Entering Week 12, let’s take a look at the top tight ends to target on the waiver wire in your fantasy football league. All players listed below are rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo, ESPN, and/or Sleeper leagues.
Note that I have done away with FAAB recommendations this year, as there are too many variables to account for. Instead, I replaced it with my opinion on how aggressive fantasy managers should be in pursuing the player on a scale of 1-10.
Looking for other positions? Check out our Week 12 Waiver Wire article, which covers a plethora of players from all positions.
Taysom Hill, TE | NO
Rostered: 53%
Although Taysom Hill is slightly over the rostership threshold, I can’t not talk about him. Hill had what will undoubtedly be the best game from a TE-eligible player all year. It was one of the best performances in the history of fantasy football.
206 all-purpose yards. 3 TDs.
The Taysom Hill Experience ¯_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/39482UD0PW
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 17, 2024
The gadget man had seven rushes for 138 yards and three touchdowns while adding three receptions for 50 yards. Obviously, he will never do this again, but Hill’s usage certainly warrants a much higher roster rate.
Aggressiveness Rating: 6.0
Jonnu Smith, TE | MIA
Rostered: 53%
Much like Taysom Hill, Jonnu Smith is rostered on slightly too many teams. Much like Hill, he has to be mentioned.
It’s abundantly clear something has changed in the Dolphins’ offensive plans. Jaylen Waddle is not part of the offense (and can be universally dropped). The third guy behind Tyreek Hill and De’Von Achane is Smith.
The veteran TE caught six of eight targets for 101 yards and two touchdowns. It was the second game of 22+ points in his last five, which is good enough. That sort of upside is worth chasing.
Aggressiveness Rating: 5.0
Zach Ertz, TE | WAS
Rostered: 33%
Garbage time salvaged Zach Ertz’s day on Thursday, but he’s still been a key part of the Washington Commanders’ offense all season. He’s now hit double-digit fantasy points in four of his last six games, and in one of the games he didn’t, he still managed a passable 7.1 fantasy points.
Ertz has had a decent floor all season. As Jayden Daniels gets further away from his rib injury, he should start to play better. You can do worse than Ertz.
Aggressiveness Rating: 2.0
Will Dissly, TE | LAC
Rostered: 23%
This is being written before Sunday Night Football. It’s entirely possible that Will Dissly flops and looks far less appealing. Right now, though, Dissly projects to be a quality addition at tight end.
Dissly has been the Chargers’ primary TE for a month now. He’s seen 6+ targets in three of his last four games and has consistently been targeted on Justin Herbert’s first read.
Hopefully, Dissly was able to thrive against the Cincinnati Bengals’ bottom-five defense versus TEs. The schedule doesn’t get much more difficult after that. The Chargers’ next five opponents all range from average to terrible at defending the tight end. Dissly is at least a viable Week 12 streamer, if not a rest-of-season TE1.
Aggressiveness Rating: 4.0