How to Pick the Best DFS Tight End (TE): 2023 Guide

Summary

When looking for your DFS tight end, you’ll want to look no further than opportunities, especially those that come in the red zone. A tight end’s role is usually pretty set throughout the season, so being aware of their targets and red zone chances in recent games could lead to fantasy success. On the other hand, the tight end position is the most unpredictable of all, so going in with a set strategy using the information we have listed below will be important to making sure your tight end position is filled with winners in 2023.

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The tight end position is more volatile than any other in Daily Fantasy Football. They’re also materially cheaper than wide receivers, on average.

But cheap doesn’t equate to value. Here are tips to help maximize your tight end spend…

DFS Scoring for Tight Ends

Here’s how the points shake out for tight ends on DraftKings and FanDuel.

The big differences:

• DraftKings credits 1/2 point more than FanDuel for receptions
• DraftKings has a 3-point bonus if a tight end racks up more than 100 yards
  • Statistically speaking, to have a 100 yard game, a TE usually needs at least 10 targets
• FanDuel docks players another point for fumbles

TEs can technically accrue rushing points as well, but they rarely do.

Core Tight End DFS Strategy

Below are several tips and observations to improve your TE selection.

• Opportunities (targets) per game is the #1 criteria when selecting an end.
  • The [PrjO] field displays projected opportunities for every tight end.
  • Also look at target count for the last four games.
    • Note: Over the course of a season, roles for tight ends don’t change as much as roles for other positions.
• Look for tight ends with the most red zone targets ( [RedZnOppsL4The median number of red zone opportunities per game this player has had over the last 4 games. More] )
  • Tight ends with lower salaries can hit value with a single touchdown. Hence, TE value plays on PPR-based DraftKings (with its $2,500 salary minimum) are particularly attractive if you think a cheap TE will get volume.
    • A good example was $2,500 Foster Moreau who subbed for injured star Darren Waller in week 7/2021. Moreau was a low dollar-risk play facing a Philly team that coughs up a lot of catches to ends. He scored 18 FPsFantasy points More (7.2x value).
  • A red zone target in 2 of the last 3 games is a big positive.
• For tight ends, yards per game has a decent correlation from one season to season to the next (0.62 according to 4for4.com). But, since tight ends don’t get as many yards to begin with, TDs takes on more importance.
• TE production is volatile and low relative to other positions, so avoid overspending on a TE.
  • This is especially true on FanDuel with its lower PPRPoint per reception This is a DFS scoring system that awards offensive players (e.g., WR, RB and TE) one point for each reception. This is the standard scoring method of DraftKings. More scoring system.
  • Chalk tight ends bust more than any other position.
• Tight ends below $4,000 tend to outperform RBs and WRs of the same price point
• As with other positions, home field advantage is an edge for tight ends.
  • According to Sports Illustrated, “tight end is the only position with better splits as a home underdog than as a road favorite.”
  • TEs score the more TDs (materially more) when they are home favorites, however.
    • Being a home favorite raises the chances of a breakout game.
    • If a team finds itself down a few touchdowns it’ll usually rely more on WRs than TEs. Teams are looking to make big plays down the field,
    • Conversely, when teams are ahead, they try to protect the lead and keep the clock running. In those cases, passing to an end is a higher probability play. Less can go wrong.

Other Tight End DFS Strategies

• Ignore snap count for tight ends—i.e., the amount of time they’re on the field.
  • It’s not significantly correlated with fantasy point production. TEs are usually on the field to block.
  • Instead, look at the number of actual routes run.
• Cornerbacks don’t cover tight ends—linebackers do. And that can be a good thing. Teams with two good corners often allow more production to TEs because they shut down the WR1 and WR2 and with that, short passes tend to become more frequent.
• TEs often do better when the opposing defense has a good pass rush. That’s because the QB is forced to throw more dump-off passes.
  • In fact, a top-4 tight end can thrive against a #1-ranked TE-defense, like George Kittle did against Arizona wt 24 FPsFantasy points More in week 9, 2021.
• TEs also do better when a top WR is out. Always pay attention to the injury reports.
• Defense versus position (DvPDvP stands for "Defense versus position." DvP tells you how well a defense ranks in terms of defending a given position. More), which is represented by the field [OppPosRk], is important but remember that teams which give up a lot of points to TEs may have simply faced some outstanding tight ends. If your chosen tight end is not top 10, he may not do as well as you expect against a bad TE defense.
• Avoid chasing recent performance. Overall, tight ends are less likely to post back-to-back big weeks than other positions. What’s more important is to look for red zone targets rather than touchdowns.

Cash Game Tight End Strategies

• Don’t pay up for a TE unless: (A) you saved money elsewhere, and (B) it’s an elite TE in a good matchup.
• You always want to try to find a high floor, though that tends to be harder to predict with tight ends
• If you’re bargain hunting under $3,500, try to find ends that can get 7+ targets. They’re particularly good values if they get consistent red zone looks.

GPP Tight End Strategies

• Half the value of a TE comes from TDs, especially on FanDuel which is not PPRPoint per reception This is a DFS scoring system that awards offensive players (e.g., WR, RB and TE) one point for each reception. This is the standard scoring method of DraftKings. More. Target share inside the 10 yard line is a huge plus.
• Winning a Milly Maker usually requires a TE that:
  • On Draftkings puts up 100 yards with a TD
  • On FanDuel has a multi-TD game
    
    Pro Tip: 70% of TEs who meet the above criteria are favorites. Remember, home favorites do best.
    
• Quality TEs who come off bad games are worth considering. They have lower salaries and lower ownership. That creates better value.
• If you don’t stack a QB-WR1, stacking QB-TE adds extra value. But rarely should you stack both.

Best Value TE Plays From Latest Season