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USATSI

If you showed patience with Mark Andrews, you're being rewarded. Over the past two weeks, Andrews is the number two tight end in Fantasy, and in Week 7, we saw him share the team lead in targets for the first time all season. If you're a Fantasy manager with Sam LaPorta on your roster, you should take note.

In the first run of projections this week, LaPorta did not project as a top-20 tight end in any format. And you know what? Of course, he didn't. He has three targets in his last two games combined. He has not topped four catches or 53 yards in a game all season. Still, I would be patient. It may not be much longer.

That's at least partially because Jameson Williams has been suspended for two games. Williams is second on the team with a 17.2% target share, while LaPorta lags well behind at 9.8%. For at least the next two weeks, there will be more opportunities. Hopefully, LaPorta will take advantage. 

Speaking of opportunities, another part of the problem is that there haven't been many in Detroit this year. Jared Goff is averaging just 29 pass attempts per game. That's partially because the Lions have gone more run-heavy but also because he has a higher sack rate, and he's averaging 9.3 yards per attempt, both of which lower play volume. I would expect some evenings in that regard as well, which lead to more opportunities. 

I'm faking LaPorta's ranking for at least one more week and encouraging those who drafted him to remain patient.

Here's everything else you need to know about tight end in Week 8:

Week 8 TE Preview
TE Preview
Who's Out

The following players are not being projected to play in Week 8 at this time. Here's what it means:

LV Las Vegas • #84
Age: 26 • Experience: 5 yrs.
Brock Bowers is dominating tight end targets and targets overall for the Raiders. That should continue.
TE Preview
Numbers to Know
  • 25.1% -- Brock Bowers leads all tight ends with a 25.1% target share this season. He's the TE1 in both redraft and Dynasty.
  • 2.29 -- Will Dissly is averaging 2.29 yards per route run, second only to Dallas Goedert at the position.
  • 19.5% -- Hunter Henry leads the Patriots with a 19.5% target share. The whole pie got bigger when Drake Maye took over, and Henry looks like a top-10 tight end.
  • 7 -- Isaiah Likely leads all tight ends with seven end zone targets.
  • 14 -- David Njoku saw 14 targets in his first game without Amari Cooper. He looks like a top-five tight end.
TE Preview
Matchups that matter
KC Kansas City • #87
Age: 35 • Experience: 12 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ LV KC -9.5 O/U 41.5
OPP VS TE
8th
PROJ PTS
16.5
TE RNK
6th
YTD Stats
REC
28
TAR
36
REYDS
245
TD
0
FPTS/G
8.8
ATL Atlanta • #8
Age: 24 • Experience: 4 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ TB ATL -2.5 O/U 46
OPP VS TE
23rd
PROJ PTS
9.4
TE RNK
9th
YTD Stats
REC
25
TAR
37
REYDS
328
TD
1
FPTS/G
9.1
DAL Dallas • #87
Age: 25 • Experience: 3 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
@ SF SF -4.5 O/U 46.5
OPP VS TE
14th
PROJ PTS
9.3
TE RNK
4th
YTD Stats
REC
25
TAR
34
REYDS
240
TD
0
FPTS/G
9.8
TE Preview
Waiver Wire Targets
Week 7 Streamers (TE Preview)
NE New England • #85
Age: 30 • Experience: 9 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
vs NYJ NYJ -7 O/U 41.5
OPP VS TE
9th
TE RNK
10th
ROSTERED
57%
YTD Stats
REC
27
TAR
39
REYDS
313
TD
1
FPTS/G
9.2
It doesn't take a math degree to see what has happened for Henry. He's led the team with about a 20% target share with both Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye. But 20% of Maye's 259.5 yards per game is a lot more enticing than 20% of Brissett's 139.2.
TB Tampa Bay • #88
Age: 25 • Experience: 3 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
vs ATL ATL -2.5 O/U 46
OPP VS TE
15th
TE RNK
8th
ROSTERED
41%
YTD Stats
REC
27
TAR
41
REYDS
263
TD
1
FPTS/G
8.2
Otton has a legitimate chance to be a top-10 tight end for the next three weeks while the team is without Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Otton saw 10 targets and scored 18 Fantasy points on Monday night when the duo was injured.
TE Preview
DFS Plays
Top DFS Play
Projections powered by Sportsline
CLE Cleveland • #85
Age: 28 • Experience: 8 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
vs BAL BAL -9.5 O/U 44.5
OPP VS TE
27th
PROJ PTS
10.3
TE RNK
3rd
YTD Stats
REC
20
TAR
29
REYDS
165
TD
1
FPTS/G
10.6
Njoku's price hasn't adjusted to his new reality. We expect Jameis Winston to start, and we expect Winston to be better than Watson has been this season. Winston has also traditionally been more likely to target tight ends than Watson. Without Cooper and against a pass-funnel defense that just allowed Cade Otton to score 18 Fantasy points, expect Njoku to be the best cash game option in DFS. I'll play him in some tournaments as well, even with his projected high roster rate.
Contrarian DFS Play
Projections powered by Sportsline
MIA Miami • #9
Age: 29 • Experience: 8 yrs.
Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP
vs ARI MIA -3 O/U 46.5
OPP VS TE
19th
PROJ PTS
8.2
TE RNK
19th
YTD Stats
REC
21
TAR
28
REYDS
236
TD
1
FPTS/G
8.4
The projections love Jonnu this week, largely because he's seen 15 targets in the past two weeks. We think with Tua Tagovailoa back that, the targets will go back to Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De'Von Achane. But at his very low price and very low projected roster rate, I want at least a little bit of Smith in DFS tournaments. The Dolphins may have found something they don't want to put back in the bag.
TE Preview
Heath's Projections

My full set of Week 8 Fantasy football projections for every position are now available on SportsLine. You can find them here. Find out which of my favorite plays are projected to score higher than consensus rankings and which don't live up to their draft hype, at least in Week 8. Projected stats for all starting tight ends are available, so be sure to check out the full set of projections at SportsLine.