3) Tucker Kraft vs. Steelers
Kraft has been a great red zone target all season, as he’s managed to hit pay dirt in four of the Packers‘ first six games. Last week against the Cardinals, he also led the team with 10 targets. While that had more to do with how the Cardinals defend opposing pass catchers, it was still a promising sign for Kraft. This week, they face a Pittsburgh defense that is ranked 30th overall against the pass and 28th in the league against the tight end position. Kraft is not only big, but he’s also athletic and possesses better run-after-the-catch ability than your typical tight end. Get him in your lineup this week, as he’s even worth a flex option if you happen to also roster another tight end on this week’s list.
4) Oronde Gadsden vs. Vikings
As much as I hate the idea of “chasing last week’s points,” this kid is much more than a one-week wonder. The Chargers rookie tight end has been working his way into the offense all season and has seen his snap% rise each week since finally getting on the field in week 3. His snap share has gone from 26% against Denver to well over 70% in each of his last two games. It’s not a coincidence that in those two games, he has 7 catches in each with an eye-popping 164 yards and a score this past week against the Colts. He has the speed and athleticism to take any pass the distance, and that, combined with his size, makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. While we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, he very well may be a waiver wire pick-up that helps you win your league. If you picked him up, play him this week. If you have a number of receivers on bye, he’s also a fine flex option.
5) Mark Andrews vs. Bears
Andrews has been up and down for the last two seasons, and he may have hit the waiver wire in many fantasy leagues when Baltimore hit their bye last week. Many fantasy owners have short memories, and after two subpar weeks with Cooper Rush, followed by the Ravens bye, it may have been time for somebody in your league to drop him for either Harold Fannin or Oronde Gadsden. If he did hit waivers, he’s worth picking up and playing here as he will get Lamar Jackson back this week, and the last full game that we saw them play together resulted in Andrews grabbing 6 passes for 91 yards and 2 scores. Even in the following week against the Chiefs, Andrews was having a solid day before Lamar left with an injury, finishing with 7 catches for 30 yards. I expect the Ravens to score a bunch of points against the Bears, as they need to win this game if they stand any chance of catching the Steelers. The Ravens defense is still far from a shutdown unit, so they will need to outscore teams to win.
