Fantasy Football Week 7 Start 'Em Sit 'Em: Cade Otton vs Harold Fannin Jr.

Cade Otton and Harold Fannin Jr. are two high-upside tight end streamers that can provide great fill-in value to your fantasy football roster.

Oct 5, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (88) reacts after making a catch against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Bye week season is underway and we all begin our streaming struggles. Whether it is a running back, wide receiver, or tight end, we must be sharp in our analysis. The smallest of margins can determine a win or a loss. With riskier players should demand the chase for upside, and that is how we generally approach the waiver wire. Two top tight ends right now happen to be Cade Otton and Harold Fannin Jr. In the face of injuries, they have opportunities to fill in for your team this week. The are the focus of our start 'em sit 'em article today.

The Case for Cade Otton

Fantasy Sports On SI Week 7 Ranking: TE13

The fifth option in Tampa Bay is Cade Otton. However, two of his counterparts are out this week. That is Emeka Egbuka, and Chris Godwin. Mike Evans is questionable, but may be limited if active. What that means is that Otton will be a prime target this week for Baker Mayfield

Otton is the sole tight end on this roster that has caught a single pass this season. His target share has come to 11%, resulting in 166 Yards on 15 Catches. His ADOT is 11.1 Yards, so it does show that Otton has moderate explosive ability compared to other tight ends.

Baker Mayfield is working with Otton has his tight end and to his outsides, it will be Sterling Shepard, Tez Johnson, and Ryan Miller. We have seen that Mayfield will throw the ball regardless of who is pass-catchers are and so, value is warranted. We can expect Otton to linger on exceeding 20% in his target share this week, although a hot hand may take the reigns, proving some volatility.

Targets per route without Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka on the field since 2024:
+ Mike Evans (32%)
+ Bucky/Rachaad (20%)
+ Cade Otton (18%)

— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) October 16, 2025

The NFL only has five tight ends with target shares over 20% this season. By default, Otton could literally be a borderline top five tight end this week. He is definitely a startable streamer with high upside.

The Case for Harold Fannin Jr.

Fantasy Sports On SI Week 7 Ranking: TE9

As discussed in our Njoku injury article, Fannin Jr. has moderately increased upside this week. The Browns will be hosting the Dolphins — a poor defense — but in extreme windy, rainy conditions. This forces a very simplified, run-heavy playbook. If the weather weren't a factor, Fannin Jr could have tremendous upside, but he becomes limited by the skies.

The Browns are the number one offense in regards to tight end targets. In a simplified playbook, that should remain and get Fannin Jr very involved this week. The hard stop will come with the weather. The Browns pass the ball 65% of the time and now, this may dip well below 50% in Week 7 given the forecast.

Fannin Jr has a target share of 17% and an ADOT of 9.1 Yards. A moderate estimate this week would anticipate that he rises up to 25%, or so, of targets. However, the team may see a 20-40% reduction in passes. This offsets the increase in targets. The route for success here is if the weather is subdued during game hours, but that does not project likely. This game looks to be a highly risky matchup that I would rather avoid.

Start 'Em Sit 'Em: Cade Otton vs Harold Fannin Jr.

Risk and upside both clearly favor Otton this week. For that reason, he is a fantastic waiver wire add and lineup fill in this week. Should Godwin and Egbuka continue to miss time, he could have multi-week value. In my estimation, Otton is among the best waiver wire pickups of the week, if not the season.