For those of you with fantasy football matchups this week, it is crucial to know which players are the preferable starts. Here are my Week 18 rankings for the tight end position.
Which TE Should You Start in Fantasy Football?
1) Trey McBride | ARI (vs. SEA)
2) Jake Ferguson | DAL (at WAS)
3) Evan Engram | JAX (at TEN)
4) Sam LaPorta | DET (vs. MIN)
5) Dallas Goedert | PHI (vs. NYG)
6) Dalton Kincaid | BUF (at MIA)
7) Cole Kmet | CHI (at GB)
8) Darren Waller | NYG (vs. PHI)
9) Tucker Kraft | GB (vs. CHI)
10) Gerald Everett | LAC (vs. KC)
11) Dalton Schultz | HOU (at IND)
12) Juwan Johnson | NO (vs. ATL)
13) Taysom Hill | NO (vs. ATL)
14) Tyler Conklin | NYJ (at NE)
15) Kyle Pitts | ATL (at NO)
16) Chigoziem Okonkwo | TEN (vs. JAX)
17) Pat Freiermuth | PIT (at BAL)
18) Logan Thomas | WAS (vs. DAL)
19) Cade Otton | TB (at CAR)
20) Tanner Hudson | CIN (vs. CLE)
21) Jonnu Smith | ATL (at NO)
22) Travis Kelce | KC (at LAC)
23) Noah Fant | SEA (at ARI)
24) Kylen Granson | IND (vs. HOU)
25) Mike Gesicki | NE (vs. NYJ)
26) Dawson Knox | BUF (at MIA)
27) Durham Smythe | MIA (vs. BUF)
28) Josh Oliver | MIN (at DET)
29) Noah Gray | KC (at LAC)
30) Adam Trautman | DEN (at LV)
31) Austin Hooper | LV (vs. DEN)
Top TEs To Start in Week 18
Tucker Kraft, TE, Green Bay Packers (vs. CHI)
Last week marked Tucker Kraft’s fourth consecutive game with double-digit fantasy points. He’s been remarkably solid for six weeks now with fellow TE Luke Musgrave sidelined.
The Green Bay Packers have a ton of injury issues at wide receiver, allowing Kraft managers to take advantage.
MORE: Katz’s Week 18 Rankings — QB | RB | WR | K | DST
Christian Watson is trying to fight through a hamstring strain, Dontayvion Wicks didn’t play last week, and Jayden Reed might miss this week with a rib injury. That has resulted in Kraft being more heavily used.
This week, the Packers get a Chicago Bears defense that allows the third-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. It should be another solid outing for Kraft.
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Last week, Juwan Johnson put together his best game of the season. He caught eight of 12 targets for 90 yards and a touchdown. All of those numbers were season highs by a wide margin.
Is starting Johnson this week point chasing? Maybe. But there’s good reason to think he can have another solid outing.
The Atlanta Falcons have a pretty strong defense this season. Where they struggle the most is against the tight end. The Falcons allow 13.8 fantasy points per game to the position, the seventh-most in the league. We could see Derek Carr lean on his tight again this week, providing dividends for fantasy managers.
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!
