Brenton Strange, Chig Okonkwo, And 2 More Week 1 Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups

Heading into Week 1, most fantasy football managers likely drafted a tight end who should be a sure-fire starter for opening weekend. However, the waiver wire is always a place to check for value and potential, especially if you elected to load up on other skill position players and utilize a tight end streaming strategy.

For those streamers out there looking for a spot-start, there are plenty of options that are available in over 75% of ESPN fantasy leagues currently. You may even find a player who is worth keeping on the roster, and five stand out as potential fantasy starters.

Jacksonville Jaguars Brenton Strange (Owned in 18.3% of ESPN Leagues)

Now a starting tight end in Jacksonville with Evan Engram in Denver with the Broncos, Brenton Strange has a juicy Week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Strange and the Jaguars face a Panthers team that gave up the most touchdowns last season to tight ends with 11.

Across most fantasy formats, the Panthers were a bottom-five unit against the tight end, and Strange looks to start his third NFL season with a bang. Even behind Engram last season, he caught 40 passes on 53 targets for a very solid 75.5% catch rate. When targeted, he helped quarterbacks to a 109.9 rating in 2024, and could be a smart addition to not just stream start Week 1, but be a season-long sleeper for fantasy managers.

5 Tight Ends worth adding in fantasy football before Week 1:

• Chig Okonkwo (78% available)
• Brenton Strange (79%)
• Theo Johnson (94%)
• Mason Taylor (89%)
• Isaiah Likely (82%)

Who do you prefer most?
— SAL VETRI (@SalVetriDFS) September 1, 2025

Tennessee Titans Chig Okonkwo (Owned in 11.3% of ESPN Leagues)

Entering his fourth professional season, Chig Okonkwo has had a solid three seasons for the Tennessee Titans. A career catch rate of 71.5, Okonkwo could be a very reliable target for rookie quarterback Cam Ward. Although touchdowns were limited, with just six over his three seasons so far, Okonkwo had 54 catches in 2023 and 52 in 2024.

The Titans don’t have many viable wide receiver weapons beyond Calvin Ridley, so Okonkwo could work in to Ward’s plans and see plenty of targets. Although the matchup against Denver is one of the league’s better defenses, Okonkwo could see a lot of passes his way as Ridley could be blanketed by top-tier cover cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Okonkwo could make for a very good Week 1 waiver-wire add with a full season outlook in mind.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cade Otton (Owned in 20.9% of ESPN Leagues)

Although battling a leg injury, Tampa Bay’s Cade Otton did return to practice this week and hopefully will play Sunday. He had a respectable season in 2024 with 59 receptions, 600 yards, and four touchdowns. He increased his production steadily since his 2022 rookie season, and performed well in games when the Buccaneers were missing their top targets.

During a three-game span when both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin were out due to injury, Otton averaged 9.7 targets, 7.3 receptions and scored three touchdowns in that stretch, including a pair of scores to start that run against the Atlanta Falcons Week 8.

As it happens, Otton and the Buccaneers face the Falcons on Sunday to open the season, and Atlanta was a bottom-third defense last season against the tight end. Being available in nearly 80% of ESPN leagues, Otton can make for a sneaky waiver-wire add and Week 1 start if you are light at the position from draft day.

With Godwin out, as well as second-year Jalen McMillian, Otton could be Baker Mayfield’s third option behind Evans and rookie Emeka Egbuka, assuming he is healthy, but adding him from the waiver wire could be a smart move when planning for the full season.

Miami Dolphins Darren Waller (Owned in 22.4% of ESPN Leagues)

Although new Miami Dolphins' tight end Darren Waller hasn't practiced much, nor played in any preseason action, he is expected to play Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. Waller is back from retirement in 2024 after the Dolphins made a trade with the New York Giants, and he reunites with his Raiders offensive coordinator, Frank Smith, from his best seasons back in 2019 and 2020.

Waller replaces Jonnu Smith, who was traded to Pittsburgh over the summer, and he could be a red zone threat for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. In addition to his scoring ability close to the endzone, Waller is more of a slot pass-catching option than an inline blocking tight end, so he could help Miami make up some of those 111 targets lost in the Smith deal.

The Week 1 matchup against the Colts is enticing, as Indianapolis was a bottom-five defense last season in fantasy against tight ends, giving up nine touchdowns on the year as well as nearly 10 points per game on average.