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 13 start/sit plays for the TE position.
Which TEs Should You Start in Fantasy This Week?
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans (vs. DEN)
Last week, Dalton Schultz was in the sit column. Hopefully, you were able to find an alternative to his two-target, one-catch, two-yard effort. This week, Schultz is back on the menu, though!
MORE: Week 13 Start/Sit Options — WR | RB | QB
I’ve been calling Schultz a sell for a couple of weeks now due to a brutal rest-of-season schedule. That remains true. But amid that brutality, there is one respite, and that is this week against the Broncos.
The Broncos remain the most favorable opponent for tight ends, allowing 16.8 PPG to the position, the most in the league. With C.J. Stroud playing extremely high-level football, there should be plenty of meat on the bone left over for Schultz after Tank Dell and Nico Collins get their fill.
Plus, the Broncos have been better against receivers over the past several weeks. It may actually be prudent for the Houston Texans to intentionally target Schultz more, attacking the Broncos’ weakness.
Only the Atlanta Falcons see opponents target the tight end position more than the 28.6% target share the Broncos face. Schultz should see plenty of opportunities. Get him in fantasy lineups for what may be the final time this season.
It is important to note that Schultz did not practice Thursday or Friday. There is a chance he does not go this week. If Schultz doesn’t play, the matchup is so good that Brevin Jordan would absolutely be on the streaming radar for fantasy managers in need.
Jordan is pretty athletic and had some moments as a rookie back in 2021. He played 43% of the snaps last week and even caught a touchdown earlier in the season. He would not be my first choice, but he’s very much in play for those in need.
Which TEs Should You Sit in Fantasy This Week?
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. ARI)
Sit Pat Freiermuth coming off his first-career 100-yard game? Surely, I jest. But I don’t.
The Cardinals have done a complete 180 from the team we used to aggressively target for tight end streamers. Now, we want to avoid them at all costs.
Sure, Tyler Higbee broke loose for two touchdowns against them last week. He also only caught five passes for 29 yards. Of course, Freiermuth is liable to find the end zone. No matter what his other stats are, if he scores, you will be upset you sat him. But don’t expect anything near what he did against the Bengals last week.
The Cardinals allow 10.0 PPG to tight ends, the 10th-fewest in the league. That number should be even lower, but Higbee’s two-touchdown performance inflated it a bit. From a yardage standpoint, only three teams allow fewer yards per game to tight ends than the paltry 37 the Cardinals surrender. The Muth is unlikely to get luth 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 Dalton Schultz or David Njoku?
When it comes to non-elite tight ends, it’s typically all about matchup. Dalton Schultz has the easiest opponent possible for tight ends. But David Njoku also has a defense allowing the eighth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends in the Rams. Both tight ends are quality options this week and firmly inside the top eight.
The Start/Sit Optimizer has Schultz projected for 9.2 points against Njoku’s 8.9. In my weekly rankings, I, too, have Schultz ahead of Njoku.
MORE: Kyle Soppe’s Week 13 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
While Njoku has enjoyed 8+ targets in four of his last five and double-digit fantasy points in six straight, Schultz has displayed an upside that Njoku just can’t have with Joe Flacco at quarterback.
Given the matchup, I am starting Schultz this week with confidence.
Should You Start Pat Freiermuth or Gerald Everett?
One big game, and Pat Freiermuth is back in our good graces. That’s how it works at the challenging tight end position. It also helps that we’ve seen Freiermuth be a weekly startable tight end in the past. The same cannot really be said about Gerald Everett.
While Everett has had his moments, he’s never had a point in his career where fantasy managers could trust him on a weekly basis. He remains mostly a matchup play.
This week, Everett gets a Patriots defense allowing a paltry 8.5 PPG to tight ends, the fourth-fewest in the league. Even worse, it’s in a matchup where the Chargers may not have to throw much, as the Patriots don’t really put up much of a fight offensively.
The Start/Sit Optimizer has Freiermuth projected for 8.8 points against Everett’s 8.1. I don’t love the matchup for Freiermuth, either, but I would definitely agree and start him over Everett this week.
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!
