All 32 teams will be in action on Thanksgiving week, giving fantasy football managers plenty of fantasy options that warrant starting consideration heading into the holiday week. Let’s take a closer look at some of my start/sit candidates at the TE position for Week 12 of NFL action.
Which TEs Should You Start in Fantasy This Week?
Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears
It was a weird week at the tight end position in Week 11, which certainly applied to Cole Kmet as well. His three receptions for 20 yards were disappointing by any fantasy standard you would like to apply. But the encouraging thing we can take away from the Bears’ close loss to the Detroit Lions is that Justin Fields is back.
MORE: Positional Start/Sits — QB | WR | RB
The Vikings give up an average of 9.2 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends and blitz more than any team in the league. That should make Kmet a consistent option underneath in this NFC North showdown.
Michael Mayer, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders’ passing game is certainly a work in progress, with rookie QB Aidan O’Connell throwing four interceptions over the last two games, but he seems to have developed a quick chemistry with another rookie in this offense.
Michael Mayer has seen five targets in two consecutive outings, which has seen him score at least eight fantasy points in PPR formats in two straight contests. If you’re in desperate need of TE in Week 12, Mayer may be worth a look if the Raiders find themselves throwing the ball more than 40 again when they face off against the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday.
Which TEs Should You Sit in Fantasy This Week?
Isaiah Likely, TE, Baltimore Ravens
I understand why many fantasy managers are optimistic about Isaiah Likely seeing an expanded role with Andrews out of the lineup for the foreseeable future. However, the sample-size production we saw from Likely with Andrews out of the lineup in the season opener and only playing 11% of the offensive snaps last week against the Bengals hasn’t been very encouraging.
In those two games, Likely has just one catch for four yards while seeing over 72% of the snaps in both contests.
While I do understand the optimism around his pass-catching profile and his expanded role, I want to see Likely produce this season before deploying him into my fantasy lineup with the expectations of TE1 production.
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, which we’ve jotted some of them down here to help provide some clarity on.
Should You Start Cole Kmet or Taysom Hill?
It’s still a bit hard to comprehend that Kmet is currently the TE6 overall in PPR formats through the first 11 weeks of the NFL season. What is harder to comprehend is that New Orleans Saints TE Taysom Hill is currently the TE13 with just 22 receptions and 159 receiving yards this season.
MORE: Early Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Picks for Week 12
This start/sit question comes down to what your fantasy matchup calls for in Week 12. If you’re looking for a reliable floor with some decent upside, Kmet is your guy. If you want to swing for the fences versus one of the top teams in your league that you’re projected to lose by 20 points against, then take a swing for a home run and put Hill in your starting lineup.
Should You Start Evan Engram or Isaiah Likely?
As mentioned above, I want to see Likely contribute in a significant way to the Ravens’ passing game this season before I start playing him over top 10 tight ends. Evan Engram is one of those fringe TE1 options who has a reliable fantasy floor in PPR formats.
Sure, with Zay Jones back in the fold in Jacksonville, the offense all of a sudden feels like it has a lot of mouths to feed in the passing game. But I’m not going to start Likely over Engram until the former proves his role in Baltimore’s passing game is truly TE1 worthy.
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 and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!