Fantasy Football Week 2 Tight End Waivers: A Group of Touchdown Scorers and an Intriguing Rookie

Tight end is a tough position to decipher early in the fantasy football season because so many guys are dependent on catching a touchdown to be impact fantasy players. After one week, the guys at the top of the scoring list are those who happened to find the end zone in the first game, so sought-after players will change quickly.

Let's look at four of the top tight ends to add from the waiver wire after one week of NFL football. Most stats are from NFL.com, and fantasy points/rankings are from FantasyPros.

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Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers

Freiermuth was one of those who found the end zone in Week 1, catching five passes and 46 yards to go with that score. He has been a very middling player in his career, and that's fine; he has found a role. Freiermuth never really had a breakout after scoring seven touchdowns as a rookie, instead being a fairly consistent presence with a bit of a lower ceiling.

That means the matchup often dictates Freiermuth's fantasy value. In Week 2, he will face the Patriots, a team that allowed the 10th-fewest yards per pass attempt last season while sitting in the middle against tight ends in fantasy. Last Wednesday in the season opener, Drew Lock was able to play efficiently against New England, but tight end AJ Barner only caught two passes for 13 yards.

The matchup is middling at best, and Freiermuth probably isn't a long-term answer for your fantasy team. Freiermuth is more of a deep-league option who might be worth consideration when the matchup is right.

Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals

I listed Gesicki as a player to start in our Week 1 tight end start/sit because he had a fantastic matchup against the Buccaneers. Well, he made me look smart (a real chore) by catching five passes for 78 yards and a touchdown, each number leading his team.

Gesicki had a big year in 2021 with 73 catches and 780 yards, but he has never reached either of those numbers again, coming closest in 2024 (65 and 665). More often, he has been a middling or worse producer who has never scored more than six touchdowns in a season. He's another guy who is dependent on the matchup, and Gesicki probably had his best matchup of the season in Week 1.

He and the Bengals face the Texans this week, one of the best defensive teams in football a year ago. They allowed the seventh-fewest yards per pass attempt last season and the 12th-fewest fantasy points to tight ends. Dalton Kincaid was able to find success in Week 1 against Houston, catching five passes for 130 yards, so there is some hope, but I'm not excited to try a middling player against a team that devastated offenses last year.

Like Freiermuth, Gesicki is a guy to consider when the matchup is right, and while Kincaid torched Houston on Sunday, I'm not looking forward to trusting Gesicki in Week 2.

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints

Another guy who scored a touchdown on Sunday, Johnson had three catches and 54 yards. Johnson set new career highs with 77 receptions and 889 yards last season, so he has recent success on his resume. He has only scored more than four touchdowns once, but he's on the right track after the first week.

Tyler Shough threw the ball 56 times in Week 1, giving Johnson plenty of chances to catch the ball. That won't happen often, but Johnson can still be in position to be a real part of the offense each week. He will have more successful fantasy performances.

In Week 2, the Saints face the Ravens, a team that was average against the pass last season but shut down tight ends, allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points to the position. They were good against the Colts on Sunday also, holding Daniel Jones to just 5.4 yards per pass attempt. While Tyler Warren scored a touchdown, the highly regarded tight end only caught three passes for 13 yards; this is a tough matchup.

Johnson might be worth a spot on your roster, especially if you're in a little bit deeper league, but he won't be a weekly performer and is better deployed against the right teams. He's another guy who isn't necessarily a great pickup right now to play in Week 2.

Kenyon Sadiq, New York Jets

Sadiq was drafted in the first round by the Jets, so they surely see him as a part of the equation. While he scored a touchdown in Week 1, it actually came on a rush attempt rather than through the air. It all counts the same, but it's worth noting that Sadiq might get the ball in his hands in different ways.

Sadiq caught three passes for 21 yards; it would have been a disappointing fantasy day without that touchdown. He will have much better days, but this might also be a subpar offense, and there are other mouths to feed, particularly Garrett Wilson in the passing game.

The Jets face the Packers in Week 2, a team that was good against both the pass and tight ends last year. Green Bay got a bit embarrassed on Sunday, blowing a fourth quarter lead against the rival Vikings and eventually losing by 17 points. T.J. Hockenson caught four passes for 36 yards and scored a touchdown, ending up with a good fantasy score. There is hope for Sadiq in this one.

I'm hesitant to trust the Jets' passing game and a rookie tight end who hasn't shown a lot yet in the pros (not that he has had time). Sadiq is an intriguing player to pick up if you're in need at tight end, though, and could pay dividends.