The Week 16 fantasy outings from Dalton Kincaid, Cade Otton, and Sam LaPorta likely led to many fantasy managers seeing an early exit from their league playoffs. If you managed to advance to the championship round of your fantasy football playoffs, consider it an early holiday gift and turn your attention to the final game.
Here are some of my start/sit options at the TE position for Week 17 of NFL action.
Which TE Should You Start in Fantasy This Week?
David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
Raise your hand if you thought we would be talking about a four-game stretch with 250+ passing yards and 2+ TD passes from Cleveland Browns QB Joe Flacco heading into Week 17… For the record, my hand is not raised.
One of the biggest beneficiaries — if not the biggest beneficiary — from Flacco’s recent run of passing production is TE David Njoku.
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Over the last three games, Njoku has averaged 10 targets, seven receptions, 79 yards, and over a touchdown per game.
The matchup against the New York Jets secondary isn’t ideal, but Njoku is simply too productive to send to the fantasy bench right now.
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
Don’t look now, but a player who has benefited quite a bit from Keenan Allen missing the last two games and the switch from Justin Herbert to Easton Stick under center has been Gerald Everett.
Everett has seen a minimum of eight targets in three straight games and has managed to catch 17 of his 24 looks in the passing game during that span.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
While the Broncos’ defense has certainly been trending in the right direction, they still struggle against opposing tight ends this year, giving up an average of 13.6 fantasy points per game — which is the most in the NFL.
Which TE Should You Sit in Fantasy This Week?
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
It’s been a tale of two very different stories this season for Bills rookie TE Dalton Kincaid.
When Dawson Knox is out of the lineup, you should start Kincaid on your fantasy team. When Knox is in the lineup, then Kincaid should be out of your fantasy lineup.
Kincaid has caught just one pass for seven yards over the last two games combined with Knox back into the mix.
Kincaid is a very talented pass-catching TE prospect, but his fantasy ceiling has proven to be significantly capped/impacted by Knox’s presence throughout the 2023 season.
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, some of which we’ve jotted down here to help provide some clarity on!
Should You Start David Njoku or Dalton Schultz?
The potential return of Houston Texans C.J. Stroud certainly makes TE Dalton Schultz a bit more intriguing as a fantasy option at the TE position this week, but even his recent production pales in comparison to Njoku’s.
I have both players as top-10 plays at the TE position this week — assuming Stroud returns — but Njoku has the higher ceiling with a very comparable floor for Week 17.
Should You Start Dalton Kincaid or Jake Ferguson?
If you could guarantee me that Knox will be inactive for Week 17, then we may be having a real conversation about who to start between these two tight ends.
However, with Knox back in the mix combined with Kincaid’s reduced work in the passing game over the last two games, there is simply no way that I can justify starting Kincaid over Jake Ferguson in Week 17.
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!