ClutchPoints
As fantasy football managers navigate the challenging Week 8 landscape, the tight end position presents both opportunity and peril. With six teams on bye—including elite options like Trey McBride, Sam LaPorta, and Brock Bowers—the tight end pool has become significantly shallower. This creates a perfect storm where managers must dig deeper into their research to find viable options while also identifying which seemingly attractive plays could burn them. The key to success lies in understanding matchup dynamics, recent usage trends, and offensive schemes that favor tight end involvement. Let’s break down the non-obvious tight end decisions that could make or break your fantasy week.
The rookie sensation out of Bowling Green has quietly emerged as one of the most consistent tight ends over the past month. With 32 receptions for 290 yards and one touchdown through seven games, Fannin has carved out a legitimate role in Cleveland’s passing attack. His connection with fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel has been particularly strong, and with David Njoku potentially sidelined by a knee injury, Fannin could see even more targets against a Patriots defense that has been vulnerable to tight ends this season. In Week 7 against Miami, Fannin easily led the Browns in receiving despite difficult weather conditions, hauling in four catches for 36 yards on five targets.
The Patriots rank among the more favorable matchups for tight ends, allowing consistent production throughout the season. Fannin’s 16.5 percent target share over the past two weeks with Gabriel under center demonstrates his growing importance to the offense. What makes this start recommendation particularly appealing is Fannin’s yards per route run efficiency of 1.57, which indicates quality targets rather than just volume-based production. Against a New England defense that struggles to cover athletic tight ends down the seam, Fannin represents an excellent TE1 option with upside beyond his current modest ownership levels.
After three consecutive underwhelming performances with fewer than 30 receiving yards, Johnson exploded back onto the fantasy scene in Week 7 with five receptions for 79 yards on seven targets against the Bears. This resurgence came at the perfect time as fantasy managers desperately search for reliable tight end options during the brutal bye week stretch. Johnson’s yardage total was his best since Week 1 of the season, and his target share jumped dramatically after weeks of being an afterthought in the Saints’ passing game. What makes Johnson particularly appealing for Week 8 is his matchup against a Tampa Bay defense that has been notoriously generous to tight ends all season long.
The veteran tight end tied Chris Olave for the team lead in receptions while operating as the clear second option in receiving yards. Johnson’s involvement was particularly encouraging considering both Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau were available, yet offensive coordinator Kellen Moore still prioritized getting Johnson involved. The Buccaneers have allowed consistent tight end production, making this an...
