It’s fantasy football playoff time! If you find yourself in the postseason, then you probably have figured out your starting tight end spot already. But for those of us who are streaming the TE position, can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ Cade Otton be a viable starter on the road to the championship? Should he be a priority add off of the waiver wire in Week 15?
Should Cade Otton Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 15?
Every decision right now is of the utmost importance as we go to battle in the fantasy playoffs. Otton is a starting tight end in the NFL, but is that enough to warrant a spot in your playoff starting lineup?
Otton has returned to the lineup from a brief injury and over his last two healthy games is averaging three catches for 30.5 yards and 0.5 touchdowns. He’s the No. 2 target in the current iteration of the Baker Mayfield Buccaneers passing attack with a 15.3% target share over his last two games.
This is not New England Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski or New Orleans Saints’ Jimmy Graham in their prime, but Otton could be usable depending on your roster construction and health at the TE position.
A week ago, my colleague Derek Tate correctly described Cade Otton as a “high-risk, low-reward tight end” after his zero-point performance in Week 13. However, fantasy managers witnessed the volatility of the TE position in fantasy football as Otton came back with five targets and a touchdown last week.
I would chalk that poor performance in Week 13 to a game-plan choice by the Bucs. Their opponent that week, the Carolina Panthers, ranks as one of the top 10 hardest matchups for fantasy tight ends. Instead, the Bucs chose to run all over Carolina en route to a field-goal win over their division foe.
Otton doesn’t have an easy playoff schedule for tight ends, though, starting with the 24th-ranked Green Bay Packers in Week 15, followed by the 27th-ranked Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16. However, if you find your way to the championship game, it does get quite a bit easier with the No. 11-ranked defense against tight ends in the New Orleans Saints.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
Many of us missed out on Sam LaPorta’s breakout or grabbed the emerging Trey McBride only to see him get injured. Or possibly you drafted Darren Waller or Zach Ertz and still found a way to get a playoff spot, which is no small accomplishment.
If you find yourself in this group of fantasy managers, you may need a spot start TE for Week 15, and Otton is seeing enough target volume on a weekly basis to be considered. The biggest factor working in Otton’s favor is that he has guaranteed playing time due to his role in this Bucs offense as a blocking option.
In any game this season, Otton hasn’t seen less than 90% of the offensive snaps for Tampa Bay’s offense. Very few tight ends in fantasy football see that type of opportunity and playing time week in and week out.
The 6-7 Bucs are currently leading the NFC South, so there will be no tinkering with this offense unless someone gets injured. If you’re staring at a zero from your tight end spot, Otton is a fine fill-in option. However, he shouldn’t be viewed as anything more than a touchdown-or-bust option for your lineup.
If you need a TE desperately in Week 15, he’s worth a 3-5% FAAB bid. However, anything more than that is not worth throwing at him. There are plenty of other TE streaming options that you can turn to in the fantasy playoffs.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
