Fantasy football managers are always on the lookout for serviceable tight ends. We have been rewarded a few times this season for grabbing talent with the breakouts of Sam LaPorta, Taysom Hill, Jake Ferguson, and Trey McBride already. Will Seattle Seahawks TE Noah Fant join this list and finally live up to his draft hype?
Should Noah Fant Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 14
Fant was a first-round NFL Draft pick by the Broncos in 2019 out of Iowa and has flashed at times with both the Broncos and Seahawks. Every time he has flashed, he has struggled to keep that level of performance up consistently.
Many teams in the playoff push could have a Juwan Johnson-sized gap at tight end or are still trying to figure out how to fill the Dallas Goedert injury hole. They could also simply wrongly predicted that Kyle Pitts’ talent would overcome Arthur Smith’s coaching.
Regardless of the reason, some of us fantasy managers need a tight end. Will Fant be that salve for our fantasy roster during the most critical weeks of the fantasy season?
Before the season, my colleague Jason Katz expertly laid out Fant’s dynasty outlook. I agree that Fant is a TE2 with a dwindling upside profile and shouldn’t be viewed as an exceptional talent any longer. Crazier things have happened, but I am skeptical that the backend of Fant’s fifth season will be his breakout. We haven’t seen any real indicators of anything resembling a change in his opportunity or talent.
Fant has averaged only two catches for 24 yards over the last three games with a lowly 7.8% target share. It seems like head coach Pete Carroll has not found a way to unlock his talent any better than the Broncos did.
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Fant has a challenging matchup this week against the 49ers, who rank 21st against the fantasy tight end. Week 15 will be an even more significant challenge when the Seahawks face a top-four defense against tight ends when they face off against the Eagles.
Fant may be unusable in those two weeks, but it gets better for him when he faces the No. 4 easiest matchup in Week 16 vs. the Titans and a top-12 matchup in championship week against the Steelers.
I would not pick up Fant as a starting tight end for fantasy playoffs unless there were no other options with playing time. I expect a line similar to two catches for 15 yards each game, and unless you are staring at a zero from your tight end spot, you can do better.
I prefer Cade Otten, Gerald Everett, Brevin Jordan, or Tyler Higbee. I would even roster Tyler Conklin, Tucker Craft, or Tanner Hudson over Fant if I were forced to pick up a tight end out of desperation.
If you have the idea of solidifying your roster for injury and backing up your starting tight end with Fant, I would also recommend against it. Put your FAAB or waiver position into backing up running back, wide receiver, or even quarterback — in that order. You should never roster two tight ends unless it’s a bye week for your starter.
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