Justin Elick 
Last week saw even more injuries to the TE position again. Irv Smith Jr is now on the IR, Mike Gesicki found the end zone. George Kittle did what he does, and we are ready to move on to Week 9! We are officially at the midway point of the season (half way through the games at least).
Be sure to jump into the WinDailySports Discord, and take advantage of our cheat sheets and projections while you build your lineups for Week 8 on FanDuel and DraftKings! It would be the midway point of the season in a normal 16-game season already! Let’s find ourselves a few edges as we climb the leaderboards once again!
Zach Ertz, Cardinals ($5,100 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel)
After a short hiatus, we welcome Mr. Ertz back to the Tight End article. He draws the best matchup on the board against Seattle once again. Coincidentally, Arizona is now allowing the most fantasy points per game to opposing TE, but that matters little here. Seattle is still serving up 20+ fantasy points per game to TE, and Ertz was pretty much the only Cardinal who showed up in the first meeting (7-70).
DeAndre Hopkins is back, but Marquise Brown is on the shelf for the foreseeable future, so Ertz is still one of the top options in this offense. I’d be willing to wager we see more than 28 total points in the rematch here. Ertz is the most expensive option on both sites with Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce both on showdown slates. That doesn’t shy me away from him at all. I expect some fireworks here, and Ertz has a solid floor in this one.
Gerald Everett, Chargers ($4,800 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel)
Everett has seen 16 targets over his last two contests, and has built a solid rapport with Justin Herbert. Even better? Mike Williams has already been ruled OUT for this one. Keenan Allen seems to be behind schedule in his recovery from a hamstring injury. Behind Austin Ekeler, Everett may be the most reliable member of the Chargers offense on Sunday.
Only the aforementioned Seahawks and Cardinals have allowed more yardage to TE than the Falcons’ 552 this season. Increased looks are coming his way. He is averaging eight targets a game over the last two…this is a perfect storm for Everett. I will likely have Everett in a LOT of my lineups in Week 9.
Hayden Hurst, Bengals ($3,600 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel)
We all saw the disaster that was the Bengals’ offense on Monday Night Football. I’m far from a Zac Taylor apologist. When this offense has missed EITHER JaMarr Chase or Tee Higgins, Taylor has completely lost it. Enough about Zac. Hurst has been clear about how happy he is to be in Cincinnati and be part of something special. The Bengals have no choice but to win as much as possible the rest of the season.
Over his last five games, Hurst has posted 11.7, 17.3, 5.1, 10.8, and 8.2 DraftKings points. The Panthers have been middle of the pack against TE in 2022. Volume is king here once again, and I’d be stunned to see Hurst with less than 6 targets as a floor. Burrow will be looking his way early and often. With the way the Bengals defense is depleted right now, Carolina will likely make this one close. Hurst has a big ceiling here in my book.
Evan Engram, Jaguars ($3,300 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel)
I don’t know how you feel about the term “smash spot”, but regardless of your take, Engram is definitely in one this weekend. The Raiders have quietly been dominated by TE this season, allowing the 2nd-most TD (6), 2nd-most Red Zone targets (15), and the MOST goal-to-go targets (10).
Engram has flown under the radar big time this season, posting DraftKings totals of 12.9, 9, 10.7, and 15.5 over his last four games. After the hot start by Christian Kirk this season, the Jaguars WR have largely been a disappointment. They continue to lose games, which leads them into more obvious passing situations. Nobody has an idea what is going on with the Raiders, but they certainly aren’t mailing it in for the season yet. This one has sneaky shootout potential, and Engram is crazy cheap for his potential value.
James Mitchell, Lions ($2,500 DraftKings, $4,000 FanDuel)
I have found the ultimate punt play. With TJ Hockenson shipped out of town to division rival Minnesota, there are plenty of opportunities to be had in this Lions offense. Brock Wright is technically listed as the next man up here, but is dealing with a concussion.
Mitchell was a dual-threat in college at Virginia Tech, with five rushing and six receiving touchdowns over his final two seasons (20 games). Sure, this play could completely flop, but at this dead minimum salary, I’m banking on a payoff. Green Bay has been tough against opposing TE, but this is a play of opportunity and upside. The more I think about it, the more shares I want this weekend.
Come find me on Twitter and let’s chat some football! Good luck in Week 7, and let’s meet at the top of the leaderboards!
