The tight end position seems to have settled in to right about where we expected it after 11 weeks. When you see this week’s top ten list, it will look eerily similar to the order in which we drafted these players back in August and Early September. With the Broncos, Chargers, Dolphins, and Commanders all off this week, we’ll have to get by without Evan Engram, Oronde Gadsden, Greg Dulcic, and Zach Ertz. With the exception of the Charger rookie pass catcher, I don’t think any of us will be missing much this week at tight end. If you are hitting the waiver wire for a one-week filler, might I suggest Noah Fant of the Bengals, as there will be a ton of targets opened up this week with Ja’Marr Chase missing the game due to suspension. There is one other player who may be on your waiver wire, but he made this week’s top ten list, so let’s read on and see who that is.
10) Kyle Pitts vs The Saints
I can hear the collective groans, and I don’t blame any of you. He has no right being here over somebody like David Njok,u who has scored twice in his last 3 games. Proven veterans like Hunter Henry and T.J. Hockenson, or younger, exciting players like Colston Loveland or Harold Fannin, make way more sense than this guy, right? Yes, it’s true! I admit it, I have a Pitts addiction, but hear (read) me out. The last time we saw Kirk Cousins under center for Atlanta, it was back in week 8 against the Dolphins. Drake London was also absent from that game. Atlanta lost 34-10, and it was overall a horrible game for the Falcons and their fans. The lone silver lining was the fact that Kyle Pitts was actually usable for fantasy purposes. He led the team in receptions with 9 grabs (on 9 targets) for 59 yards. The Saints defend the pass better than they defend tight ends, so there will be room for Pitts to do some damage this Sunday. It’s not pretty, but that’s what we’re dealing with when we get to this point at this position. While the aforementioned options all make fine plays this week, I’ll play Pitts in any league where I don’t have one of the top 9 options on this list.
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9) A.J. Barner vs The Titans
Dec 8, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
You just have to love this position. Where else can a guy go from being waiver wire fodder to a top ten option in just a matter of days? Barner began the season as the boring blocking tight end on a Seahawks team that drafted Elijah Arroyo to be their top pass-catching option. That was before last week, when Barner actually led the Hawks with 10 catches, and his 11 targets were second to only Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the team lead. More intriguing than the pass volume is his emergence as Seattle’s short-yardage quarterback (yes, he’s the tush they like to push). When the season began, it looked like rookie Jalen Millroe would have a role as their short-yardage QB, but that hasn’t been the case for the last several weeks. It’s Barner who comes in for those situations, and that alone makes him a viable option at tight end for fantasy. If he can just get 5-6 targets every week to keep his floor above zero, that would be great. As of now, he’s a high-risk/high-reward option who might get you 15 points, or he could get you less than 1.
8) Dallas Goedert vs The Cowboys
The pickings get pretty slim at this point in the list, so bear with me. High-volume options aren’t going to be available once you get past the top 5 names, so we have to pick the guys who either have a great matchup or have a great shot at a touchdown. Goedert has a bit of both here as the Cowboys are ranked 30th in the league against the pass, and he is still their top pass target in the red zone. He hasn’t scored a touchdown in either of his last 2 games after scoring 7 in Philly’s first 7 games. So, let’s go ahead and use the ever-so-scientific “he’s due” theory.
7) Mark Andrews vs The Jets
The receptions were fine, but it was a 35-yard sweep for a touchdown out of the “tush push” formation that was the highlight of the week for Andrews. That made it 3 straight games with at least one touchdown for Andrews, who has been an elite weekly starter for fantasy since Lamar Jackson returned. To be clear, he’s “elite” so long as he can score a touchdown each game. The Ravens passing offense is never going to be a high-volume unit, and we are going to need Andrews to score to pay us off every week. The fact that he’s Baltimore’s top choice as the “tush to push”, gives him another element that could potentially help his fantasy owners. Granted, option 1 will still be King Henry at the goal line, but if they decide to go with a tush push, it will be Andrews who could score.
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6) Jake Ferguson vs The Eagles
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson during training camp at the River Ridge Fields.
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson during training camp at the River Ridge Fields. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The volume isn’t what it was while Lamb was injured, but Fergy is still a key target in the red zone. The Eagles are a tough matchup for tight ends, but I expect Dak to have to throw it a lot this Sunday. If Prescott has to put it up 40+ times, then Ferguson will get 8+ targets. He’s just too good to bench right now at this thin position. Such as it is, this is basically what we have to deal with as the top five are the only ‘safe” options. From here on out, we’re going to have to pray for a touchdown from our tight end if they’re going to help our fantasy teams this weekend.
5) Travis Kelce vs The Colts
Kelce has actually seen his production go up in the four games since Rashee Rice has returned from suspension. Many were worried that the two players would occupy the same space and that the veteran would cede targets to the younger receiver upon his return, but Kelce has been as heavily involved as ever. Last week against the Broncos, the veteran converted 13 targets into 9 catches for 91 yards with a score, which was good enough to land him as the overall TE3 for the week. The matchup here is a good one as Indy is ranked #30 in the league against the tight end, and the addition of Sauce Gardner should only affect Patrick Mahomes’ targets on the outside.
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4) Tyler Warren vs The Chiefs
Warren and the Colts return from their bye week to take on the Chiefs in Arrowhead. The Chiefs are looking to get back on track after two straight road losses in Buffalo and Denver, and I expect them to give the Colts all they can handle. Kansas City is going to do everything in their power to limit Jonathan Taylor, and I feel that the Colts will need to rely on Warren and Michael Pittman and the short passing game to keep the pressure off of their all-pro running back. Steve Spagnolo loves to blitz, and Daniel Jones has shown that he can be rattled and forced into turning the ball over. This should only reinforce the Colts focus on getting the ball out quickly, and Warren should be a prime beneficiary.
3) George Kittle vs The Panthers
NFL: Updated list of teams with the most passing yards after Week 10
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) celebrates after getting a first down during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium. Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
It all seems nice and tidy when you look at the top three players this week on our top ten list. There were the top three tight ends we drafted in the pre-season, so if they’re the top three this week, they must all be having great years, right? Well, Kittle and Bowers did miss a big chunk of this season as they were both injured on opening day, so it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for all three of our top three guys. All is well now, as they are all healthy and playing at full strength, and Kittle has gotten on a bit of a hot streak over his last 2 games. The key has been getting into the end zone for Kittle, who has scored 3 times over his last two games, bringing his total to 5 over the 6 games he has played this year. He had a great matchup against a Carolina team that ranks in the middle of the pack against the tight end position and has allowed a couple of solid days to the better players at the position this season (McBride, Ferguson).
2) Brock Bowers vs The Browns
He bounced back last week against Dallas with 7 catches off of 12 targets for 72 yards. The 12 targets are what we are looking for each week, and he should lead the Raiders again in that category as they take on a very tough Cleveland defense. The Browns are ranked #1 in the league at defending the pass, but they’re just 14th in the league at defending the tight end position. It would stand to reason that they will try and defend Bowers as if he were a wide receiver, but he will still pose a matchup problem for whoever the Browns decide to cover him with. It will be important for Las Vegas to keep Cleveland honest with some semblance of a running game, so we need to hope that Ashton Jeanty can do a little better than 7 yards on 6 carries this week. You most likely don’t have a better option on your team than Bowers, so fire him up.
1) Trey McBride vs The Jaguars
He’s been the top dog all season long, and it’s only gotten better since Jacoby Brissett has taken over at QB. It is now 5 straight games that McBride has scored a touchdown while playing with the veteran signal caller, and this week they take on a Jaguar team that is ranked #31 in the league against the tight end position. Leave him in your lineup.
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