Week 11 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 11 Fantasy Football Start-Sit Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Brock Bowers | LV (at MIA)
You read my concerns about Jakobi Meyers — you can go ahead and transfer them all to Brock Bowers (held without a red-zone target in six of nine games this season). But by playing the tight end position, we have no problem taking on more risk, and that makes the raw volume of Bowers more than enough to slot him in as a top-five option at the position week in and week out.
The rookie has at least eight targets in a position-best six games this season — and that’s plenty. You got a bargain on Bowers during your draft and can feel good about riding him for the remainder of the season, understanding that the cost is going to be significantly different entering next season.
Cole Kmet | CHI (vs. GB)
Cole Kmet has a pair of top-two finishes at the position this season, but that sounds much more favorable than it is. Yes, it’s encouraging to know that games like that are in this profile, but we are talking about an awfully thin outlook with an inconsistent rookie under center and three receivers ahead of him in the target hierarchy.
Looking to invest in Caleb Williams’ pedigree is reasonable for a Rome Odunze-type that has a path to consistently be the first read — but Kmet isn’t that. Over the past three weeks, his 92 routes have netted just 27 yards. The floor is as low as any tight end on the board and the ceiling is nothing more than average based on current form.
If you’re really trying hard to talk yourself into Kmet, he’s caught 14 of 18 targets in his past three games against the Packers. I present the facts for you to do what you please — I think that’s grasping for straws and will be looking elsewhere in the leagues in which I am streaming the position.
Dallas Goedert | PHI (vs. WAS)
Dallas Goedert returned to action last week after missing nearly a month, and while his on-field target share was nothing special (14.3%), it was nice to see him get into the end zone for the first time this season.
The problem in this profile is no secret: volume. Jalen Hurts hasn’t thrown more than 25 passes in a game since September. With Philadelphia’s star receivers at full strength, the target ceiling just isn’t high enough to justify starting weekly.
If you need to stream the position, getting exposure to an offense with an implied total of 26 points isn’t a bad idea, but assigning him a different floor than the likes of Zach Ertz isn’t wise. Goedert’s name value is greater than his mean outcome.
Dalton Kincaid | BUF (vs. KC)
Dalton Kincaid suffered a knee injury in the first half last week and tried to return to action with a brace. After a few snaps, he elected to call it a day, leaving fantasy managers out in the cold after an optimistic start to Week 10.
In the first quarter of the win over the Colts, Kincaid matched a career-high for targets in the first 15 minutes with four. His fantasy day would have been made if Josh Allen hadn’t missed him on what would have been a 28-yard score in the first stanza.
I’m approaching this situation with cautious optimism. Kincaid earned a season-high 10 targets in Week 9’s win over the Dolphins, and it seems that this offense is looking to get their TE more involved with the scripted plays working in his favor early last week.
Of course, there is no shortage of moving pieces while Amari Cooper and Keon Coleman both deal with wrist injuries, but this is an offense I generally want to invest in when I get the chance.
Keep an eye on Kincaid’s practice status moving forward — I still think there’s upside to chase when healthy.
Dalton Schultz | HOU (at DAL)
Dalton Schultz had 66 receiving yards in Sunday night’s thriller against the Lions, his most since Week 10 of last season. All three of his catches gained at least 17 yards, a skill set that we’ve seen him flash in the past, but it’s important to contextualize what we just saw.
Last week, Schultz accounted for 28.4% of Houston’s receiving yards despite a 12.5% target share. If his situation wasn’t changing at all, I’d be skeptical. With various things changing, I’m comfortable betting against this profile as a streamer target.
Instead of being an underdog (passing script) in a game with a 49.5-point projection and Nico Collins sidelined, Houston is a touchdown favorite with a game total of 42 points while Houston’s WR1 is expected back in the mix. In this range of my rankings, I’d rather roll the dice on Hunter Henry or Jonnu Smith.
David Njoku | CLE (at NO)
For the record, calling any player “safe” when operating within the Jameis Winston vortex is a dangerous step to take. That said, David Njoku is trending in that direction.
He missed nearly a month early in the season, and in his four games as a full-time player (over 73% of the snaps in each of those contests), he’s earned at least seven targets. Given the state of this running game, I have a hard time thinking we won’t get reasonable volume through the air in Cleveland for the rest of 2024. The veteran tight end is pretty clearly the best bet to lead this team in looks.
The production might be spotty, but the process of trusting Njoku weekly at this position is sound, and I’m co-signing it for every week moving forward.
Dawson Knox | BUF (vs. KC)
From PFN Analyst Jason Katz
It’s been a very long time since fantasy managers seriously thought about starting Dawson Knox. The last time he did anything of note was Week 16 of the 2022 season! Yet, he’s back on the menu for Week 11.
Outside of the lone game where he caught a touchdown pass in Week 6, Knox’s best game was 7.0 fantasy points. He has a whopping eight games with under 2.0 fantasy points. It’s completely understandable to be very hesitant to start him.
Dalton Kincaid is out this week. Kincaid missed time during last week’s game, too. After running no more than 14 routes in any game this season, Knox ran 23 routes against the Colts.
With Kincaid out, we should expect Knox to be the full-time tight end. He could see upwards of an 80% snap share and will likely set a season-high in routes run.
The Chiefs may have a great defense overall, but they’ve really struggled against tight ends. They allow the second-most fantasy points per game to the position. No team allows a higher percentage of their total receiving yards against tight ends than the staggering 35.8% surrendered by the Chiefs. It is the highest in the league by an impossibly wide margin (the next most is 28.5%).
Given the Chiefs’ elite run defense, the Bills should air it out this week. Amari Cooper is likely to return, but Keon Coleman remains out. Knox could be the third option behind Khalil Shakir and Cooper in the passing game. He is a very viable streaming option.
Evan Engram | JAX (at DET)
The Mac Jones-led version of this offense was underwhelming for what little we saw of them (time of possession in Week 10 vs. Vikings: 17:41); yet, Evan Engram still earned his eight targets and paid the PPR fantasy bills.
Engram posted a 34.8% on-field target share last week, the fourth-highest rate of his career. I’m not sold that the role is sustainable, but if the play count trends closer to reasonable, I’m as comfortable penciling in Engram for six to nine targets as any tight end outside of the hyper-elite.
Jones lowers Engram’s ceiling, but I’m not sure the floor is drastically different (per our QB+ metric, Jones’ Week 10 grade was on par with Trevor Lawrence’s GPA through nine weeks), and that’s enough to land him in my second tier and deserving of lineup-lock status.
George Kittle | SF (vs. SEA)
That’s now seven straight games with at least 14 PPR points for George Kittle, tying him for the longest streak by a tight end since the start of 2012 (Travis Kelce owns the two longest streaks over that stretch).
Last week, he got there with a picturesque 11-yard score in the back of the end zone, showcasing nice finesse to complement the physicality that we see from him weekly. Kittle has a catch of at least 29 yards in four straight and figures to remain heavily involved as this offense adjusts to life without Brandon Aiyuk.
I was encouraged to see his valuable usage remain intact despite Christian McCaffrey making his season debut (at least one end-zone target in five of his past six games, multiple such looks in three of his past five), and he remains my top-ranked player at the position for the remainder of the 2024 season.
Hunter Henry | NE (vs. LAR)
Hunter Henry is on the field plenty (over 84% snap share in four straight games) in an offense that has some upside under Drake Maye. That’s a good place to be when evaluating the upside, especially if you believe this team will be playing from behind.
Of course, there are two sides to that coin. In the Week 10 win over the Bears, Henry turned four targets into 2.4 PPR points, a floor that could ruin your week. He is a featured option on the rare occasion that this offense gets inside the 20-yard line, and that’s enough for him to live in the streaming tier of my ranks.
However, I’m never going to sell you on Henry as a strong play, and I prefer Pat Freiermuth if you’re looking for a need-a-TD-to-be-worth-anything option at the position.
Isaiah Likely | BAL (at PIT)
The hamstring injury kept Isaiah Likely out of Thursday’s instant classic with the Bengals; hopefully, that pushed you to cut ties. I love the athletic profile and still think the 24-year-old has a promising future in this league. But in terms of chasing a 2024 fantasy title, this isn’t a profile to bet on.
Likely hasn’t reached 50 receiving yards since that standout Week 1 loss in Kansas City and has scored in just one of eight contests over that stretch. You can move on – if Mark Andrews were to get hurt, I’d spend every FAAB dollar left in my wallet. Nonetheless, burning a roster spot and hoping for a tight end injury to a fully healthy player just isn’t how I build out my team.
Jake Ferguson | DAL (vs. HOU)
I was as high as anyone on Jake Ferguson entering this season, and while my primary stance has proven accurate in that they don’t have a WR2, the third-year tight end has yet to step up. It seems unlikely to happen with Dak Prescott on the shelf.
I’m betting against all things volume-related in Dallas these days — nothing Cooper Rush did last week makes me think this team can sustain drives. If that’s going to be the case, you will need some chunk plays from Ferguson to produce top-12 numbers, and with 2.5 air yards on his Week 10 ledger, I’m not comfortable going there.
I don’t have any more confidence in Ferguson than I do in Tucker Kraft or Zach Ertz, and those two come with a path to a single valuable target that Dallas’ tight end doesn’t given the play under center.
Jonnu Smith | MIA (vs. LV)
I’ve got George Kittle at the top of my tight end rankings for the remainder of the season, and his profile looks a lot like Jonnu Smith’s since Week 5 in terms of usage.
George Kittle’s production, Weeks 5-10:
- 84.9% of snaps are routes
- 0.54 EPA per target
- 19.8% on-field target share
- 23% targets per route run
Jonnu Smith’s production, Weeks 5-10:
- 91.2% of snaps are routes
- 0.42 EPA/target
- 21.8% on-field target share
- 23% targets per route run
By no means am I saying that you treat Smith with the same level of respect as Kittle, but he’s a bigger part of this offense than I think most realize. If you’re fading a Jaylen Waddle rebound, Smith is likely to continue to see consistent work.
His ability to produce after the catch is no secret (his 33-yard catch and run on Monday night serving as the latest reminder), and with a career-high slot usage (46.8% of his routes), we are looking at a reasonably stable player with upside in this offense.
Smith checks in just about the Taysom Hill line for me — the line in the ranks where I believe the “safe” roles end and you throw caution to the wind in chasing upside.
Juwan Johnson | NO (vs. CLE)
If the injuries in New Orleans have you flocking to this team for volume, I’d like you to reconsider. The Saints rank 27th in pass rate, and their traditional tight end hasn’t reached 50 receiving yards since New Year’s Eve.
The lack of volume is one thing, the lack of quality volume is another. Johnson hasn’t seen a red-zone or end-zone target since the first week of the season when this squad looked like the second coming of the Greatest Show on Turf.
I’m not starting anyone on this roster not named Alvin Kamara if I don’t have to, and even if I’m desperate, Johnson isn’t the tight end on this roster I’m buying stock in.
Kyle Pitts | ATL (at DEN)
The Falcons have made an interesting shift in Kyle Pitts’ usage, and I think fantasy managers should be happy about it. He’s played under 54% of Atlanta’s offensive snaps in three straight games, but in three of his past four, he’s been targeted on at least 20% of his routes.
They are leaning into Pitts being a receiver, and that’s what we want. That’s how you end up with a highlight reel 23-yard catch on the sideline where Kirk Cousins is putting him in position to do what Pitts was put on this planet to do and high point the football.
If Drake London is going to find the sledding tough against Pat Surtain II, we could be looking at a nice volume game for Pitts. That lands him inside of my top 10 at the position. With this offense functioning at a high level, I’m happy to embrace the range of outcomes because it means I get access to a top-five ceiling.
Mark Andrews | BAL (at PIT)
Another week, another touchdown. Mark Andrews has scored five times over the past five weeks, flipping the script from the first month that had plenty of people asking if they could cut the former Tier 1 tight end.
The production is great to see, and he’s a top-12 guy moving forward. But you need to be aware that there is still significant risk in this profile. Andrews played a season-high 87.9% of the offensive snaps, a role that is nearly 30 percentage points ahead of his season mark. If that usage came with the roster at full strength, I’d be more encouraged. However, Isaiah Likely (hamstring) was inactive, so I’m not sure we can project it to sustain.
Andrews’ target rate has been hovering around 20% since the beginning of October, and that’s enough to be viable in an offense clicking on all cylinders. I’d just caution against assuming that we are out of the woods when it comes to the air balls.
Mike Gesicki | CIN (at LAC)
Mike Gesicki is a receiver labeled as a tight end in our world, and that’s great when an injury opens up usage.
- Last three games (no Tee Higgins): 23 targets
- Previous four games (Higgins was active): Four targets
This is a very simple situation that you need not overcomplicate — if Higgins is active, Gesicki is a low-end streamer at best. But if not, he’s a top-10 guy without much thought.
Do I think he should be used more often? I do. He’s the third-most reliable pass catcher in this offense, and that role should thrive given the attention that Higgins/Ja’Marr Chase demand. Until the Bengals show any interest in getting that role consistently involved, fantasy managers don’t need to look this way should Higgins’ health not be a concern at lineup lock.
Noah Fant | SEA (at SF)
Noah Fant sat out Week 9 with a groin injury before the Week 10 bye. With him presumably operating at less than full strength in a best case situation, Fant can safely be left on waiver wires, especially with DK Metcalf expected back.
Touchdown equity drives scoring on the fringes of the TE position — Fant hasn’t found the endzone since Christmas Eve, 2022.
Pat Freiermuth | PIT (vs. BAL)
Russell Wilson has brought a level of professionalism to this offense, and it’s paying dividends for plenty. Pat Freiermuth scored in the second quarter last week on a perfectly timed pick play and that’s great, but the lack of a floor is enough to keep him outside of my top 12 this week, even in a seemingly ideal matchup.
Freiermuth has not earned a single end-zone target this season and has seen three or fewer looks in five straight. Pittsburgh’s chain-moving threat has the potential to fall forward into a touchdown any week, even more so with Wilson under center, but he’s on the list a mile long of TD-dependent TEs.
We are talking about more of a DFS play than a season-long option in my eyes.
Sam LaPorta | DET (vs. JAX)
Sam LaPorta has quieted some of the haters by scoring in three of his past five games and posting 91 air yards in Sunday night’s win (his first game north of 42), but I still have my concerns.
Jared Goff hasn’t funneled a red-zone target the way of his starting tight end in four of the past five games. In an offense based on efficiency like this one, I worry about the target-earning capacity of LaPorta’s role. Last season, he was consistently featured and saw a target on 23.8% of his routes. That rate is down to 15.7% this season. While I still have him ranked as a fringe fantasy starter (Jacksonville allows the third-most yards per pass this season), his odds of hitting his floor are as low as anyone in that range of my rankings.
Taysom Hill | NO (vs. CLE)
Taysom Hill racked up 46 yards on five touches in the first quarter last week, highlighted by a 34-yard grab. And it could have been so much more:
Taysom Hill had an 88-yard TD catch nullified on a hold yesterday lmao pic.twitter.com/W14lxhsJZ7
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 11, 2024
The slot route rate is declining for Hill, but does that matter? You’re not considering Hill for his pass-catching prowess, you’re looking to exploit a unique role that has the potential to be a cheat code at a position that allows you to swallow more risk than others.
This pass-catching nucleus’s numerous injuries should open Hill up for more games like what we saw on Sunday. If you’re going to get 6-8 touches, you’re looking at a viable option.
Do I worry about the lack of scoring equity that comes with playing for this team? Of course, I do. I already bet the team total at under 22.5 points this week if you need proof of that. While I think that subtracts from Hill’s chances of producing a ceiling game, I’ll take my chances.
T.J. Hockenson | MIN (at TEN)
The Vikings have yet to unleash T.J. Hockenson, and they really haven’t needed to. Is that frustrating? It is. For now.
Minnesota will be in a playoff battle until the very end of this season, and that has me optimistic that this star could peak at the perfect time. In Week 9, Hockenson played 45.1% of the snaps and was hardly extended in Week 10 (46.3%). I’m happy to read into the quality of snaps as opposed to quantity — he was targeted on 30% of his routes last weekend against the Jaguars.
I’m not expecting Hock to get back to his 2023 snap rate in November (79.6%), and I don’t care. If he is getting usage like he did in Week 10 (nine targets, 72 yards), the snap count will eventually follow. We could be looking at a Tier 1 option come the fantasy postseason.
Lock him into your lineups now and understand that you’re playing the long game.
Travis Kelce | KC (at BUF)
Travis Kelce has seen at least a dozen targets in three straight games, the first player 35 or older to do that since Terrell Owens in 2010 (five straight). The usage was no mistake — Kelce caught a two-yard score at the end of the first half and was responsible for six of Patrick Mahomes’ first 16 completions.
This Chiefs team defies logic across the board, and Kelce is a part of that. We were ready to write him off for the regular season, but this offense is built around Mahomes’ ability to move the chains. That style, given the roster as it sits, means that Kelce is a threat to lead the position in opportunities every single week.
We are looking at a Tier 1 tight end. Maybe he’s not a tier unto himself like years past, but Father Time is taking his time in knocking on Kelce’s door. I see no reason to bet against that moving forward for the remainder of this season.
Tucker Kraft | GB (at CHI)
Look at Tucker Kraft’s player page and my guess is that you’re going to be a little underwhelmed. The five touchdowns are nice, but with under 40 receiving yards in six of nine games, there is a lower floor than I see most people taking into consideration.
Kraft has yet to reach 40 air yards in a game and has been targeted on under 16% of his routes in each of his past four. The scoring profile keeps him on the TE1 radar (end-zone target or a score in five of his past six games), but I’m not labeling him as the surefire starter that most seem to be doing.
Tyler Conklin | NYJ (vs. IND)
Early in the season, the idea of Tyler Conklin was easy to track — he’s a big target in an Aaron Rodgers-led offense that was coming off back-to-back-to-back seasons with at least 58 catches.
At the very least, I assumed there would be some scoring equity to chase here. But with this Jets offense failing to live up to expectations, there’s simply no reason to bet further on them. Conklin has posted a sub-8% target rate in consecutive games, and without red-zone drive volume at the level we expected, you’re looking elsewhere.
Zach Ertz | WAS (at PHI)
Zach Ertz played a season-high 79.7% of Washington’s offensive snaps on his birthday last week and hauled in four passes for the fourth time in his past five games. The per-catch upside is very much capped, but volume talks, especially when tethered to a top-10 offense.
The veteran tight end has been targeted on over one-quarter of his routes in three of his past four, a usage pattern that has him flirting with my top 15 this week. By no means is he a must-start, but if you’re piecing together the position every week, I think you can get away with Ertz this weekend next in a pair of divisional games.