | 3.5 | 43.8% | 96 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 4.8 | 4 | 6 | 43 | -320 | $5,100 | $3,100 | $4,300 |
| Virgil Green | DEN | A | CIN | 2 | 82 | 8 | 13.6% | 4 | 7 | 3.5 | 87.5% | 74 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0.0 | 9 | 9 | 41 | -180 | $4,800 | $3,000 | $4,300 |
| Jimmy Graham | SEA | H | SF | 2 | 72 | 5 | 6.6% | 2.5 | 4 | 2 | 80.0% | 53 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3.2 | 1 | 7 | 40 | -450 | $5,200 | $3,000 | $4,400 |
| Charles Clay | BUF | H | ARI | 2 | 96 | 10 | 19.2% | 5 | 7 | 3.5 | 70.0% | 67 | 0 | 0 | 9.6 | 2.9 | 22 | 4 | 47 | 170 | $5,000 | $2,900 | $4,000 |
| Jordan Cameron | MIA | H | CLE | 2 | 85 | 10 | 14.1% | 5 | 7 | 3.5 | 70.0% | 55 | 1 | 0 | 7.9 | 10.4 | 27 | 32 | 42 | -500 | $5,400 | $2,900 | $4,700 |
| Zach Miller | CHI | A | DAL | 2 | 85 | 9 | 15.8% | 4.5 | 7 | 3.5 | 77.8% | 47 | 0 | 0 | 6.7 | 11.1 | 13 | 17 | 45 | -330 | $5,200 | $2,900 | $3,600 |
| Jared Cook | GB | H | DET | 2 | 79 | 8 | 11.6% | 4 | 5 | 2.5 | 62.5% | 38 | 0 | 0 | 7.6 | 30.3 | 29 | 22 | 47 | -320 | $5,000 | $2,900 | $4,000 |
| Vance McDonald | SF | A | SEA | 2 | 89 | 5 | 7.0% | 2.5 | 3 | 1.5 | 60.0% | 89 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 1.6 | 2 | 1 | 40 | -450 | $4,900 | $2,900 | $3,650 |
| Austin Seferian-Jenkins | TB | H | LA | 2 | 52 | 3 | 3.6% | 1.5 | 3 | 1.5 | 100.0% | 44 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 10.4 | 8 | 5 | 42 | -235 | $5,300 | $2,900 | $4,100 |
| Clive Walford | OAK | A | TEN | 2 | 84 | 12 | 14.6% | 6 | 9 | 4.5 | 75.0% | 75 | 1 | 0 | 8.3 | 8.5 | 23 | 26 | 47 | -125 | $5,000 | $2,800 | $3,900 |
| Brent Celek | PHI | H | PIT | 2 | 91 | 2 | 2.9% | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 50.0% | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 12.4 | 10 | 14 | 46 | 160 | $5,200 | $2,800 | $3,800 |
| Lance Kendricks | LA | A | TB | 2 | 118 | 9 | 14.1% | 4.5 | 6 | 3 | 66.7% | 76 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 10.0 | 24 | 12 | 42 | -235 | $4,500 | $2,700 | $3,000 |
| Larry Donnell | NYG | H | WAS | 2 | 74 | 7 | 10.1% | 3.5 | 5 | 2.5 | 71.4% | 39 | 1 | 0 | 7.8 | 5.6 | 17 | 28 | 46 | -220 | $5,200 | $2,700 | $3,600 |
| Vernon Davis | WAS | A | NYG | 2 | 46 | 6 | 6.9% | 3 | 6 | 3 | 100.0% | 71 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 13.7 | 20 | 19 | 46 | -220 | $4,600 | $2,700 | $4,000 |
| Richard Rodgers | GB | H | DET | 2 | 61 | 5 | 7.3% | 2.5 | 3 | 1.5 | 60.0% | 47 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 30.3 | 29 | 22 | 47 | -320 | $4,600 | $2,700 | $3,900 |
| Will Tye | NYG | H | WAS | 2 | 66 | 6 | 8.7% | 3 | 5 | 2.5 | 83.3% | 26 | 0 | 0 | 5.2 | 5.6 | 17 | 28 | 46 | -220 | $4,800 | $2,600 | $3,500 |
| Trey Burton | PHI | H | PIT | 1 | 31 | 7 | 10.0% | 7 | 5 | 5 | 71.4% | 49 | 1 | 0 | 9.8 | 12.4 | 10 | 14 | 46 | 160 | $4,500 | $2,500 | $3,300 |
| C.J. Uzomah | CIN | H | DEN | 2 | 92 | 13 | 15.5% | 6.5 | 5 | 2.5 | 38.5% | 68 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 10.8 | 7 | 2 | 41 | -180 | $4,700 | $2,500 | $3,000 |
| Jack Doyle | IND | H | SD | 2 | 84 | 9 | 10.7% | 4.5 | 7 | 3.5 | 77.8% | 72 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 13.4 | 16 | 29 | 52 | -140 | $5,000 | $2,500 | $3,900 |
| Cameron Brate | TB | H | LA | 2 | 58 | 7 | 8.4% | 3.5 | 6 | 3 | 85.7% | 46 | 0 | 0 | 7.7 | 10.4 | 8 | 5 | 42 | -235 | $4,800 | $2,500 | $3,500 |
Premium Options
Jordan Reed, WAS
Reed has done everything but score a touchdown, but that will likely change sooner than later. Reed is cheaper than Greg Olsen on FantasyAces and FanDuel, which may not happen again while Reed is healthy.
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Delanie Walker, TEN
I really wanted to make the case for Travis Kelce again this week, but I can’t do it while Delanie Walker is cheaper on most sites. Walker may not be quite as safe as Kelce for cash games, but he is far more likely to catch a touchdown or two or go over 100 yards. Would anyone be surprised if Walker is the highest-scoring tight end this week?
Value Options
Zach Miller, CHI
Miller seems to be priced about right on FanDuel, which means you can get him at a nice discount on DraftKings and FantasyAces. At the very least, Brian Hoyer shouldn’t hurt Miller’s fantasy value, and there is a chance Hoyer leans on Miller quite a bit. If that is the case, Miller could be a steal. It also doesn’t hurt that Miller has a nice matchup against the Cowboys.
Jacob Tamme, ATL
Tamme is the top tight end target in a good offense facing the Saints. He is safe for receptions and yards and he has a decent chance to get in the end zone for the second consecutive week.
Bargain Options
Dennis Pitta, BAL
He is a bit overpriced on FantasyAces at $4600, but that is probably closer to fair value than on FanDuel, where 25 tight ends cost more than Pitta. Pitta has averaged six receptions per game so far this season, and I don’t know why that would change drastically going forward. We have seen him have big fantasy seasons in the past, he is clearly healthy now, and Pitta looks as safe as can be in cash games while still having GPP upside.
C.J. Uzomah, CIN
Only seven tight ends have more targets in 2016 than C.J. Uzomah. I expect Andy Dalton to continue to target Uzomah until Tyler Eifert returns, and the catches, yards and touchdowns should follow.
Jesse James, PIT
Last week one of our readers, Chris, asked about Jesse James as a minimum price option on FanDuel, and he was absolutely right. He may not get a touchdown Sunday, especially if Markus Wheaton is healthy, but James will almost certainly catch three or four passes, and he again costs the minimum on FanDuel.