The tight end position produced some big numbers in Week 15. Four different players went over 100 yards receiving at the position, and eight different tight ends managed at least 15 DraftKings points. Can Week 16 keep up with those standards? If it can, these three players should offer a great shot at doing so. Salaries via DraftKings.
Zach Ertz (PHI) - $6,400
The Eagles have been decimated at wide receiver for weeks, and Ertz has become an absolute volume hog as a result. Since Week 9, Ertz is fifth in the NFL in targets. That’s right, not just at tight end, in the entire league. He is averaging 21 DraftKings points in that time frame, with only one performance under 17 points.
The Cowboys are allowing the seventh-most points to tight ends this season. Just last week, they allowed Tyler Higbee to catch 12 passes for 111 yards. Nelson Agholor is not expected to play, and Alshon Jeffery is out for the season. There is no reason to expect a usage shift for Ertz.
Austin Hooper (ATL) - $4,400
Put simply, this is about $1,000 too cheap for Hooper this week. He is one of the target-leaders at the position, currently sitting sixth despite missing three games with a knee injury. To top it all off, Calvin Ridley, Atlanta’s second-leading target-getter, is out for the season. There should be plenty of volume heading Hooper’s way on Sunday.
Atlanta will be taking on Jacksonville at home this weekend. The Falcons have a 27 point team total, third-highest on the slate, and the Jaguars just gave up an eight-catch, 122 yard performance to Darren Waller. Hooper has at least five targets in every contest he has played in this season.
Hunter Henry (LAC) - $4,700
Henry has been a bit of a recent disappointment in fantasy, totaling just 78 yards and a touchdown the past three weeks. However, that comes off of a three game stretch in which he recorded at least seven targets and 13 DKFP in each contest. Henry could very easily resume the production that made him a clear top-end tight end earlier in the season.
The Raiders are also a much softer matchup than what Henry has been dealing with. They are 31st in pass defense based on Football Outsiders DVOA, and have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season. Only the Cardinals have allowed more tight ends to find the endzone. Henry is likely more of a tournament play than a cash play given the other options, but his upside is among the best at the position.