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For the Philadelphia Eagles, Week 10 was when everything came crashing down for them. Not only did they pick up their first loss of the season against the Washington Commanders, but they also lost tight end Dallas Goedert to a shoulder injury, which is reportedly set to force him to miss an extended period of time. Not only will the Eagles have to scramble now, but so too will fantasy football owners.
In fantasy football, tight ends are a valuable source of points, simply because there aren't many tight ends who are overly productive in the NFL nowadays. While Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews will draw all the attention at the position, Goedert slots in close behind them as a solid fantasy football option who didn't require nearly as much draft capital for fantasy managers on draft day.
But with Goedert now set to miss time, fantasy owners must find a suitable replacement for Goedert, which is going to be much easier said than done. Let's take a look at the fantasy football impact of Goedert's injury, before taking a look at the different options you have in replacing him for the remainder of the season.
Fantasy football impact of Dallas Goedert's injury
Prior to being forced out of the Eagles first loss of the season with his injury, Goedert had been putting together the best season of his career. Goedert's numbers (43 REC, 544 YDS, 3 TD) had him on pace to set career-highs across the board. He may still be able to set career-highs in receptions and touchdowns, but Goedert will likely come up short of breaking his yardage total now that's forced to miss time.
Prior to his injury, Goedert had been the fourth best tight end using ESPN's standard PPR fantasy scoring system. In terms of average points per game, though, Goedert was the third best tight end, so it's clear that his absence is going to put fantasy owners in quite a bind moving forward.
Finding a suitable tight end replacement for Goedert at this stage of the game is going to be a lot easier said than done. With Goedert out, Grant Calcaterra seems to be his most likely replacement, but the 2022 sixth-round pick only has one catch for 40 yards on the season. You aren't going to be able to rely on him much, especially with Jalen Hurts likely to lean heavily on A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in the passing game now.
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There isn't an exact timeline on Goedert's injury right now, so moving on from him entirely is not the right move. Until his status gets cleared up, holding onto him on the bench is the most logical option. If he's out for the season or most of it, you can definitely move on from him then, but given the value of tight ends right now, there's no sense releasing Goedert prematurely if you don't have to.
For the most part, you will likely have to go to the free agent pool to find a replacement for Goedert. The options aren't particularly encouraging, but they could hold you over until his potential return. And sometimes, you can unearth gems on the waiver wire when others aren't paying attention.
The best option, if he's a free agent, would be Dawson Knox, as he's available in over 35 percent of leagues right now. Knox has the benefit of being a solid red zone threat in one of the most dangerous offenses in the league. His production has varied this season, but Knox is likely the safest option you will have at this point, and that's if he is even available.
Behind him are guys like Cole Kmet, Mike Gesicki, and Hayden Hurst. Kmet has become a very popular waiver wire addition, due to the fact that he has scored four touchdowns in the Chicago Bears past two games, and if he's still available in your leagues, he could be a fantastic addition if he continues playing at this rate. Gesicki and Hurst are solid red zone options as well, but their lack of consistency is why they are largely available.
Kmet's recent hot streak may make him the most valuable option here, so if you can add him, he may be the best option to replace Goedert. There's still hope that Goedert can return, but if not, your best bet may be riding the waiver wire and seeing if anyone sticks. Right now, Kmet looks like the most likely guy to stick, but it's clear he's still not nearly as consistent as Goedert, which makes him a scary play if you decide to start him.
But that's how fantasy football works, and it will be interesting to see if anyone can fully emerge as a de facto replacement for Dallas Goedert throughout the remainder of the season.
