The road to a fantasy football championship is long and arduous, and it doesn’t get any easier when players get injured right when the playoffs start.

It has been difficult enough to navigate the tight end position this year, but when two of the top 10 at the position get hurt at this time of the year, it becomes even more cumbersome.

With news that Evan Engram will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum and David Njoku expected to miss this week’s game with a hamstring injury, fantasy managers are scrambling to find help on their waiver wire.

Finding replacement value might seem impossible, but other injuries have seemingly opened up a few options.

Before we dive too deep, understand that tight ends such as Hunter Henry, Zach Ertz and Pat Freiermuth should be your first look. All three have seen a strong target share on their respective teams, and each one is a must-add if you lost either Engram or Njoku.

Sometimes the best solution is staring you right in the face.

If none of those three are available, start your deep-dive with Stone Smartt of the Chargers. Starter Will Dissly is out this week with a shoulder injury, which puts Smartt atop the depth chart against Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers have had difficulty defending the middle of the field all year and rank 27th in DVOA against the position, allowing an average of 66.8 receiving yards per game to them.

They also allow the sixth-most fantasy points per game to the tight end, so with Ladd McConkey nursing an injury and the other receivers remaining unreliable, Smartt is expected to see a significant target share both in and out of the red zone.

You also can look to Saints tight end Juwan Johnson, who took over for the injured Taysom Hill. Last week, Johnson caught four of five targets for 50 yards and a touchdown.

New Orleans is going with Jake Haener at quarterback, and he is expected to lean on his tight end, especially facing a Commanders team that ranks 21st against the position and allows an average of 11.2 fantasy points per game to them in full-point PPR formats.

His teammate Foster Moreau might also be worth a look, should Johnson’s recent foot issue crop up again.

If all else fails, take a look at Seattle’s Noah Fant. He is further down the target pecking order for the Seahawks, but his matchup against the Packers is extremely favorable and could land him with some extra looks.

Betting on the NFL?

Green Bay struggles to cover the tight end and rank 29th in DVOA, allowing the eighth-most fantasy points per game to the position. As a big, wide-bodied tight end, Fant could be a strong end zone target.

Though losing talented players such as Engram and Njoku hurts, all is not lost. We’ve seen deep-dives produce for fantasy managers throughout the season. Find any one of the six mentioned here, and you will be putting yourself in a strong position to win your matchup.

Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football news and advice.