The excitement of the fantasy football playoffs was but a fleeting moment as everyone’s attention has, sadly, been dragged toward tracking the vast number of COVID-19 cases that have been reported throughout the NFL.

Every skill position has been hit hard and the main problem, aside from the obvious, is that your waiver wire is barren. Whether your leaguemates are being proactive and building up their bench depth or your league is both deep and competitive, there are very few helpful names out there.

It is unlikely that you will find running backs or wide receivers with enough upside to make a difference on your roster, but the tight end position, long discarded by most, still has a few names who may be of service to your playoff needs.

The two teams that have been hit the hardest to date have been the Cleveland Browns and Washington. Football Team. Both will be using third-string quarterbacks behind makeshift offensive lines, and both have lost important offensive weapons along the way. To counter the expected blitzes, the passing game for each team should be shortened up with a lean on the tight end position, which should help increase the targets for Cleveland’s David Njoku and Washington’s Ricky Seals-Jones.

With wide receiver Jarvis Landry and starting tight end Austin Hooper on the reserve/COVID list, as well as third-string tight end Harrison Bryant dealing an ankle injury, Njoku is likely to be a focal point of any passing attack the Browns can muster. He was averaging between 3-4 targets per game and has three touchdowns on the season, but with little competition for targets, he could double his average with just one game. And with the amount of red-zone plays he was already involved in before, his fantasy value could spike significantly, especially against a Raiders team that allows the second-most fantasy points per game to the tight end position.

Seals-Jones is in a similar spot in Washington. Third-string quarterback Garrett Gilbert was just picked up off the scrap heap and will be thrust into a starting role. Washington’s offense already affords its starting tight end with nearly 100 percent of the snaps, and Gilbert is likely to lean on Seals-Jones, especially when the Eagles are allowing the most fantasy points per game to tight ends. The two will have just a few days to work on their timing but should prove to be reasonably effective.

You’re going to see quite a bit of ugliness in many fantasy playoff teams starting lineups this week, but better ugly than a zero. If you are in need of some fill-ins for your flex play, the tight end position may be your only hope. Skate by however you can this week. You need all the help you can get.

Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @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 advice.