Week 1 brings challenging lineup decisions at tight end, with players like Travis Kelce and Dallas Goedert drawing extra scrutiny. Key injuries and matchups will shape which starters can deliver strong performances as the NFL season gets underway. Dive into this guide for the latest updates and strategic fantasy football advice to help dominate your TE choices.

Fantasy Football Injury Updates

Isaiah Likely (Questionable)

Isaiah Likely suffered a broken foot that required surgery during the preseason. When it happened, it was expected that Likely would miss 6-8 weeks recovering. That makes it very unlikely that the tight end will be ready for the Week 1 game.

The Ravens didn’t put Likely on the injured reserve or PUP list, reinforcing their belief that he will return early in the season. Players like Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews, and DeAndre Hopkins get a bump in their production, especially in the red zone.

— Fantasy Football Analyst Dan Fornek

Start-Sit Advice for Travis Kelce, Dallas Goedert, Jake Ferguson, and Others

Brock Bowers (at Patriots)

My wife says I play the Devil’s Advocate side too often.

I disagree with her on that point and argue against it weekly.

So yeah, maybe she’s right.

Every fiber in my being wants to build an iron-clad case against Brock Bowers this season. I’m sure he’s a lovely person and a helluva football player, but there has to be some regression to be assumed after a historic rookie campaign, right?

Maybe, if I pick up enough rocks, I can stumble upon a tie to Kyle Pitts and warn you guys about the headache that is about to come for half a decade (and counting) as a result of an excellent first impression. Maybe the NFL will catch up to what the former Bulldog does well, and his production will fall flat now that high-end expectations are being heaped upon him.

Or maybe not.

READ MORE: Soppe’s Week 1 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Analysis for Every Player in Every Game

The Raiders upgraded at the quarterback position and should be in a better overall offensive environment with Ashton Jeanty, who has the potential to give them a level of balance that wasn’t on the Bingo card last season.

In Week 1, Vegas faces a New England defense that saw opposing TEs post the third-highest average target depth and the eighth-worst red zone defense. This week, as will be the case most weeks, Bowers could catch 10 balls, break the slate with a single catch, or find the end zone.

There are too many ways for him to win and take the opposite side of any Bowers’ argument. Go for it if you want to build DFS lineups elsewhere due to price flexibility. I’ve learned my lesson in that regard during golf season, as I’ve been fading Scottie Scheffler for 20 months and burning entries as a result.

Cade Otton (at Falcons)

In the financial world, it’s a Ponzi scheme.

In the weight loss world, it’s dehydration.

I’m not going to say that in the fantasy football world, it’s Cade Otton, but I’m not going to deny such a train of thought.

I’m as guilty as anyone in highlighting volume, saying things like “the best way to not score fantasy points is to not see the field”. And that’s true, you can’t score fantasy points from the sidelines, but that doesn’t mean the inverse is true 100% of the time.

That is, simply being on the field doesn’t make you a fantasy asset; it merely increases your odds of being labeled as such. Travis Kelce, Tyler Conklin, and Cade Otton are the only tight ends to run 450 routes in each of the past three seasons, a list that alone gives you an idea of what I’m talking about.

Not all routes are created equal.

Despite all those routes, did you know that Otton has never cleared 100 receiving yards in a game? How about the fact that he’s managed two or fewer receptions for most of his games as a pro?

Getting your hands on the Buccaneers isn’t a bad move, and, for the most part, if you have someone from this offense, you’re playing them in a spot like this. But Otton doesn’t rank as a TE1 this week for me and won’t approach that territory until I see sustained change in how he is deployed, something I’m not overly optimistic about happening in 2025 due to the surrounding talent.

Before I step off this soapbox, Otton also has leg and hamstring issues.

OK, I’m done now.

Chig Okonkwo (at Broncos)

There are three tight ends in the first half of their career who have 50 catches on a 70% catch rate in the past two seasons: Trey McBride, Sam LaPorta, and Chig Okonkwo.

We are talking about a rare athlete at the position that now has some actual upside in terms of the man tasked with getting him the football. It wouldn’t shock me if we highlight Okonkwo as a great free agent add by the end of the month or as a viable DFS punt play.

At this point, there’s no reason to target uncertainty at this level when setting your lineup. Okonkwo could enter the top-12 conversation with time if he shows a connection with Cam Ward, but that’s something I need to see first.

Cole Kmet (vs. Vikings)

Let’s say you’re a doctor. You were brought in during the pandemic times and didn’t fail. You weren’t Dr. House, but you cured some people, developed, and did your job.

Great.

You noticed in recent years that the hospital has been actively trying to improve. They brought in some new nurses and splurged on some new equipment. The company’s leadership changed hands, and the future looks as bright as it ever has — brighter than any of your five years and brighter than before your time.

Caleb Williams with a missile to Cole Kmet for a big gain: pic.twitter.com/uPfZGK1ozG

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 18, 2025

That visionary decided to bring in a hotshot second doctor. This is new. This used to be your show, but now it’s not. This new Doc came from a respected Big 10 school, has new ideas, and is viewed as a visionary. You’re far from old, but … the writing is on the wall.Are you betting on your new situation? Are you now considering starting a family or buying a new house there?

If not, you’re not counting on Cole Kmet in any sort of meaningful way this season. If so, you’ve got more important articles to read than one about fake football.

Colston Loveland (vs. Vikings)

Tight end advice is tricky. You likely only have one, so it’s not as if you are tasked with a lineup decision, and in this instance, we are talking about a Monday Nighter, so Colston Loveland isn’t on the main slate for DFS players.

That said, I’m leaning in the conservative direction and ranking him outside of my top-10 at the position for his NFL debut. Sam LaPorta (Week 1: 39 yards) and Brock Bowers (held without a TD in September) have changed the way we think about rookie tight ends, even though they weren’t superstars initially.

Those two combined physical tools with usage and an accelerated learning curve. I don’t think Loveland will be on that level due to the upside around him, but I think he’ll progress as the season goes and crack my top-10 regularly as we get into the meat of the schedule.

Dallas Goedert (vs. Cowboys)

Last season, 34.3% of Dallas Goedert’s receiving yards came in an explosion spot against the Saints.

That’s a little deceiving because he missed seven games, but the point remains that he helped you one week and was more risk than reward the rest of the way. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are clearly more dangerous on a per-target basis, and I have concerns about them every week due to the structure of this offense, making Goedert somewhat of a no-go zone for me.

Just a bunch of Dallas Goedert TD’s in one video💚🦅 pic.twitter.com/7E4wWoe5XD

— 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒅 ♛ (@DillyPhilly215) August 21, 2025

That said, if you’re chasing a name you know with Goedert, there’s a chance you get away with it in the season opener. The Cowboys were historically bad when opponents got inside the 20-yard line (75% TD rate, no other defense was within six percentage points of them).

This is a name you know, and it can potentially lead to lost scoring equity. If the target count isn’t better this year than last, cutting bait with Goedert to stream the position is well within the range of outcomes.

Dalton Kincaid (vs. Ravens)

Let’s call this what it is: chasing an offense.

Dalton Kincaid didn’t reach 55 receiving yards in a game last season, scored once after September ended, and earned all of six targets across Buffalo’s final two playoff games, where they had every bit of motivation to load up their most trusted options with work.

For the record, I don’t hate the cheap exposure to a unit we expect to rank in the top 5 in scoring; you need to acknowledge that is what you’re doing. Kincaid was a TE1 three times in four weeks, roughly 11 months ago (Weeks 3-6), but those were his only such finishes for the season.

The Bills need a pass catcher to step up this season. Maybe it’s Keon Coleman. Maybe it’s Josh Palmer. Maybe it’s Kincaid.

The fact that we have three players vying for a role that has marginal upside tells you all you need to know. I’m not going to be excited about playing any of the non-Khalil Shakir pass catchers in Buffalo until someone separates themself from the pack.

If someone separates themself from the pack.

Dalton Schultz (at Rams)

There is nothing fun about Dalton Schultz. The thought process that would land someone wanting to bet on the veteran TE is almost entirely driven by the potential of this passing game to return to rookie C.J. Stroud levels of impact, and that’s fine.

In fact, I actually think it might be right.

But I need to see some proof of concept before betting on it early in the year. During the first month of the season, you have access to every team in the NFL and almost every player on those teams: bye weeks don’t come around until Week 5, and injuries pile up as the season progresses, not so much in September.

Schultz is a player you have written down on the notepad that sits on your nightstand. Maybe that’s just me, given my job, but you get the larger point.

For now, Schultz is a name to watch, not one to play. This is the eighth season of his career, and one-third of his scores came in the 2021 breakout with the Cowboys. Nico Collins will be a target vacuum, and the young receivers will get every chance to prove their worth in the early going. It’s possible that, by Halloween, we are seeing Schultz earn 5-7 targets per game and emerge as a weekly streaming option.

I’m not opening the season with that projection.

David Njoku (vs. Bengals)

David Njoku was a first-round pick in 2017 and has begun to round into form for our purposes. Over the past two seasons, he ranks as TE4 (minimum 20 games played) in terms of PPR points per game and posted five top-5 finishes during his 11 games in 2024. There’s a lot to like in the player. There might be more to hate about the situation around him.

But is that new?

As mentioned, he was drafted in 2017, the same year that Mike Williams entered the league — the recently retired Mike Williams. Njoku isn’t a new commodity in the NFL, and yet, he hasn’t had 100 regular-season catches from a single quarterback during his professional tenure.

Think about that.

His debut came before Black Panther hit theatres, and not a single quarterback has hooked up with him 100 times in the regular season throughout his career (for reference, Patrick Mahomes has hit Travis Kelce 100+ times in three separate regular seasons).

He’s had questions under center for his entire career, so I’m more willing to think he can overcome this year and churn out another productive season than not. The Bengals were the seventh-worst scoring defense in 2024, allowing the eighth most yards. This is a profile and a matchup, in my opinion, that do more to prop up his fantasy stock this week than the mess at QB does to tear it down.

Evan Engram (vs. Titans)

I was bullish on Evan Engram entering this season, and I see no reason to change my stance against a Titans defense that allowed a touchdown on 5.7% of pass attempts last season, the third-highest rate in the league.

It’s not as if Engram is unfamiliar with this defense after sharing a division with them over the past three seasons, and I think Sean Payton acquired him with a particular role in mind. There still may be some growing pains for Bo Nix as the league reacts to having a year’s worth of film, but I fully expect Engram to be used in a fantasy-friendly way that comes preloaded with a near double-digit PPR-point floor.

The Devaughn Vele trade in the middle of August didn’t directly move the fantasy needle for most, but the departure of a high slot usage player from this Denver offense stands to raise the floor of Engram in a meaningful way. Those targets aren’t the most exciting, but they are highly efficient, and that’s all we can ask for from any TE sitting outside of the top tier.

Could Engram sneakily threaten that top tier when all is said and done this winter?

George Kittle (at Seahawks)

There have been four 1,000-yard seasons from the TE position over the past two years, and George Kittle has two of them (Brock Bowers and Trey McBride have the others). With at least 60 catches and six scores in the past four seasons, San Francisco’s star is about as close as we get to inevitable in this game.

Even last season, a year that he was 31 years of age for the majority of, and everything with the 49ers seemed to fall apart in one way or another, he had you covered in the beginning (TD in four straight games to bridge September and October) and the end (consecutive games with over 100 receiving yards in December).

Isaiah Likely had 24 more receiving yards in his season opener last season than Kittle in his past three season debuts combined. I like to highlight variance because it’s a big part of staying level-headed and thus being successful over the course of the marathon, which is the NFL season. Playing Kittle every week in which he suits up isn’t just the logical play; it’s the only play.

Isaiah Likely (at Bills)

Isaiah Likely underwent surgery in July on a broken foot bone, resulting in no real ramping-up period for the season. At this moment, his status for Week 1 is unclear, but with all 32 teams in action this week, why would you roll the dice on a player whose role isn’t 100% clear even when 100% healthy?

A player like Likely is the difference between shallow and deep leagues. I have no patience for an injured asset entering the season unless you have access to an IR slot for him. If that’s the case, you have nothing to lose. If not, what do you have to gain?

In deep leagues, however, Likely is close to a must-stash. He posted a 39.5% snap share in 2022, earned a promotion to 43.9% in 2023, and saw it spike to 60.3% in Year 3. He’s an impactful talent in an explosive offense, and that’s a profile that I don’t mind stashing over a WR7 type that I see so many deeper league rosters sit on.

If your WR7 is hitting your lineup, your ship has already sunk. At the tight end position, a player like Likely can bust into the TE1 conversation without outlier production, and that is why I want exposure to him.

That said, he’s reached double-digit PPR points just twice in his career when not playing at least half of the offensive snaps. There’s more risk than reward for a profile like that on a team that has an eye on the big picture at all times (68 wins since the beginning of 2019, the third most in the league), but there is also long-term appeal to a young player whose talent is obvious.

Stash if you have the room, and if you don’t have the space right now, don’t be shy about pouncing when we see signs of full health.

Jake Ferguson (at Eagles)

The tricky part about advising when it comes to the TE position in September is that there is no real advising when it comes to the TE position in September.

That’s not meant to undercut those of us trying to do so, but the truth is that it doesn’t largely matter outside of DFS conversations, and with this being an island game, even the value in that regard is limited.

Why? Odds are good that you didn’t draft multiple tight ends, so if you roster Ferguson, you’re likely playing him this week no matter the statistical vodo I work. Ferguson turned his seven catches into 42 touchdownless yards against the Birds last season. In fact, he was scoreless for the entire season and has found paydirt just seven times in 47 career games (210 targets).

That’s not a great elevator pitch from me; our X account did that after he inked his extension in late July.

Here’s 55 seconds worth of Jake Ferguson embarrassing people pic.twitter.com/X7dXQDuPKm

— FergSZN (@FergSZN) August 5, 2024

Ferguson turned his seven catches into 42 touchdownless yards against the Birds last season. In fact, he was scoreless for the entire season and has found paydirt just seven times in 47 career games (210 targets).

That’s not a great elevator pitch from me; our X account did that after he inked his extension in late July.

Ferguson is part of a monstrous tier at the position, and if you invested in him coming out of your draft, you’re holding through the first few weeks at the very least. George Pickens’ role will need to be ironed out, and with him threatening defenses down the field, Ferguson has the potential to develop into a high-volume, low-risk asset.

The Cowboys face the Giants and Bears in Weeks 2-3, spots where you’d expect them to outscore on the board and thus elevate the standing of their starting tight end. You’re unlikely to get off to a big start in your Week 1 matchup on opening night because Ferguson goes crazy, but I’ll green-light playing him in deeper-than-average PPR leagues.

Ja’Tavion Sanders (at Jaguars)

Due to quotes this summer, some of the value has been sucked out of Isiah Likely’s athletic profile, which is tempting for fantasy managers and NFL coaches alike. I like Likely as much as anyone, but you can no longer jump on the bandwagon; the secret is out. Next up is Ja’Tavion Sanders.

Sanders holds the same fourth-round draft capital that Likely does, and he doesn’t have as much target red tape to navigate to be relevant in our game. He scored or earned 5+ targets in three of four games as a rookie, in which he ran 25 routes, giving us a taste of what could be possible in the not-so-distant future.

The Sanders play is a parlay, and you don’t need to bet just yet. You don’t just need Sanders to be ready to leap; you need the Panthers to be willing to unleash him and for Bryce Young to prove himself as an above-average signal caller.

There’s a world in which I’m willing to invest in that chain of events, but I need some 2025 data points first. Carolina faces the Saints, Bucs, and Seahawks in the final three weeks of the fantasy season. If Sanders establishes himself as a valuable part of this offense, sans Adam Thielen (August 27th trade), he could be a common piece on fantasy teams that peak when your championship is being handed out.

Jonnu Smith (at Jets)

I think it’s fair to assume that Aaron Rodgers played a large role in the Steelers acquiring Jonnu Smith this summer. In an offense that lacks a secondary pass catcher, he could well repeat his career year with the Dolphins.

Smith is entering his age-30 season, and that’s concerning. This offense is likely to play slow and funnel-throw DK Metcalf when in scoring position. I’m not sold on Smith as a viable weekly option, but I do have him ranked ahead of the true waiver wire dart throws. If you have Smith, you’re playing him this week and seeing what the usage looks like.

You’re also evaluating whether Rodgers looks like the type of quarterback who can support two pass catchers weekly and checking on the snap/route split at the TE position. I’m more bullish than bearish on Smith, but I would have also said that last season.

Kyle Pitts (vs. Buccaneers)

If I had a penny for every time I felt let down by Kyle Pitts, I’d have more change than he has career touchdowns.

You know the story. He racked up over 1,000 yards as a rookie with an elite profile and first-round draft capital, only to struggle to build on that success and repeat it.

His next Week 1 game with 45+ receiving yards will be his first, and, at this point, I think counting on anything close to consistent production is borderline crazy (Weeks 5-6 of 2023 were the last time he finished consecutive games better than TE10).

That said, if there were ever a week where it seemed like the stars aligned, this would be it. In 2024, Pitts had three finishes better than TE10.

• Week 1 vs PIT: TE4 (11.6 points)
• Week 5 vs TB: TE6 (15.8 points)
• Week 8: at TB TE2 (25.1 points)

This game is projected to be a high-scoring one, and if you’re choosing between Tier 3 tight ends to gamble on, the upside case for Pitts is as good as anyone.

If you have Pitts, you’re likely playing him, and that’s fine. There isn’t much of a decision to be made on that front (ideally, you don’t roster multiple TEs in a standard league), but mentally prepare yourself for the devil/angel situation that appears inevitable this time next week when you’re tempted to sell yourself on THIS being the season.

Mark Andrews (at Bills)

You drafted Andrews to play him, understanding that there are scoring limitations based on the roster construction and, in time, role issues should Isaiah Likely truly see his role expanded. I think you’re safe in doing just that in this spot.

During the playoff loss, Andrews earned seven targets on 27 routes against these Bills (five catches for 61 yards). That was a nice production that is easy to forget given how that game ended (a late fumble and a dropped two-point conversion).

We haven’t seen Andrews come out of the gates in strong fantasy form lately (86 receiving yards on his 107 routes in his last three Week 1 games), but I’d read that more as a coincidence than anything. The veteran tight end might not be why you win your first matchup of the season, though I don’t think he’ll be why you lose it.

Mike Gesicki (at Browns)

Since 2019, only Travis Kelce and Evan Engram have run more routes at the tight end position than the now well-compensated Mike Gesicki.

Since 2019, 14 tight ends have more double-digit PPR-point games than the now well-compensated Mike Gesicki.

It’s fun to root for a player, be it DFS or otherwise, that is always on the field, but doesn’t that make the lack of production that much more taxing mentally? To see #88 on the field, but seemingly afflicted with an allergy to the ball?

If you’ve never done the Gesicki sweat thing, I promise you, it does.

There will be a time and place to pluck Cincy’s tight end off the free agent pool and plug him in. Maybe you’re going through injuries, in a tough bye week spot, or going for broke with no worries about a production floor.

That time and place is not the first week of the season, with every team in action and everyone in reasonable health, not to mention Noah Fant being in the mix after signing in late July.

Pat Freiermuth (at Jets)

Pat Freiermuth has been a reliable option in Pittsburgh. Still, when the team brings in a QB in his final season and then happens to trade for a more explosive option at the tight end position, things aren’t looking up for the former Nittany Lion.

Keep tabs here, but there’s nothing actionable about Freiermuth. You’re not playing him in Week 1, and nothing that happens in the opener will elevate his status massively.

We can talk if we reach the end of September, and it’s clearly Freiermuth over Jonnu Smith. Still, I don’t expect that to be the case regarding fantasy opportunities, and I’m OK with being late to that party should the early-season trends point in that direction.

Sam LaPorta (at Packers)

Sam LaPorta saw some fantasy regression in his second season after standing out as a rookie, but not all steps backwards look the same, and I’d argue that 2024 was more a lateral move than anything for the pride of Iowa.

In 2024, his PPR PPG dipped by 22.5%, but his points scored per target actually ticked up by 5.5%. We are, of course, in a volume-driven world, and I need to see LaPorta return to his target earning ways before considering him a real threat to be a Tier 1 producer at the position.

LaPorta lost enough around the fringes in all the small areas by just enough to impact his bottom line meaningfully. That’s not ideal. It wasn’t enough to stop me from drafting him this summer or starting him in Week 1.

He’s earned at least five targets in three of four career games against the Packers and has been heavily involved in the opening script (across those contests, 53% of his yardage has come in the first 15 minutes). Ben Johnson is gone, but I think his prioritization of LaPorta in this matchup is here to stay.

You drafted LaPorta to bounce back from an underwhelming 2024 and to start for you every week: I see no reason to move off of that train of thought in Week 1.

T.J. Hockenson (at Bears)

Last season was anything but fun for managers with T.J. Hockenson. Not only did he miss seven games, but he was largely MIA when on the field, failing to score a single touchdown and recording his lowest on-field target share since his rookie campaign with the Lions.

It happens.

The team experimented with running him downfield more often (his aDOT jumped 21.1% from his 2023 rate), and it didn’t work. But maybe it laid the foundation for what Kevin O’Connell has in store for this JJ McCarthy-led offense?

If so, it won’t take long to see it pay off. On passes thrown 10+ yards downfield, the Bears allowed the second-most yards per attempt, and Hockenson played into those struggles by racking up 12 catches in 166 yards in their two meetings last season.

This offense clearly has a significant moving piece, which introduces a low floor until we know otherwise, but Hockenson’s role seems stable. You should be comfortable locking him into your lineup across all formats.

After a month of data points, we will have a better feel for this team as a whole, but I think it’s more likely that Hockenson jumps up a tier from where you drafted him than fails to pay off his price tag.

Terrance Ferguson (vs. Texans)

Tyler Higbee tore his ACL/MCL late in 2023, but he was active at the end of last season and currently sits atop the Los Angeles TE depth chart.

He’ll probably be the first tight end on this roster to earn a target this season, but we are talking about a 32-year-old who has never reached 750 receiving yards or six touchdowns in a season.

Terrance Ferguson (a second-round pick out of Oregon who scored on 11.9% of his collegiate receptions) brings more explosive tools to the table for a Rams offense that lacks much in the way of upside in the passing game outside of its top two.

If asked to wager, I’d take Ferguson over Higbee with conviction for the season, but in Week 1, it feels like we are splitting a role that is hardly large enough for a single player two ways.

Keep an eye on all of the usage stats (or check back weekly, knowing that I’ll have my eye on it), but for now, there isn’t a tight end in the city of Los Angeles that I feel good about in standard formats.

Travis Kelce (at Chargers)

The Travis Kelce debate feels complicated because we are talking about an all-time great, but isn’t it the same as the Patrick Mahomes debate?

That is, a player whose statistical resume is elite and his reasonable weekly projection much closer to good than great?

Kelce caught 12 of 15 targets against the Chargers last season and will continue to be an efficient chain mover for a franchise still on the fringes of the dynastic conversation. He means plenty to the offensive picture in Kansas City, but that doesn’t mean that, in this evolving world of athletic tight ends, he’s a strong fantasy play.

In 2024, Kelce wasn’t a top-10 scorer at the position in 10 of 16 games. In fact, he’s found paydirt just three times over his past 22 regular-season games.

There is a spot in your starting lineup for Kelce this week. The emotional side of fantasy is what essentially complicates this situation. As long as you acknowledge that, with Kelce, your goal is to tread water at the position as opposed to win your week, you’re in a good spot.

If you expect a vintage Kelce season, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Combine the name value with a big game or two, and Kelce’s name will be featured on our “sell high” articles, especially as we get into the middle of the season, where the Chiefs have gone out of their way to manage reps.

Trey McBride (at Saints)

The only debate here is if Trey McBride can wear the TE crown this season. He’s clearly a game-changer at the position, and he was drafted as such. You should feel great about counting on him for elite weekly volume.

What more can you ask for?

McBride was the only tight end with 12 games of 5+ catches in 2024, a nod to a floor that is second to none. To help you understand how rare that level of consistency is, wrap your head around this fact: Zach Ertz and Sam LaPorta, a pair of perfectly viable TEs last season, combined for 11 games with at least five receptions.

I have McBride ranked as my TE1 this week and am very much considering going that direction in DFS. That’s not a knock on Bowers, but he does have to navigate a situation that has changed significantly while the Cardinals are essentially running back their 2024 offense.

Tucker Kraft (vs. Lions)

If you want to play TE roulette, who am I to stop you?

I like Kraft as a player. He was one of three tight ends to have a 20-yard catch in 10 games last season and was fantasy’s top scorer at the position in two different weeks in 2024 (the others were George Kittle and Brock Bowers).

There’s potential there, but I’m just not sure the opportunity to open the season is enough to make him a wise bet. Last season, in a year where the Packers were eighth in points scored and Kraft finished sixth at the position in offensive snaps share (84.8%, putting him in the Sam LaPorta, Travis Kelce, and Bowers tier), Kraft’s overall fantasy production was ordinary.

In a 32-team league, 19 tight ends had at least as many games with 55+ receiving yards as Kraft. Green Bay still projects as an offense that relies on Josh Jacobs, and the path to targets didn’t exactly open up for their tight end with the 23rd overall pick being spent on Matthew Golden.

I don’t think Kraft is a fantasy starter this week or for the rest of the season. That said, if I’m wrong, it may not impact you.

The Packers have a Week 5 bye, and unless Kraft has a huge September, there’s a chance he’s cut loose in your league ahead of that. If you see usage trends you like in the first month, sit tight and pounce with time. Green Bay gets the Bengals and Cardinals immediately following the bye, giving Kraft’s star the potential to take off after his current manager has cut bait.

I’m tracking, but I’m doing it from a distance..

Tyler Warren (vs. Dolphins)

Over the past two decades, eight times a first-round TE has exceeded 20 routes run in his first career game:

• Noah Fant (2019): 4.4 PPR points
• Dalton Kincaid (2023): 6.6 PPR points
• Kyle Pitts (2021): 7.1 PPR points
• Evan Engram (2017): 8.4 PPR points
• Tyler Eiftert (2013): 9.7 PPR points
• Brock Bowers (2024): 11.8 PPR points
• Vernon Davis (2006): 14.7 PPR points
• T.J. Hockenson (2019): 25.1 PPR points

The Colts’ passing offense is a question mark at best, but Warren’s combination of draft capital and dynamic ability with the ball in his hands makes him a top-10 TE for me until proven otherwise.

We are talking about a limited target sample, but Indianapolis tight ends last season ranked seventh in YAC, fourth in yards per catch, and first in average target depth. Kylen Granson, Mo Alie-Cox, and Drew Ogletree drove those numbers, which are well-established luminaries at the position.

The Dolphins ranked 21st in yards allowed per catch after the reception in 2024, which is a scab. I expect this offense to pick at by way of the 14th overall pick. Some rookies need to work their way into my trust circle, and others who start there: Warren is the latter for me, and I feel good about it.

Zach Ertz (vs. Giants)

As someone also in their mid-30s, I’d love for this season for me to be what 2024 was for Zach Ertz. The veteran TE stayed on the field (17 missed games over the two years prior), averaged a career high 1.95 PPR points per target, and didn’t show signs of fatigue (TD scored against the Lions in the Divisional Round and 11 grabs against the Eagles with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line).

Ertz caught all five of his targets against the Giants last season (two games, 47 routes run), an underwhelming level of involvement, but at least he was efficient in Year 1 of the Jayden Daniels era.

MORE: Free Fantasy Football Start/Sit Optimizer

The Giants ranked fifth in blitz rate in 2024, a scheme I expect to sustain, and that introduces a PPR merchant sort of afternoon into the range of outcomes for a savvy player like Ertz. If the mission is to kill your opponent, death by 1,000 paper cuts is still a means to that end.

It is important to note that, although he was surprisingly productive a season ago, it certainly didn’t look that way out of the gates for Ertz (under 40 receiving yards in four of his first five and held scoreless until the back-half of October).

We are talking about a tight end in a tier that stretches down some 8-12 names regarding “fringe TE1” status. In a perfect world, your matchup doesn’t hinge on a player like this, but in the scope of this range at the position, I’ll take the floor of Ertz over less proven options or those with unclear roles.

— Fantasy Football Analyst Kyle Soppe

Where Brock Bowers and Cade Otton Rank

Brock Bowers (at Patriots)

My wife says I play the Devil’s Advocate side too often.

I disagree and fight her on that point weekly.

So yeah, maybe she’s right.

Every fiber in my being wants to build an iron-clad case against Brock Bowers this season. I’m sure he’s a lovely person and a helluva football player, but there has to be some regression to be assumed after a historic rookie campaign, right?

Maybe, if I pick up enough rocks, I can stumble upon a tie to Kyle Pitts and warn you guys about the headache that is about to come for half a decade (and counting) as a result of an excellent first impression. Maybe the NFL will catch up to what the former Bulldog does well, and his production will fall flat now that high-end expectations are being heaped upon him.

Or maybe not.

The Raiders upgraded at the quarterback position and should be in a better overall offensive environment with Ashton Jeanty coming with the potential to give them a level of balance that wasn’t on the Bingo card last season.

In Week 1, Vegas faces a New England defense that saw opposing TEs post the third-highest average target depth and the eighth-worst red zone defense. This week, as will be the case most weeks, Bowers could catch 10 balls, break the slate with a single catch, or find the end zone.

There are too many ways for him to win and take the opposite side of any Bowers’ argument. Go for it if you want to build DFS lineups elsewhere because of price flexibility. I’ve learned my lesson in that regard during golf season, as I’ve been fading Scottie Scheffler for 20 months and burning entries as a result.

Bowers ranking: 1st

Cade Otton (at Falcons)

In the financial world, it’s a Ponzi scheme.

In the weight loss world, it’s dehydration.

I’m not going to say that in the fantasy football world, it’s Cade Otton, but I’m not going to deny such a train of thought.

I’m as guilty as anyone in highlighting volume, saying things like “the best way to not score fantasy points is to not see the field”. And that’s true, you can’t score fantasy points from the sidelines, but that doesn’t mean the inverse is true 100% of the time.

That is, simply being on the field doesn’t make you a fantasy asset; it simply increases your odds of being labeled as such. Travis Kelce, Tyler Conklin, and Cade Otton are the only tight ends to run 450 routes in each of the past three seasons, a list that alone gives you an idea of what I’m talking about.

Not all routes are created equal.

Despite all those routes, did you know that Otton has never cleared 100 receiving yards in a game? How about the fact that he’s managed two or fewer receptions for most of his games as a pro?

Getting your hands on the Buccaneers isn’t a bad move, and, for the most part, if you have someone from this offense, you’re playing them in a spot like this. But Otton doesn’t rank as a TE1 this week for me and won’t approach that territory until I see sustained change in how he is deployed, something I’m not overly optimistic about happening in 2025 due to the surrounding talent.

Before I step off this soapbox, Otton also has leg and hamstring issues.

OK, I’m done now.

Otton ranking: 21st

— Fantasy Football Analyst Jason Katz