Week 10 is here, and as always, there will be plenty of questions about who to start and who to sit in your fantasy football lineups. Below, we’ve provided analysis for every fantasy-relevant tight end in every game this weekend.
If you’re looking for all positions, head to our Week 10 Fantasy Football Start-Sit Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Cade Otton | TB (vs. SF)
Our guy Cardio Cade Otton has been the best thing since sliced bread recently.
That’s not true. Bread is good and everything, but does eating a sandwich really compare with going on a fantasy heater in the middle of the season? Maybe I’m biased, but I’d say no. Over the past three weeks, Otton has been fantasy football’s No. 5 scorer. Not at the tight end position but in the whole league.
- Jalen Hurts: 87.8 PPR points
- Lamar Jackson: 82.2
- Saquon Barkley: 71.7
- De’Von Achane: 69.3
- Otton: 68.8
He’s not on that list because of one of those outlier games and a few ordinary ones. He’s one of four pass catchers with at least 15 PPR points in each of those weeks as he consistently has been giving you a massive edge over your competition.
Of course, as fantasy managers, the question is about the future, not the past. I’d love to tell you that we’ve uncovered gold, and when Tampa Bay suffered their receiver injuries and you picked up Otton, you won your league. But I can’t.
He’s been great and will certainly have a greater role, but asking him to continue to account for 27.5% of Baker Mayfield’s completions or own a 41.7% end-zone target share is a lot.
With Mike Evans on the field, 2024:
- 165 routes
- 18 catches
- 156 yards
- 37.6 fantasy points
Without Evans on the field, 2024:
- 147 routes
- 26 catches
- 265 yards
- 70.1 fantasy points
This weekend, Otton draws a defense that is in the top five against the position in both YAC and yards per target. Next week, the Bucs have their bye, and in Week 12, he faces the second-best YAC team against the position that also owns the lowest touchdown rate allowed to tight ends.
Evans is expected back in Week 12, and I’ve already bet on Tampa Bay going under their implied team total this week (21 points) against a rested 49ers defense that is expected to get Christian McCaffrey back, something that should result in long, sustained drives and thus a limited possession count for the Bucs.
Of course, with Chris Godwin’s season over, I don’t expect Otton to fade into the abyss. I think he’s a top-10 tight end the rest of the way, but remember that Tucker Kraft run we had in the first month of the season? This feels like that — a player you start weekly in hopes of returning to the elite form we saw at one point and instead settling for the up-and-down production that this position breeds.
If I had the chance to move Otton for a Ladd McConkey type (consistent producer whose bye week is in the past), I think I would.
Cole Kmet | CHI (vs. NE)
Cole Kmet has been on the field for 79.3% of snaps this season, but those routes have largely been empty (one game with more than five targets this season). Personally, I’m buying Caleb Williams stock while it’s low, and that means some levels of optimism around Kmet by association. I’m having a hard time seeing him being a consistent producer the rest of the way.
New England is an above-average defense in terms of YAC and passing touchdown rate — it’s not a prohibitive matchup, but I need “favorable” for me to go in this direction.
Dallas Goedert | PHI (at DAL)
Dallas Goedert has seen just one target since September, with a hamstring injury resulting in three straight DNPs. Goedert didn’t participate in practice last week, and this is just the most recent example of how prohibitive these soft tissue injuries can be.
Goedert caught seven of eight targets against his namesake for 80 yards a season ago, but he carries more risk than reward now until we get proof of health. If he should practice in full this week, he’ll be on the fringe of startable. However, I’d pencil in another option this week, and pivot should his health tick up as opposed to banking on it.
Dalton Kincaid | BUF (at IND)
Evan Engram has been great since returning, right? He’s been operating at a 100-catch pace over the past month and is earning targets at an elite level. Well, over that stretch, he is the only tight end in the NFL being targeted on a higher percentage of his routes than Dalton Kincaid.
Buffalo’s star hasn’t yet turned those opportunities into fantasy goodness (just one finish better than TE10 through nine weeks this season), but I chase profiles this time of year. That is why I’ve sent out more than a few offers to try to up my Kincaid exposure before fantasy trade deadlines.
He’s seen an end-zone target in consecutive games and has seen his average depth of target slowly tick up after his usage early in the season looked more like that of a running back than a game-breaking pass catcher.
During a stretch last season (Week 17, Week 18, and Wild Card Round), Kincaid cleared 12.5 PPR points in three straight games. Who is to say a run like that doesn’t come before this fantasy season runs out? Who is to say it doesn’t come during a friendly December run?
Kincaid’s best football in terms of fantasy production, I believe, is ahead of him, and we could see some of that potential this weekend against a Colts defense that ranks no better than 26th in passer rating, completion percentage, and yards per pass attempt this season.
Dalton Schultz | HOU (vs. DET)
It’s one thing to average under three catches per game for 27.1 yards; it’s another to serve up that production on 31.8 routes per game.
Dalton Schultz was one of three Texans to catch a pass last Thursday, but that more speaks to the limited number of options in Houston’s offense than anything it’s starting TE is doing right.
With a deep target in eight straight games, you could squint and find some per-target upside, but that upside has been more theoretical than practical up to this point. With Collins expected back to soak up that downfield usage, Schultz is off of my streaming radar until proven otherwise.
Evan Engram | JAX (vs. MIN)
Evan Engram was a revolution at the TE position for fantasy managers last season, and he’s done well to live up to expectations.
2023:
- 1.64 PPR points per target
- 41.8 air yards per game
- 22.6% on-field target share
2024:
- 1.63 PPR points per target
- 42.4 air yards per game
- 25.6% on-field target share
The touchdown equity doesn’t grade out as a strength due to the offense’s limitations, but at the tight end position, a role like this gives Engram arguably the highest floor in the NFL. If you waited out the early injury, you’re likely to be rewarded with top-five production the rest of the way.
George Kittle | SF (at TB)
For the first time since last October, George Kittle has surpassed 80 air yards in consecutive games; with a consistent role for the taking due to Brandon Aiyuk’s injury, he is on the very short list of players who can lead the position in fantasy points during the second half of the season.
I know there is a reflex to want to sell any tight end after any strong run of production, understanding that stable production at the position is nearly impossible to find — but I’m not doing it. You have, for my money, the best TE for the rest of the season, and you should be thrilled about the edge that gives you over your competition.
Hunter Henry | NE (at CHI)
Drake Maye brings with him a different look to this New England Patriots offense, and that has me optimistic about the value of Hunter Henry moving forward.
With 20 catches over the past three weeks, Henry is tied for the position lead in involvement. No, I don’t think he’s a real threat to be among the reception leaders during the second half of the season, but there aren’t 10 tight ends with a greater role, and that’s enough to consider him a weekly TE1, even if it’s on the lower end.
Jake Ferguson | DAL (vs. PHI)
Jake Ferguson had a 27-yard catch on Dallas’ first offensive play last week and a 15-yarder on the third play. He’s got a level of slippery to him that you don’t see often at the tight end position, and that has allowed him to both get open (he and Brock Bowers are tied atop the position in games with at least six receptions this season) and turn a short target into something more.
Fergy was a top-six tight end in both games against the Eagles last season, totaling 163 yards and a touchdown across those two games. I like this matchup, and I like this player, I just don’t like this Cooper Rush-led offense.
That doesn’t mean you automatically bench Ferguson, however. Look at your waiver wire and see if you can find an option with a trustworthy QB that you can plug in. If your leagues are anything like mine, those players were scooped up a month ago.
By EPA, Philadelphia is the fourth most vulnerable defense to the slot, and Ferguson has proven a capable producer in that role (76.1% catch rate). The downgrade at quarterback certainly hurts the floor projection, but I expect the volume to remain stable and that’s enough for him to earn a top-10 ranking for me.
Jonnu Smith | MIA (at LAR)
One of these things is not like the other, one of these things doesn’t belong.
- George Kittle
- Travis Kelce
- Brock Bowers
- David Njoku
- Evan Engram
- Jonnu Smith
That’s the list of tight ends that have caught four passes in each of their past four games. This is a cheap way to bet on Miami, and that’s a bet I’m more than comfortable making against a Rams defense that is in the bottom five in yards per pass, YAC, and passing-touchdown rate this season.
The Dolphins are averaging 39.5% more yards per play since Tua Tagovailoa came back than they did in the games they missed. Smith is, at best, the fourth option in this passing game, but I think that can be enough to flirt with TE1 status in Week 10.
Juwan Johnson | NO (vs. ATL)
Juwan Johnson pulled down a 25-yard grab shortly after Chris Olave’s injury, the third time in four games that the 28-year-old had a reception of 20+ yards. I’m in no hurry to bet on anything involved with New Orleans these days, but with the rash of injuries and the potential to use Taysom Hill as a weapon more than a tight end, Johnson deserves to be on the fringes of streamability this week.
I still prefer players like Ja’Tavion Sanders and Jonnu Smith, but every league is different; if you are desperate, Johnson is there for the taking in a game script that figures to work in the favor of the passing game.
Kyle Pitts | ATL (at NO)
One week after Kyle Pitts landed a pair of long touchdowns, he earned one target in what looked, on paper, like a strong matchup against the Cowboys.
Ugh.
When my wife looks at me and asks why my eyes are bloodshot and points to gray hair, she knows the cause. Attempting to pin the tail on Pitts’ production is a struggle I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy, especially if you’re trying to live a balanced life.
So now what? What does Week 10 hold? These Saints kept Pitts off the stat sheet in the Week 4 meeting (three targets on 24 routes), but I’m smarter than that. I’m smarter than taking evidence and suggesting that it has anything to do with Pitts’ future.
Pitts’ two lowest route participation marks this season have come in the past two weeks, and that has me trending away from him this week, but I’d be lying if I said it was with great levels of confidence.
The Saints are taking on water and just allowed Ja’Tavion Sanders to turn five targets into 87 yards. Ruling Pitts out of lineups (season-long or DFS) isn’t my move, but neither is locking him in.
See why the gray hairs present themselves?
I have him ranked as my TE8 this week, understanding that a TE3 or TE23 finish is more likely. This is a bet against the direction of New Orleans more than anything — how lucky do you feel?
Pat Freiermuth | PIT (at WAS)
We are 47.1% of the way through the regular season for the Steelers, far beyond the acceptable range for a player to have 24.7% of their fantasy points come from two receptions, but that is the case for Pat Freiermuth.
This offense has taken steps forward under Russell Wilson but at the expense of their tight end, who has posted two of his three lowest snap shares this season since the quarterback change. I understand wanting to target this Washington defense who, even after a nice stretch, still ranks 27th in opponent passing touchdown rate this season — but this isn’t the way to do it.
Patty Football is hardly a top-20 tight end for me this week.
Sam LaPorta | DET (at HOU)
Sam LaPorta is in one of the more confounding and frustrating situations in fantasy this season. He proved plenty capable of earning targets at a strong rate last season and ranks fifth among qualifiers at the position this season in PPR points per target.
If you gave me that last sentence back in August, I would have run to the third round and been thrilled with drafting Detroit’s young tight end at his Tier 1 cost at the position.
So far, that’s been a losing proposition, and I’m not sure that changes anytime soon. LaPorta doesn’t have a finish better than TE8 this season, and that’s because he has just 26 targets on his ledger.
The lack of opportunity isn’t due to a lack of efficiency or playing time, it’s simply the result of being attached to an elite offense that spreads the ball around and prefers to establish dominance with the run first and foremost. I remain bullish on the talent, but at this point, I’m starting him weekly because of the scoring equity that comes with this offense more so than my confidence in his involvement.
I labeled LaPorta as a high-floor option this summer with elite upside. He’s no longer either of those things, but that doesn’t mean you pivot — it means you adjust your expectations. Even with diminished thoughts, he’s a top-10 tight end, and there’s no reason to second-guess starting him on Sunday night with the Lions’ implied point total clearing 25 points this season.
Taysom Hill | NO (vs. ATL)
Taysom Hill had eight opportunities (targets + rush attempts) in his return to action in Week 8 against the Chargers, a number that increased to 10 against the Panthers on Sunday. Sometimes his touches come in bunches as the Saints attack defensive personnel on the field, but that wasn’t the reason he was involved in Week 9 — he was handed the ball on New Orleans’ second play.
With Derek Carr back, this offense was able to offer some scoring equity, and that puts HIll in a position to succeed. He handled consecutive red-zone snaps under center in the second quarter — he pushed forward for a third-down conversion before scoring from seven yards out on the next play.
He’s not a bulletproof play, and I’m not overly optimistic that this offense is capable of moving the ball with regularity as his teammates continue to fall. However, he’s a top-12 option for me this week thanks to his unique skill set. You might like the Texans, Commanders, and Bengals’ defenses more than what the Saints are running out there, but I prefer Hill to the tight ends in all of those situations with a bottom-10 EPA defense on the other side of the ball.
T.J. Hockenson | MIN (at JAX)
T.J. Hockenson played only 45.1% of the snaps on Sunday, his season debut (2023: 79.6%), but he did post an 11.5-yard aDOT (2023: 7.6), an interesting development. Does it stick?
I wouldn’t bank on it. I saw some general worries come across my timeline with Josh Oliver hauling in all five of his targets (58 yards and a TD) on Sunday, but I’d argue that is more encouraging than discouraging. When trying to project Hockenson moving forward, I want the TE position to be productive — I’m plenty comfortable in assuming that a healthy version of him takes over the lead role before long.
We may see the veteran tight end’s snap share slowly work back to what we saw last season, but in this matchup, I’m running through that stop sign and plugging him in where I have him. Through nine weeks, the Jags own the worst yards-per-play defense, in large part because they allow the sixth-highest percentage of yards gained against them to come through the air (67.9%).
Travis Kelce | KC (vs. DEN)
Travis Kelce led the Chiefs in receiving yards in both games against the Broncos last season, accounting for one-third of their receiving yards in those games. With this offense looking the way it does, Kelce is as important for this team moving the chains, and while the Broncos are the seventh-best defense against the slot this season, the veteran tight end should be plenty busy as Patrick Mahomes stays away from Pat Surtain II.
I understand if you want to fade a 35-year-old tight end on a short work week in the middle of a season playing for a team with its eyes set on January rather than Week 10 in DFS, but you’re not getting cute in season-long formats.
Trey McBride | ARI (vs. NYJ)
Trey McBride’s six-target streak came to an end on Sunday against the Bears, and yet he still reached double figures in PPR points for a fifth straight game.
Did it take a rushing touchdown? It did, but you don’t draw up plays like that for players whose hands you are not actively trying to get on the ball. McBride’s average depth of target is up 25.8% from his encouraging rookie season. Given his stable volume, that role tweak is more of a ceiling elevator than one that lowers his floor.
The Jets’ defense is great, but they are attacked vertically consistently (highest opponent average depth of throw this season), seemingly because offenses aren’t confident in their ability to sustain drives otherwise, and that lands McBride where he typically resides: my top tier at the position.
Tyler Conklin | NYJ (at ARI)
You would think that Aaron Rodgers showing signs of form would be a boon to the value of his starting tight end. But as it turns out, Rodgers was able to get rolling by almost exclusively featuring his top two pass-catchers… go figure.
In the Week 9 win, New York’s top receiver not named Adams or Wilson had — checks notes — 12 receiving yards. This is a low-volume offense that is highly condensed, and that leaves players like Tyler Conklin (under five air yards in three of his past four games) out in the cold.
There are a handful of tight ends on your waiver wire that I’d rather take a shot on than Conklin.
Zach Ertz | WAS (vs. PIT)
Zach Ertz’s three-game streak of scoring in double figures (PPR) came to an end on Sunday after a disappointing one-target effort against the Giants. But that’s the nature of the beast when dancing with this Commanders passing game.
Washington finished Week 9 with twice as many rush attempts as pass attempts even with starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. sidelined. This team is a poor man’s version of Baltimore, and in spots where we expect them to control the tempo, it’s going to be hard for pass catchers not named Terry McLaurin.
Sportsbooks are essentially labeling this game a coin flip, and I think that works in the favor of those looking to stream the tight end position. For the season, 70.8% of yards gained against the Steelers have come through the air (fourth-highest), another feather in the cap of Ertz and a reason I have him as a top-15 option at the position this week.