Fantasy football waiver wire, Week 6: Tight end rankings

Week 5 of the 2017 regular season is just about coming to a close with the Monday Night game remaining. Most fantasy football leagues will run their waiver wires late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but we are here to help you get a jump on the best options to consider.

We will be ranking the top five players likely to be available in your league at each of the four major positions. Some weeks there might not be five good options available, but we’ll scour for the best we can find. Additionally, throughout the week, we will update each of these articles as ownership percentages change and news arrives. The following ownership percentages come via CBS Sportsline entering Week 5.

David Njoku, Cleveland Browns (9 percent ownership)

Njoku has a total of 12 receptions through five games. So why are we listing him here? Because three of those grabs have gone for touchdowns, including another one on Sunday against the Jets. Seth DeValve had one more target from the tight end spot, but Njoku is clearly the red-zone receiver in Hue Jackson’s offense. In a bye-week pinch, there’s nothing wrong with a quick six points in your lineup.

Ed Dickson, Carolina Panthers (8)

He’s no Greg Olsen, but who cares when Dickson is erupting for 175 yards on just five catches. Historians will forever struggle to figure out how a guy with a 5/175 line did not find the end zone, but 22 fantasy PPR points are 22 fantasy points, no matter how you get them. Dickson had a nice game last week against the Patriots, so this could be the start of something now that Cam Newton has apparently gotten his game back together.

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers (1)

Kittle finally had his breakout game in Indianapolis, catching seven passes for 83 yards and his first career touchdown. It was his first big game but probably not his last. Kittle is a nice bye-week fill-in and a potential stash-and-hope if you have the roster space. The 49ers like this guy as a pass-catcher, so he has upside.

Darren Fells, Detroit Lions (0)

We expected there to be a successful fantasy tight end in Detroit. We just didn’t know it would be Fells, who turned both of his receptions into touchdowns against the Panthers. Fells put up a 4/40 line last week, so this doesn’t appear to be a fluke, even if Eric Ebron is presumably still the main tight end here. If there’s a changing of the guard going on, Fells has huge upside going forward. Keep an eye on the chatter in Detroit as your waiver deadline approaches.

Nick O’Leary, Buffalo Bills (0)

Word is still out on the severity of Charles Clay’s knee injury, but if Clay is to miss time, O’Leary appears ready to fill the void, putting up a 5/54 line after Clay departed Sunday’s game. Keep an eye on news out of Buffalo, as Clay could be missing time here.