Tight end non-PPR rankings for Week 8 fantasy football

Final injury report

Out: Austin Hooper (abdomen)
Doubtful:
Questionable: Mo Alie-Cox (knee), Jake Butt (hamstring), Tyler Higbee (hand), Adam Shaheen (shoulder), Dalton Keene (knee)

Thursday injury report

There isn’t much change from Wednesday, although Mo Alie-Cox was upgraded to limited. The big name to track heading into the weekend will be Dallas Goedert. If the Eagles plan on activating him for this week, they have until 4 p.m. ET on Saturday to move him back to the 53-man roster. We’ll be tracking that on Saturday.

Wednesday injury report

Austin Hooper missed last week’s game after needing an appendectomy. The team is going to be conservative in working him back, which means Harrison Bryant and David Njoku are in line for more work against the Raiders in Week 8.

Dallas Goedert returned to practice with the Eagles after the team designated him for return from IR. He will not show up on the injury report until activated to the 53-man roster and the team has until Saturday to do that. He’s got a shot at playing this weekend.

DNP: Mo Alie-Cox (knee), Austin Hooper (abdomen), Gerald Everett (illness), Eric Ebron (elbow)
Limited: Adam Shaheen (shoulder), Marcedes Lewis (knee), Robert Tonyan (ankle, knee), Cole Kmet (back), Noah Fant (ankle), Tyler Higbee (hand)
Full: David Njoku (knee)

A couple of rookie tight ends made a statement in Week 7, as Browns TE Harrison Bryant had a two-touchdown performance and Denver’s Albert Okwuegbunam reeled in all seven of his targets for 60 yards to lead the team.

Rob Gronkowski appears to be finding his groove with long-time teammate Tom Brady, too. Gronkowski has commanded at least six targets in four of his last five games, consistently managing 50+ yards. He’s officially a viable starting tight end for fantasy football leagues, though that may not be the case once WR Antonio Brown makes his way to the field...

Injury news

Austin Hooper missed out on the tight end extravaganza with the Cleveland Browns this week due to a bout of appendicitis. Baker Mayfield targeted TEs David Nojoku and Harrison Bryant a total of six times, producing 76 yards and three touchdowns. Considering Odell Beckham Jr.’s season-ending ACL injury, Hooper may find himself in an expanded role within the offense once he’s on the mend.

Rams tight end Tyler Higbee was inactive for the team’s Week 7 MNF outing versus the Bears. Though teammate Gerald Everett did manage a score, teammate Johnny Mundt was the one to really shine with three receptions for a cool 47 yards.

Noah Fant returned from an ankle injury Sunday, though he managed a catch rate of just 43% on the day for 38 total yards. It’s possible that Fant isn’t quite 100% just yet.

Philadelphia’s starting tight ends, Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert remain on on the injured reserve list, with Richard Rodgers filling in for the interim. It sounds as though each tight end could be aiming for a return in Week 10 or 11 pending their rehab process.

Bye weeks

Teams with a Week 8 bye include the Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Football Team. Fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief, as these missing tight ends won’t affect many starting rosters.

Cardinals TE Dan Arnold managed a season-high 57 receiving yards in Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks, though he’s still yet to score so far on the season. The bye provides Jacksonville TE Tyler Eifert an opportunity to rest up, as he’s spent the last several weeks dealing with a neck injury. Teammate James O’Shaughnessy has yet to see more than four receptions or 40 yards in a single game on the season.

Logan Thomas of Washington and Darren Fells of the Texans each have posed streaming ability so far in 2020, though they both lack enough consistency to be an every-week lock for production.

Streaming options

Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys

Schultz was off to the races following a season-ending injury to teammate Blake Jarwin, but has since cooled down in the weeks to follow. Dak Prescott’s absence has been a huge blow to the offense, scoring just 13 points and losing five total turnovers in the last two weeks. The Cowboys get the Eagles this week, who allowed Tyler Higbee three touchdowns and George Kittle 183 receiving yards and a score. This big target might be the best option for his starting QB, whether that’s Ben DiNucci under center or veteran Andy Dalton (concussion).

Jimmy Graham, Chicago Bears

It’s difficult to endorse any player on the Bears roster right now outside of Allen Robinson, but we could do worse than Graham in Week 8. The Saints will meet the Bears at Soldier Field, and they’ve averaged the second-most fantasy points and a full touchdown per game to the position. Graham has averaged six targets per game in the last four weeks and has put up a steady 30 yards in each outing. It’s not ideal, but this matchup could certainly bolster the ceiling.