Fantasy Football: 3 Tight End Streaming Options for Week 1

Tight end, as the kids say, is a wasteland.

Of all the positions in fantasy football, tight end has consistently been the most volatile. It's gotten to the point where we're lucky to have even a handful of tight ends we can rely on week to week.

This year is no different. Unless you were one of the lucky few to nab a top option at the position, you'll likely be scouring the waiver wire in search of a diamond in the rough.

However, just because you punted on the tight end position doesn't mean you've punted on your team as a whole.

Streaming tight end is a real, and effective, strategy -- you just have to know where to look.

That's where I come in, giving you three tight end streamers to target each and every week of the 2023 NFL season. All of these guys should be available in the majority of 12-team leagues and at the very least possess value for the upcoming week.

For Week 1, we're looking at a trio of tight ends who probably went undrafted in your league but have strong matchups in their opening game and could end up being viable starters as the season wanes on.

Projections and rankings via numberFire.

Week 1 Tight End Streaming Options

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints

numberFire Projection: 6.0 points (TE13)

• 2.8 receptions
• 31.9 yards
• 0.23 touchdowns

Let me get this straight. Juwan Johnson, a year after finishing as the TE11 in half-PPR with Andy Dalton and now playing with the best quarterback of his career, is available in a majority of fantasy leagues?

Sign me up.

Johnson averaged 7.1 half-PPR points per game last season but was primarily a boom-or-bust option. Although he (like most tight ends) was inconsistent, he had five top-ten weekly finishes at the position -- twice finishing as the TE2.

Johnson did most of his work in the red zone, ranking third among tight ends with 7 touchdowns and garnering a 19.6% red zone target share.

Now, with Derek Carr in town, Johnson is primed for a breakout in Week 1 and perhaps 2023 as a whole.

Despite a down year in 2022, Carr's tight ends racked up a combined 26.6% target share and saw a 30.6% red zone target share, culminating in 5 touchdowns between Foster Moreau and Darren Waller. We're a few years removed from Waller's immaculate fantasy seasons with Carr at the helm, but it's hard not to draw parallels between Waller and Johnson given their athletic prowess and massive catch radius.

However, what makes Johnson such a strong streamer in Week 1 is his matchup. Last year, the Tennessee Titans allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends (12.3). They gave up the most yards (66.2), the fourth-most catches (5.7), and the second-most targets (8.2) per game to tight ends and didn't make any notable changes on that end. Considering they're much better against the rush compared to the pass, the Saints will likely turn to the air more often than not.

His matchup is further amplified by an above-average projected pace. New Orleans' Week 1 matchup ranks seventh in average pace, paving the way for Johnson to have ample opportunities to rack up counting stats.

If you don't believe me, just listen to Derek Carr who told his brother, David Carr, that Johnson could easily have 100 catches and to watch out for him in fantasy.

With a soft matchup and favorable reports coming out of the preseason, Juwan Johnson is a top tight end streamer in Week 1.

Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers

numberFire Projection: 5.6 points (TE17)

• 2.8 receptions
• 28.1 yards
• 0.24 touchdowns

Gerald Everett is no stranger to hot starts.

Though he finished as the TE15 last season, he was the TE5 through the first four weeks and notably caught a touchdown in his season consecutive season opener.

Injuries across the board (but specifically to Justin Herbert) derailed a legitimate breakout in Everett's first season with the Los Angeles Chargers but he certainly flashed fantasy potential. While he only saw a 13.2% target share last season, that bumped up to 17.2% in the red zone and he finished tied for 11th among tight ends in touchdowns (4).

With a healthy Herbert and a new, pass-first offensive coordinator in town, Everett could be primed for more prolonged success in 2023 and that starts in Week 1.

The Chargers play host to the Miami Dolphins -- a defense that allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends (12.6). In general, Miami struggled against the pass as they gave up the fifth-most passing yards per game (239.3).

With their game's total of 50.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook slotting in as the second-highest of the week, Everett should see plenty of opportunities to reel in a score, especially with Kellen Moore in town.

Moore's Cowboys ranked second in adjusted pace last season and first in 2021. He helped turn Dalton Schultz into a fantasy asset over the past few seasons and could very well do the same with Everett, at least in Week 1.

He's a borderline TE1 given the matchup and projected game script.

Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys

numberFire Projection: 4.7 points (TE26)

• 2.4 receptions
• 23.6 yards
• 0.20 touchdowns

For those of you who haven't been hyper-focused on the preseason hype train, you may be asking who Jake Ferguson is.

A fourth-round pick in 2022, Ferguson played sparingly for the Dallas Cowboys last season. Though he appeared in 16 games, he racked up just 19 receptions, 174 yards, and 2 touchdowns. He was firmly entrenched in a backup role when Dalton Schultz was healthy.

However, he flashed promise when given the opportunity. With Schultz injured in Week 6 Ferguson caught 4 passes for 40 yards and a score, finishing as the TE8 on the week. Though it was a limited sample, Ferguson registered a stellar 1.66 yards per route run -- a number that would've ranked 7th among qualified tight ends. While that production didn't materialize again once Schultz returned, Ferguson now finds himself as the clear-cut starting tight end in Dallas.

That bodes very, very well for his chances of fantasy success not only in Week 1 but for the rest of the season. Last year, Dak Prescott targetted tight ends at the seventh-highest rate (25.1%) in the league. He carried Schultz to a TE3 finish in 2021 and a TE10 finish last season and has already spoken highly of Ferguson ahead of 2023.

It doesn't hurt that the two have a great matchup to kick things off in Week 1.

Last season, the New York Giants gave up the 10th-most fantasy points per game to tight ends (10.8) which included a 2-touchdown performance from Schultz in Week 12. Though the Cowboys may slow down offensively with Kellen Moore no longer calling plays, Ferguson has a chance to step into a primary receiving role without a clear No. 2 behind CeeDee Lamb.

It may be hard to trust him based on projection alone, but if you're this deep into the waiver wire there aren't many tight ends I'd rather take a swing on than Ferguson. A soft matchup and encouraging rookie numbers make him a top tight end streaming option for Week 1.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.