Making fantasy football lineup decisions can be incredibly frustrating or incredibly rewarding; it all depends on how often you get it correct. Here to help you make those decisions are our positional start ’em and sit ’em picks.
Fantasy decisions are more important than ever with playoff spots and playoff positioning on the line, so let’s look at our Week 11 start/sit plays for the TE position.
Which TEs Should You Start in Fantasy This Week?
Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. TEN)
Last week, Evan Engram scored 5.2 fantasy points. It was his lowest output of the season in a game where the Jaguars seem to have forgotten their bye week ended.
Yet, Engram’s volume remained just fine. He saw seven targets for the eighth consecutive game. He caught four passes, which he’s done in every game this season. Even though he only managed 12 yards, that bankable volume is rare at the tight end position.
MORE: Week 11 Start/Sit Options — QB | RB | WR
I’m expecting the Jaguars to rebound this week in a winning effort against the Titans. Trevor Lawrence can’t throw every pass to Christian Kirk. And Calvin Ridley can’t get open. That should once again lead us to a nice target share for Engram.
Eventually, Engram is going to score a touchdown. He’s got 55 catches for 446 yards on the season without one. He shouldn’t need one this week to reach double-digit fantasy points, but if he does, he will be an elite TE1. Start him.
Which TEs Should You Sit in Fantasy This Week?
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans (vs. ARI)
It has been a great six-week stretch for Dalton Schultz after a dismal start to the season. Over that span, Schultz has scored at least 11 fantasy points in all but one game, including a 27-point explosion in Week 9. The Texans have also enjoyed a great stretch of opponents that struggle against the tight end. Unfortunately, that’s all about to end.
The Cardinals were once a team to target if streaming tight ends — not anymore. This unit has been elite against the position, allowing 8.7 PPG, the sixth-fewest in the league. Just 16.7% of their receiving yards allowed have gone to the position.
C.J. Stroud has the Rookie of the Year award all but locked up. He is playing MVP-level football. He is not going to force the ball to his tight end against a defense built to stop it.
Schultz should remain on fantasy rosters because he’s proven worthy of being started as a TE1, but he has a very difficult schedule for tight ends. It starts this week. You may not have a better option, but I would not recommend starting Schultz against the Cardinals this week.
Trending Searches for TE Start/Sit
Did you know that we have a Start/Sit Optimizer here at Pro Football Network?! It’s completely free to use, and it allows you to enter up to six players to find the best option to plug into your starting lineup!
It also allows us to see the most popular trending searches, and we’ve jotted some of them down here to help provide some clarity on!
Should You Start Evan Engram or Logan Thomas?
Logan Thomas has been a welcome surprise for fantasy managers this season. After destroying his knee last year, I, and many others, largely wrote him off. But he’s returned and looked like the usable TE1 he was before he got hurt.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
Thomas is averaging 9.9 PPG. He’s scored at least 7.0 fantasy points in all but one game this season. When he last played the Giants, he caught four of six targets for 51 yards.
My concern this week with Thomas, though, is twofold. First, the Giants have actually been great against the tight end. They’re allowing 8.7 PPG to the position, the fourth-fewest in the league.
Second, this time, it’s Tommy DeVito starting for the Giants. They are unlikely to be competitive in any game in which DeVito starts. While the Commanders are definitely a pass-heavy offense, they aren’t going to air it out like the Cowboys did last week if they have a big lead. That inherently limits Thomas’ upside.
The Start/Sit Optimizer has Engram projected for 10.7 points against Thomas’ 9.1. I agree with the Optimizer and would start Engram in this spot.
Should You Start Trey McBride or Dalton Schultz?
Schultz has been as hot as anyone at the tight end position lately. But as I mentioned above, he’s benefited from a favorable schedule, which is about to take a negative turn.
Trey McBride was already starting to take over the Cardinals’ TE1 role even before Zach Ertz got hurt. Now, it should be his for the next decade.
McBride has seen at least five targets in five straight games. In two of his last three, he saw nine and 14 targets, scoring 21.1 and 25.5 fantasy points in those contests.
The Texans have been the single worst team at defending the tight end this season. They allow 15.8 PPG to the position, the most in the league. Their opponents have targeted the tight end position 27.4% of the time, the second-highest rate in the league.
With the Cardinals lacking a clear second option in the passing game behind Marquise Brown, we could be looking at another week of heavy targeting for the sophomore TE.
The Start/Sit Optimizer has McBride at 9.5 points against Schultz’s 8.9. Not only do I agree, I don’t think it will be that close. Start McBride.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
