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In the final gut punch to an up-and-down sophomore NFL season, Raiders tight end Brock Bowers was placed on injured reserve Wednesday to rest a knee injury that's lingered since Week 1.
Bowers landed on the list of greatest fantasy games ever with his gorgeous Week 9 stat line of 12 catches, 127 yards, and 3 touchdowns (43.3 PPR points), but he's also endured that knee issue, Chip Kelly's woes as an offensive coordinator, and the Raiders' general ineptitude.
The Georgia alum was starting to find a groove again after Kelly was replaced as OC by TE-friendly Greg Olson, but that progess has now been cut short.
Meanwhile, the 49ers' George Kittle (ankle sprain) is uncertain to play against the Bears.
Kittle has a chance to suit up, because it isn't a high-ankle sprain, but fantasy players in their playoff finals who roster Bowers definitely must pivot.
Read about which players have the best shot to cover for Bowers and possibly Kittle during fantasy football championship week.
Replacing Brock Bowers, George Kittle: Fantasy TEs to add for Week 17 championship games
Check for these names first. They're widely rostered -- but maybe they're available in shallow leagues:
- Harold Fannin Jr., Browns (74%) vs. Steelers
- Brenton Strange, Jaguars (60%) at Colts
- Juwan Johnson, Saints (68%) at Titans
Have you checked? OK, let's dig deeper:
1. Taysom Hill, Saints (12%) vs. Titans
This could be the biggest risk-reward play of your entire season -- but it has a foundation to work.
Hill's versatility is taking on a new element with Alvin Kamara and Devin Neal having already missed time and questionable for Week 17.
The Audric Estime-Evan Hull duo hasn't done much to derail New Orleans' trust in its Swiss Army Knife. Hill's contributions as a rusher, receivers, and, yes, quarterback, he could stumble into double-digit fantasy points.
Given the low floor of many tight end options, desperate players replacing Bowers or Kittle would be grateful.
2. Colston Loveland, Bears (43%) at 49ers
Kittle's Week 17 opponent could find himself in epic fantasy position to deliver a huge week, especially if receivers Rome Odunze (foot) and Luther Burden (ankle) miss another week of action.
The Niners leak points to tight ends with midrange-or-worse safety and linebacker coverage. While the Bears' offense has become the DJ Moore-D'Andre Swift-Kyle Monangai Show most weeks, the rookie tight end should find himself with plenty of opportunities for yards after the catch.
3. Darren Waller, Dolphins (52%) vs. Buccaneers
A borderline inclusion at barely more than 50%, the veteran is one week removed from a 7-66-2 gem, and he'll line up against another defense that leaks significant production to tight ends.
The Bucs rank in the 10 best TE fantasy matchups this year, and Waller is likely the second or third receiving target in this offense. Whether Quinn Ewers or Tua Tagovailoa starts, Waller will stay involved.
4. Cade Otton, Buccaneers (28%) at Dolphins
Despite erratic production Otton ranks fourth among all tight ends with 476 routes run, trailing only Trey McBride, Travis Kelce, and Kyle Pitts, per SumerSports. This trend may be hindered by the improving health of Bucs wide receivers, but that shouldn't cause us to blindly ignore this matchup.
Otton's role is shaky, but the Dolphins' defense is a top-10 fantasy doormat to the position, averaging 19.5 PPR points per game to TEs in the past four weeks.
5. Oronde Gadsden, Chargers (46%) vs. Texans
Speaking of exciting yet disappointing players, Gadsden -- one of our honorable mentions for best waiver wire pickups of 2025 -- has all but disappeared, scoring more than 10 PPR points just once since Week 9.
But if the Bolts could find an advantage against arguably the league's best pass defense, it's through the tight end.
For all his usage woes, Gadsden still ranks 10th among all tight ends with 1.74 yards per route run, which solidifies his upside if he breaks off one or two big plays against a linebacker.
If you're running out of options, it's worth the dart throw.
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