It's a testament to the leap Jonnu Smith has made early in the 2020 NFL season that we're even discussing the idea of a "fill-in option for Jonnu Smith". This is a tight end who was drafted long after the single-digit rounds and well after guys like Rob Gronkowski, Austin Hooper, and Chris Herndon. I chose those names specifically because Smith, the No. 2 tight end in Fantasy, has outscored Gronkowski, Hooper, and Herndon combined this season. So when you go to find a different option for Week 4 you're going to want to hold on to Smith.
The first name you're going to want to look for on the waiver wire is Dalton Schultz and it's not particularly close. Schultz has 16 targets in two games without Blake Jarwin and he plays for a Cowboys team that leads the NFL in pass attempts. If he's rostered, things get much more difficult.
Logan Thomas is next in my PPR projections. I love his targets, but his quarterback and matchup this week are absolutely dreadful. In non-PPR the next man up would be Jimmy Graham, but he's facing a Colts defense that has only allowed one tight end in three games to reach double digits in yards. Yards, not points.
At this stage of the game it may just be best to pray for a touchdown. If that's your preferred strategy, Robert Tonyan plays for the highest scoring team in the league and they just so happen to be facing the worst defense in the league. I'll rank my top-five options in PPR below.
More Week 4 Previews: QB | RB | WR | TE
Week 4 TE Preview
The following players are not being projected to play Week 4 at this time. Here's what it means:
George Kittle is back, so Reed was probably a drop anyway.
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This makes Zach Ertz a top five tight end again.
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Numbers to Know
- 24 -- Jimmy Graham was the No. 1 tight end in Week 3 with 24 Fantasy points. He's getting harder to ignore in Chicago.
- 22.2 -- It's been another week, and Mo Alie-Cox is still averaging more than 20 yards per reception.
- 5 -- Mike Gesicki and Logan Thomas both have five red-zone targets. Only Graham (7) has more among tight ends.
- 36 -- Robert Tonyan had 36 yards after the catch in Week 3. He had 25 receiving yards in the first two weeks combined.
Matchups that matter
We're going through every matchup on the schedule for Week 4 on the Fantasy Football Today podcast. Subscribe at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts:
Waiver Wire Targets
While there are a lot of mouths to feed in Dallas, Dak Prescott leads the league in pass attempts, so there's also plenty to go around. And the Browns have already allowed three tight ends to score double-digit Fantasy points. Schultz could very well stop your streaming for the season.
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Thomas has at least seven targets in every game this season. He has an elite 23.3% target share. We just have to hope either Dwayne Haskins improves or Ron Rivera pulls the plug soon.
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I really don't believe this is going to end well, but Graham is the No. 7 tight end in Fantasy and currently ranks second on the Bears in targets. You could do a lot worse for a streamer.
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There should be fireworks for the Packers against the Falcons and Tonyan has seen his targets go up each week.
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His efficiency is certain to regress but it's possible the targets will go up with Parris Campbell and Michael Pittman out of the picture. If nothing else it looks like he's surpassed Jack Doyle as the No. 1 tight end on the Colts.
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DFS Plays
If you're going to go cheap at tight end, Schultz is the way to go. The Cowboys are one of a handful of teams on the slate with an implied total near 30, but his ownership should be held down by the prevalence of the Cowboys receivers in DFS lineups. Schultz flashed 20-point upside in Week 2 and the Browns are tied for the fourth most Fantasy points allowed to tight ends this season.
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Heath's Projections
So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 4 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big-time last season.
