Making fantasy football lineup decisions can be incredibly frustrating or incredibly rewarding; it all depends on how often you get it correct. Here to help you make those decisions are our positional start ’em and sit ’em picks.
Fantasy decisions will only get more difficult from here on out, so let’s take a look at our Week 9 start/sit plays for the TE position.
Which TEs Should You Start in Fantasy This Week?
Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers (vs. LAR)
Miraculously, Luke Musgrave was able to return from an ankle sprain that had him in a walking boot as late as Thursday. He didn’t appear limited at all, either, playing 72% of the snaps.
The real limitation was Jordan Love’s inability to move the ball. I’m expecting better results against a Rams defense that really struggles against tight ends.
MORE: Week 9 Start/Sit Options — QB | WR | RB
The Rams allow the seventh-most PPG to the position. No team has allowed a higher percentage of receiving yards to go to tight ends than LA (26.8%).
It’s entirely possible Love is incapable of taking advantage, but on a week where there are seldom few reliable options at tight end, Musgrave is a very sneaky start.
Which TEs Should You Sit in Fantasy This Week?
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears (at NO)
Cole Kmet has been the ultimate Jekyll and Hyde tight end this season. In Weeks 1-3, he saw his production decline each week, failing to crack double digits in all three games.
Then, in Weeks 4 and 5, Kmet looked like an elite TE1, posting games of 27.6 and 15.6 fantasy points, respectively. In Week 6, he cratered once again, posting 2.9 points, then somehow, it got even worse in Week 7, when he failed to register even a single target.
Kmet rebounding to catch all 10 of his targets for 79 yards last week was simultaneously unexpected, yet not surprising. Trying to predict the ups and downs seems like an exercise in futility, but here I go!
The Saints have been stellar against the tight end, allowing just 9.0 PPG, the fifth-fewest in the league. Just 12.6% of their receiving yards allowed go to the position. The matchup suggests Kmet will struggle. Avoid chasing last week’s points in Week 9 lineups.
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, allowing 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 Michael Mayer or Luke Musgrave?
Just a few short weeks ago, I was all-in on a Luke breakout. Since then, I’ve cooled off a bit for a number of reasons, most notably Love’s struggles and Musgrave’s inability to stay on the field.
With that said, I really do like his matchup this week. It’s a great spot in a great matchup.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
The Start/Sit Optimizer agrees, projecting Musgrave for 8.1 fantasy points against 7.4 for Michael Mayer.
While I do like Mayer as a talent, outside of that one game against the Pariots, the volume hasn’t been there. Sure, he’s playing more, but what does it matter when he continues to see no more than four targets a game?
I am expecting a better offensive showing from the Raiders this week now that they’ve moved on from Josh McDaniels, their head coach, and Jimmy Garoppolo. We often see inspired efforts from teams after big changes like this. But I expect that to be more beneficial to Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers than to the rookie tight end. Start Musgrave this week.
Should You Start David Njoku or Cole Kmet?
I was a bit surprised to see the Start/Sit Optimizer lean Cole Kmet here, projecting him for 8.2 fantasy points against 7.9 for David Njoku. In my Week 9 rankings, I have Njoku quite a bit higher.
I detailed my issues with Kmet above. He is just never a trustworthy fantasy option, as he comes with a floor of literally zero.
Now, that doesn’t mean Njoku is a great start. It looks like another week of PJ Walker. The Cardinals have also been solid against the tight end, with just 16% of their total receiving yards allowed going to the position.
Nevertheless, Njoku finds himself inside the top eight for me this week, as the options at tight end are always difficult to sort through. I hate point chasing, but Njoku has posted double-digit fantasy points in two straight games. Not many tight ends outside of the elites are doing that. He’s the start over Kmet for me.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!