Bills TE Dalton Kincaid is a sit this week. / Sports Illustrated
_Start ‘Em, Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups based on a PPR scoring system in fantasy football. This column will not cover the elite players in the NFL like Josh Allen, Bijan Robinson or Ja’Marr Chase. Instead, I'll look at the players who could exceed or fail to meet expectations at each position. For all of your final fantasy lineup decisions, be sure to check out my_ [_weekly player rankings,_](https://www.si.com/fantasy/week-1-fantasy-football-player-rankings-for-every-position-and-flex-dont-get-cute-with-starting-lineup-01k42v2gbxqh) _which will be updated daily throughout the 2025 NFL season._
1\. Trey McBride at Saints 2. Brock Bowers at Patriots3. George Kittle at Seahawks4. Sam LaPorta at Packers5. Travis Kelce at Chargers (Fri.)6. David Njoku vs. Bengals7. T.J. Hockenson at Bears (Mon.)8. Evan Engram vs. Titans9. Mark Andrews at Bills
10\. Tyler Warren vs. Dolphins
**David Njoku vs. Bengals (1 p.m. ET, Fox):** Njoku is one of my favorite tight end plays of the week, as he faces a Bengals' defense full of question marks. What’s more, the veteran has scored 14-plus points in three of his last four games against Cincinnati. I also like that he’ll be catching passes from Joe Flacco … in five games playing together back in 2023, Njoku recorded 30 catches, 390 yards and scored four touchdowns.
**Tyler Warren vs. Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, CBS):** Warren is a solid breakout candidate in his rookie year, and I like him as a fantasy starter in Week 1. He saw plenty of looks during the preseason in limited snaps, and a matchup against Miami in his first regular-season game is favorable. Their defense has plenty of holes in the back seven, and this unit allowed more than 13 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends this past season.
**Evan Engram vs. Titans (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox):** Engram is in a great spot to find success this season, playing in an offense that has helped plenty of tight ends find fantasy stardom. I like him as a top 10 option against the Titans in his Broncos debut,, as Engram has put up an average of 16.6 fantasy points in six career games against them. That includes a pair of contests where Engram has recorded more than 23 fantasy points.
**Hunter Henry vs. Raiders (1 p.m. ET, CBS):** Fantasy managers in need of a tight end this week should consider Henry. In games where Drake Maye was the quarterback last year, Henry saw a 19.2% target share and averaged nearly 50 receiving yards per game. He also has a great matchup against a questionable Raiders defense that allowed the third-most fantasy points to tight ends last season, so Henry looks like a nice streamer.
**Dalton Kincaid vs. Ravens (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC):** Kincaid is in a rough spot this week in a tough matchup against the Ravens. Their defense was middle of the road against tight ends last season, but it held Kincaid to a combined 11.8 points in two matchups (one in the postseason). He’s also failed to score more than 9.3 points in eight of his 14 home games against AFC opponents, so he has no trend in his favor this weekend.
**Colston Loveland vs. Vikings (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN, ABC):** The 10th overall pick in the NFL Draft, Loveland enters this season with high expectations. However, it’s tough to start him this week against the Vikings. Their defense allowed just three touchdowns to tight ends all of last season, and Loveland will have plenty of competition for targets in the Bears passing game. I’d keep him on the sidelines in this NFC North battle.
**Jonnu Smith at Jets (1p.m. ET, CBS):** Smith was one of the best tight ends in fantasy football last season, but a trade to Pittsburgh has hurt his value for 2025. He’ll contend with fellow tight end Pat Freiermuth for targets, and Smith has been dealing with a bum knee since early August. The Jets were also tough on tight ends a season ago, allowing the ninth-fewest fantasy points to the position. Start Smith with caution.
**Darren Waller at Colts (1 p.m. ET, CBS):** Waller hasn’t played in an NFL game since January 2024, and he didn’t play a preseason snap as the Dolphins look to get him ramped up for the regular-season opener in Indianapolis. Despite his name value, it’s hard to start Waller with the expectation of a limited snap share … even against what is a favorable matchup on paper. I’d keep the veteran on the fantasy sidelines.