The 2023 NFL season continues to roll along and fantasy football managers have plenty of tough start/sit decisions ahead of them for Week 13 with six teams on a bye week.
With T.J. Hockenson, Dalton Kincaid, and Cole Kmet unavailable, who do you need to be looking to start confidently this weekend?
Here are my latest Week 13 fantasy TE rankings to help guide you as you set your lineups.
All rankings are in 1QB and half-PPR scoring formats.
Which TE Should You Start in Fantasy Football?
More Positional Rankings From Tate: QB | RB | WR
1) Travis Kelce | KC (at GB)
2) George Kittle | SF (at PHI)
3) Sam LaPorta | DET (at NO)
4) Trey McBride | ARI (at PIT)
5) Evan Engram | JAX (vs. CIN)
6) Jake Ferguson | DAL (vs. SEA)
7) Taysom Hill | NO (vs. DET)
8) David Njoku | CLE (at LAR)
9) Pat Freiermuth | PIT (vs. ARI)
10) Dallas Goedert | PHI (vs. SF)
11) Logan Thomas | WAS (vs. MIA)
12) Cade Otton | TB (vs. CAR)
13) Kyle Pitts | ATL (at NYJ)
14) Juwan Johnson | NO (vs. DET)
15) Gerald Everett | LAC (at NE)
16) Tyler Conklin | NYJ (vs. ATL)
17) Jonnu Smith | ATL (at NYJ)
18) Donald Parham Jr. | LAC (at NE)
19) Tyler Higbee | LAR (vs. CLE)
20) Tucker Kraft | GB (vs. KC)
21) Brevin Jordan | HOU (vs. DEN)
22) Chigoziem Okonkwo | TEN (vs. IND)
23) Tanner Hudson | CIN (at JAX)
24) Tommy Tremble | CAR (at TB)
25) Hunter Henry | NE (vs. LAC)
26) Noah Fant | SEA (at DAL)
27) Kylen Granson | IND (at TEN)
28) Mike Gesicki | NE (vs. LAC)
29) Will Mallory | IND (at TEN)
30) Adam Trautman | DEN (at HOU)
31) Noah Gray | KC (at GB)
32) Durham Smythe | MIA (at WAS)
33) Will Dissly | SEA (at DAL)
34) Colby Parkinson | SEA (at DAL)
35) Irv Smith Jr. | CIN (at JAX)
36) Jeremy Ruckert | NYJ (vs. ATL)
37) C.J. Uzomah | NYJ (vs. ATL)
38) Luke Farrell | JAX (vs. CIN)
39) Luke Schoonmaker | DAL (vs. SEA)
40) Jack Stoll | PHI (vs. SF)
The Top TEs To Start in Week 13
Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers appear to have two talented rookie TEs they can call upon this season. After Luke Musgrave was sent to injured reserve ahead of the team’s Thanksgiving matchup against the Detroit Lions, Tucker Kraft made the most of his two targets by hauling both passes and scoring the first touchdown of his NFL career in Week 12.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
While the target volume and yardage output weren’t ideal, his snap usage was. He was on the field for 96% of the team’s offensive snaps against Detroit. As long as he can continue staying on the field this much, it wouldn’t be surprising if his involvement in the passing game expands in the coming weeks.
Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals’ second-year TE Trey McBride has definitely made the most of his expanded role since Zach Ertz was sent to injured reserve (IR). His 33 receptions and 351 receiving yards over the last five games are considered elite fantasy production from the tight end position and have firmly put him into weekly TE1 conversations.
McBride’s breakout is partly a result of Ertz’s absence from this passing offense. Ertz averaged six targets per game, significantly limiting McBride’s snaps and involvement in the passing game. For some perspective, McBride never saw more than 58% of the offensive snaps in any game Ertz played, while he has seen a minimum of 68% of the snaps since Ertz was sent to IR.
Pittsburgh will be one of McBride’s tougher challenges yet. The Steelers allow an average of just 7.5 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends. However, McBride has scored more than 20+ fantasy points in three of his last five games.
Despite the tough matchup, McBride is still a rock-solid TE1 option 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!