With four teams on a bye and New York Giants TE Darren Waller being ruled out against the Las Vegas Raiders, fantasy managers could be scrambling to stream a tight end for their fantasy football squads this week. Let’s take a closer look at where players like Dalton Schultz, Kyle Pitts, and Trey McBride fall in my Week 9 rankings at the TE position.
Which TE Should You Start in Fantasy Football?
More Positional Rankings From Tate: QB | RB | WR
1) Travis Kelce | KC (vs. MIA)
2) T.J. Hockenson | MIN (at ATL)
3) Mark Andrews | BAL (vs. SEA)
4) Dallas Goedert | PHI (vs. DAL)
5) Dalton Kincaid | BUF (at CIN)
6) Jake Ferguson | DAL (at PHI)
7) Dalton Schultz | HOU (vs. TB)
8) Kyle Pitts | ATL (vs. MIN)
9) Logan Thomas | WAS (at NE)
10) Trey McBride | ARI (at CLE)
11) Gerald Everett | LAC (at NYJ)
12) Luke Musgrave | GB (vs. LAR)
13) Michael Mayer | LV (vs. NYG)
14) Taysom Hill | NO (vs. CHI)
15) Jonnu Smith | ATL (vs. MIN)
16) Cole Kmet | CHI (at NO)
17) David Njoku | CLE (vs. ARI)
18) Hunter Henry | NE (vs. WAS)
19) Tyler Higbee | LAR (at GB)
20) Tyler Conklin | NYJ (vs. LAC)
21) Cade Otton | TB (at HOU)
22) Daniel Bellinger | NYG (at LV)
23) Chigoziem Okonkwo | TEN (at PIT)
24) Mike Gesicki | NE (vs. WAS)
25) Juwan Johnson | NO (vs. CHI)
26) Donald Parham Jr. | LAC (at NYJ)
27) Irv Smith Jr. | CIN (vs. BUF)
28) Noah Fant | SEA (at BAL)
29) Durham Smythe | MIA (at KC)
30) Hayden Hurst | CAR (vs. IND)
31) Connor Heyward | PIT (vs. TEN)
The Top TEs To Start in Week 9
Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Is it officially time to believe in Kyle Pitts again? The answer is still a little unclear, but his production over the last two weeks has certainly put him back into starting consideration for the TE position every week.
MORE: Fantasy Week 9 TE Start/Sit
Desmond Ridder had back-to-back 300-yard passing performances, which helped Pitts catch 11 passes for 130 yards and a score over the last two games.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will present a tougher challenge than the Washington Commanders and Houston Texans have over the past two weeks, but Pitts is certainly starting to showcase the elite upside he has at the position with improved play under center.
Trey McBride | Arizona Cardinals @ CLE
While I was certainly optimistic about Trey McBride seeing an expanded role when the Arizona Cardinals sent TE Zach Ertz to injured reserve last week, I didn’t see a huge performance coming against one of the stingiest defenses in the league. Well, I consider his 10-catch, 95-yard performance a learning experience and can’t wait to see what else McBride can do off of a career day last week.
His 14 targets and 82% snap share were both season highs and have the arrow pointing up concerning his fantasy value. Sure, the matchup against the Cleveland Browns isn’t exactly ideal, but it wasn’t ideal last week against the Baltimore Ravens, and he still had a monster fantasy outing. If you are looking for a streaming option at the TE position this week with some rest-of-season upside, then McBride is your guy.
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.