The Week 13 waiver wire is like every other week at the tight end position: There just isn’t much out there. Waiver adds at TE are very much an exercise in chasing your tail and hoping to catch it just once. With that in mind, here are some potential targets for fantasy football managers on the wire this week.
Top TE Waiver Wire Targets in Week 13
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers (48% Rostered)
On the list of things I did not expect to ever see, Pat Freiermuth posting a 100-yard game is very high on the list. Muth caught nine of 11 targets for 120 yards in the Steelers’ win over the Bengals.
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Freiermuth entered Sunday with just 60 yards on the entire season. He recorded double that in this one game alone.
Given that the Steelers just made a change at offensive coordinator, there’s reason to believe Freiermuth will continue to be involved going forward. At the rough tight end position, he is definitely worth a pickup.
FAAB Recommendation: 8-15%
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (29% Rostered)
Cade Otton only saw four targets against the Colts, but he caught all four of them for 45 yards. While that may not seem like much, it’s more than many of us get from our tight ends. He’s certainly a far better option than Kyle Pitts, who continues to be rostered in over 90% of leagues for reasons I cannot understand.
Otton now has eight or more fantasy points in two straight games. Next week against the Panthers is a tough matchup, but after that, it’s mostly neutral-to-good matchups for Otton.
FAAB Recommendation: 0-5%
Which TEs Should You Roster in Fantasy Football?
Should You Roster Pat Freiermuth or Kyle Pitts?
I was ready to close the book on Freiermuth being a worthwhile fantasy asset in 2023. However, things are different in Pittsburgh with Matt Canada gone and the team actually running a competent offense.
There’s no denying Freiermuth has talent. I am truly not sure if the same can be said about Kyle Pitts.
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Despite missing five games, Freiermuth has more 100-yard games and more touchdowns than Pitts. And I don’t want to hear excuses for Pitts. Drake London has been fine enough with Desmond Ridder. The reason Pitts can’t command targets is because he is not good enough.
Pitts has been droppable for almost two months now. I am not sure if Freiermuth is the answer, but I am certain Pitts is not. For that reason, I’d rather take a chance on the unknown of Muth than the known of Pitts.
Should You Roster Cade Otton or David Njoku?
I would definitely prefer to take a shot on Cade Otton over Pitts. But David Njoku? Even with potentially P.J. Walker (or perhaps Joe Flacco?) taking over at quarterback, I still side with Njoku.
The Browns TE has now scored double-digit fantasy points in six consecutive games. He’s averaging over nine targets per game over that span.
Njoku’s ceiling is inevitably capped by his offense, but his volume is about as good as you can ask for at any position, let alone tight end. He is the far superior option.
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