Fantasy Sports

Colston Loveland, Theo Johnson Among Best Fantasy Football Week 9 Tight End Streamers

Explore four tight ends poised to deliver in favorable Week 9 fantasy matchups.
Michael Rovetto|
Aug 22, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland (84) runs with the ball against Kansas City Chiefs safety Jaden Hicks (21) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Aug 22, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland (84) runs with the ball against Kansas City Chiefs safety Jaden Hicks (21) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

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Chicago BearsWashington CommandersNew York GiantsSeattle Seahawks

The tight end position has long been one of the most unpredictable lineup slots in fantasy football. 

Outside of the few elite names, week-to-week production can be inconsistent, leaving managers frustrated and often scrambling for answers. That makes streaming — a tactic that utilizes the waiver wire to start players based on favorable matchups each week — a viable and sometimes necessary strategy.

By targeting matchups, opportunity and red-zone usage, streaming tight ends can help managers squeeze value out of a position that rarely offers much beyond the top tier. Instead of being locked into a low-ceiling option, streaming opens the door to finding upside plays who can deliver at the right time.

Week 9 of the NFL season presents a fresh slate and several opportunities for managers seeking to optimize their lineups. Here are four streaming options that could pay off for fantasy football managers. 

*Percentage denotes player’s roster rate on ESPN and Yahoo*

Zach Ertz (Commanders) vs. Seahawks (ESPN: 62% Yahoo: 72%)

Ertz has had a surprisingly solid fantasy campaign thus far. A big reason for that is that he already has four touchdown receptions, tied for fourth among tight ends. Ertz is coming off a rough performance on Monday night. He caught 4-of-6 targets for 16 yards and even had a bad drop. However, he has a prime opportunity to bounce back in Week 9 with a great matchup and Terry McLaurin being out. The Seahawks allow the eighth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. With Jayden Daniels set to practice in full all week, he should return as well.  

Theo Johnson (Giants) vs. 49ers (ESPN: 28% Yahoo: 29%)

Johnson has been one of Jaxson Dart’s favorite targets since making his debut. Like Ertz, he has four touchdowns this season, tying him for fourth among tight ends. He has benefited from Malik Nabers’ injury and will now potentially see more usage on the goal line with Cam Skattebo being out for the season. The matchup against the 49ers is also better than it looks on paper. With injuries to Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, San Francisco struggles to get pressure. It allowed the 11th-most passing yards per game and was just carved up by the Texans and C.J. Stroud without Nico Collins in the lineup.  

Colston Loveland (Bears) @ Bengals (ESPN: 24% Yahoo: 23%)

Loveland has been a massive disappointment this season, but he has two factors working massively in his favor in Week 9. The Bengals are by far the worst team at guarding tight ends. They allow the most fantasy points per game, the most yards (594) and touchdowns (10) to the position. Cole Kmet is also questionable with a back injury after missing his first career game last week. Loveland caught 3-of-5 targets for 38 yards vs. the Ravens last week in another prime opportunity, but he has another chance this week.  

AJ Barner (Seahawks) @ Commanders (ESPN: 9% Yahoo: 9%)

Barner makes for a solid deeper-league dart throw. He’s the third tight end on the list with four scores, but he is a bit more touchdown-dependent than the others. Elijah Arroyo has also become a bigger part of the Seahawks offense. However, Barner is the one to play out of the two, and he matches up against a Commanders defense that allows the fifth-most fantasy points to tight ends per game. Barner should see plenty of red-zone opportunities this week and continue to be a reliable streamer. 

Check out our Week 9 tight end must-starts, weekly tight end rankings and tight end waiver wire pickups. 

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Michael Rovetto
MICHAEL ROVETTO

Michael Rovetto previously served as the staff writer for University of Maryland Athletics for nearly two years. There, he wrote, edited and managed all editorial content for all 20 of Maryland's varsity sports on umterps.com. Rovetto is recognized as a College Sports Communicators district award-winning writer. Many of his stories have also appeared on NCAA.org, garnering national attention. Before graduating from Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism in December 2023, Rovetto wrote for PressBox and Terrapin Sports Central, covering Maryland men's basketball and football. He also has experience in broadcasting, previously working as an analyst and camera operator for Big State Sports, and communication, interning for Shell Shock TBT as its Director of Communication & Content Development.

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