The tight end position continues to be one of the most frustrating aspects of fantasy football, with many managers clinging to underperforming assets based on name recognition or draft capital. Week 4 has provided enough evidence to make some difficult roster decisions, particularly at a position where the difference between streaming options and rostered “studs” has become negligible.
Several veteran tight ends who were expected to provide consistent production have instead delivered disappointing results that warrant serious consideration for the waiver wire. The time has come to cut bait on players who are actively hurting your lineup rather than hoping for a turnaround that may never materialize.
Cut: David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
Rostered: 86%
Last year’s overall TE4, David Njoku, appeared to be undervalued, given his double-digit round ADP in 2025 fantasy drafts. It turns out, he wasn’t going late enough.
Perhaps it is Harold Fannin Jr. causing Njoku problems. The rookie essentially matched the veteran in snaps and routes run last week. Either way, Njoku has now failed to reach double-digit fantasy points in every game this season. Against the Detroit Lions, he saw a mere three targets, catching two for 11 yards.
The Cleveland Browns will be underdogs for almost every single game. In theory, that should lead to more passing. However, without a quarterback capable of sustaining drives, it won’t help Njoku.
I would stop short of calling Njoku a must-drop. Instead, his name is on the cut list because he is someone fantasy managers should not feel beholden to based on his predraft value.
Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
Rostered: 30%
It’s always risky to give up talented rookies, especially first-rounders. However, it’s becoming increasingly complex to make a case for holding onto Colston Loveland.
The Chicago Bears’ first-round tight end has been unable to vanquish Cole Kmet, raising immediate concerns about his fantasy viability in the short term. He caught two passes for 12 yards in Week 1 and then went catchless in Week 2.
It’s impossible to know how Week 3 would have gone had he not suffered a hip injury shortly after his 31-yard reception. But it happened. Loveland played a mere six snaps before departing. Then, he missed Week 4.
Between the injury, the rise of Rome Odunze, the presence of Kmet, and the flashes being shown by Luther Burden III, it’s hard to see a path for Loveland anytime soon. If you cannot afford to burn the roster spot, by all means, send him to the waiver wire.
Evan Engram, Denver Broncos
Rostered: 56%
Evan Engram returned to the Denver Broncos’ lineup after a one-game absence due to a back injury. The veteran tight end did catch a season high four passes for 29 yards, but the bulk of them came on a checkdown on third and long that was never going anywhere.
Engram did run a season-high 27 routes, which is somewhat encouraging. However, he only played 40% of the snaps. That’s too low a snap share for any semblance of fantasy value.
There is no “Joker” role for Engram. He is not this offensive weapon. He is certainly not the second option in the passing game behind Courtland Sutton. There are easily 20+ tight ends better than Engram. Rid your rosters of this player.
