Week 8 is here, and there are no bye weeks, so there will be plenty of questions about who to start and who to sit in your fantasy football lineups. Below, we’ve provided analysis for every fantasy-relevant tight end in every game this weekend.
If you’re looking for all positions, head to our Week 8 Fantasy Football Start-Sit Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Brock Bowers, TE | LV (vs. KC)
As the tight end position continues to crumble, Bowers’ rookie season becomes that much more impressive. He’s now seen double-digit targets in three straight games, and it’s not just the volume that has fantasy managers salivating; it’s where those opportunities are coming.
In Weeks 1-4, Bowers didn’t see a single red-zone look, but he’s been targeted in close every game since, fueling five top-five finishes this season.
At this point, he’s proven that he is situation-proof. I don’t care which receivers are active or who is under center — Bowers is on the short list of players that can pace the position in scoring the rest of the way and is an obviously weekly starter in all formats.
#Raiders TE Brock Bowers is on record pace for receptions by a rookie tight end this season.
Bowers has recorded 47 receptions this season, passing the rookie record for most receptions by a tight end through 7 weeks (43 – Sam LaPorta, 2023). 😤 pic.twitter.com/iqimlUh0nz
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 20, 2024
Cole Kmet, TE | CHI (at WAS)
Kmet is a good reminder that we are betting on a situation and role more than a player. Nothing in his profile suggests that he has made any growth from last season, but he’s always on the field (81% snap share or better in four straight games) and plays in an upward-trending unit that has had two full weeks to prepare for one of the worst defenses at all three levels.
He was TE2 in Week 3 and TE1 the last time we saw the Bears in Week 6, those, of course, are his only finishes better than TE17 this season. He’s viable but not special. This matchup can elevate bad to average, viable to valuable, and highly involved to elite. I’ve got Kmet ranked as a low-end TE1 as more of a bet on Caleb Williams having success in this spot than anything directly related to the tight end himself.
Dallas Goedert, TE | PHI (at CIN)
Goedert suffered a hamstring injury two weeks ago in the win over the Browns and it cost him last week. He has dealt with his fair share of injuries during his career (one full season on his NFL résumé with multiple missed games in each of the past four seasons) — which makes his status one to track.
Grant Calcaterra caught all four of his targets for 67 yards in Week 6 after Goedert left early, but he underwhelmed last week in a low-volume game for the Eagles’ passing game as a whole (one catch for five yards).
If Goedert is active, I’m playing him over the TE streaming options. He has a 15-plus-yard catch in every healthy game this season and faces a vulnerable secondary that is allowing the third-highest red-zone completion percentage. Moving forward, Goedert is a low-end TE1 once we get proof that this hamstring injury is in the rearview.
Dalton Kincaid, TE | BUF (at SEA)
With just one finish inside the top 10 at the position this season, it’s impossible to label Kincaid’s season as anything other than a fantasy bust through seven weeks of this season. Add in the fact that this team brought in an alpha receiver to vacuum in targets and the outlook doesn’t look great for Kincaid, a player who had a breakout season written all over him after a strong 2023 showing.
That said, I’m not punting on him just yet. He has set a new season high in receiving yards in consecutive weeks (yes, it’s pathetic that it only took 52 yards to get there, but any step forward is worth noting), and he’s averaged at least 2.0 yards per route in four of his past five games.
Kincaid has fallen out of my must-start tier at the position, but I still have him ranked ahead of the widely available streaming options. The season-long numbers look OK for the Seahawks, but since Week 3, they are allowing the second-most yards per pass, making this a matchup that could well continue the positive momentum.
Dalton Schultz, TE | HOU (vs. IND)
Being on the field is Step 1 to produce, but it’s not the only step, and Schultz is proof of just that. He’s been on the field for over 75% of Houston’s offensive snaps in five straight games, but he doesn’t yet have 35 receiving yards in a game, something that feels impossible given the various injuries that have taken place around him in this offense.
With just one end-zone target on the season, Schultz is drawing dead in many regards. This offense isn’t as explosive as we were hoping, and that further lowers the scoring equity for their tight end. If you’re looking for options on the wire, Hunter Henry is still available in some spots, and Ja’Tavion Sanders has my interest in deeper formats.
David Njoku, TE | CLE (vs. BAL)
When the Patriots made their change under center, I encouraged you to scoop up shares of their pass catchers, understanding that any change is a good change, and the same logic applies to Cleveland. Njoku profiles as the best pass catcher on this roster, and his athletic touchdown near the end of Week 7 was a good reminder of that.
Over the past two weeks, the tight end has been targeted on 21 of 65 routes, a spike in usage from his eight looks on 41 routes prior. The Ravens continue to have all sorts of issues against the pass (bottom 10 in completion percentage, touchdown rate, passer rating, and yards per attempt) and that’s not changing on a short week.
Starting a player on this offense isn’t going to be comfortable, but Njoku checks in as TE8 for me this week, and I don’t have any reservations about it.
Evan Engram, TE | JAX (vs. GB)
If only every injury recovery was as smooth as that of Engram. The star tight end suffered a hamstring injury while warming up for Week 2 and didn’t return to action until Week 6, but man has he returned in style.
In his two games back, Engram has caught all 15 of his targets and has seen a look on 30.6% of his routes, a rate that leaves his 2023 rate in the dust (22.6%, a season in which he caught 114 passes). We know he’s more than capable of getting open and serving as Trevor Lawrence’s safety valve, but the team has had no issues in scheming up looks to get him in a rhythm.
- Lawrence pass short left to Engram for eight yards
- Lawrence pass short right to Engram for 13 yards
That’s how Jacksonville opened Week 7, proof positive that they are looking to run their offense through their tight end. Engram is a top-five tight end for me this week and moving forward as this level of volume is unique at the position.
George Kittle, TE | SF (vs. DAL)
I must have missed the memo, but apparently, it is illegal for primary 49ers offensive pieces to come away from a game at full strength. Kittle is dealing with a foot sprain labeled as a “day-to-day” situation — a minor limp makes him the healthiest of the preseason Big Four in this San Francisco offense.
His overall target rate, red zone target rate, slot usage, and drop rate are all better than last season. Now, he figures to add a volume bump to those efficiency stats with Brandon Aiyuk out of the mix, not to mention the uncertain nature of Deebo Samuel Sr.
A day before his 30th birthday last season, Kittle turned three targets into 67 yards and three scores against the Cowboys, making the headlines when he flashed a “F Dallas” shirt underneath his pads. Yeah, I think he takes this matchup personally, and he’s in a position to impact it in a significant way.
Kittle is my TE1 this week and for the remainder of the season, giving managers who drafted him this summer a decided advantage on the rest of their league.
Hunter Henry, TE | NE (vs. NYJ)
Henry now has 11 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown (14 targets) across Drake Maye’s two starts (three games prior: six catches for 53 yards and zero scores on 10 targets), proving to be the primary winner of the change under center.
I love the fact that he’s spent 40.7% of his time in the slot this season, a role that helps elevate his floor at a rate that is well ahead of other options that aren’t universally rostered. He’s athletic enough to give this team some versatility through the air that they are lacking at the receiver position.
Henry’s aDOT by week, 2024:
- Week 1 at Cincinnati Bengals: 11.3 yards
- Week 2 vs. Seattle Seahawks: 5.7 yards
- Week 3 at New York Jets: 15.5 yards
- Week 4 at San Francisco 49ers: 5.5 yards
- Week 5 vs. Miami Dolphins: 13.5 yards
- Week 6 vs. Houston Texans: 6.3 yards
- Week 7 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 11.8 yards
The tight end position is a reactionary one for those of us who don’t have one of the top six at the position. Henry is as good a bet as any in the short term to score double-digit PPR points. I don’t love this matchup, but the Jets have the second-highest opponent average depth of throw this season — one big play is all it takes.
Isaiah Likely, TE | BAL (at CLE)
The athletic profile is just as impressive now as it was when he had the big season opener in Kansas City, but Likely has been unable to carve out enough of a role to matter.
His on-field target share has been north of 21% in consecutive games, but with his snap rate trending in the wrong direction (70.1% in Week 5, 67.7% in Week 6, and 57.4% on Monday night), the pie simply isn’t large enough to feel good about rostering Likely.
For the record, that doesn’t mean cross him off of your list of potential streamers. This remains an offense that I want exposure to. Considering that Likely has five end-zone targets over the past three weeks, he is as good a bet to score as any of the tight ends on your wire.
Jake Ferguson, TE | DAL (at SF)
I thought Ferguson was a legitimate threat to lead the position in scoring; safe to say, I no longer think that. Despite not having a touchdown on his résumé this season (we need him targeted on more than 10% of his red-zone routes!) and a 17-game pace of just 816 yards, Ferguson has been a top-10 tight end in three of his five games this season.
There’s very little to like in the way of per-target upside, but with his slot usage spiking from 32% last season to 47.1% through six weeks, I think there’s a reasonable floor to target here, especially in a matchup against a low-blitz, high-pressure San Francisco defense.
We should see his range of outcomes narrow coming out of the bye (he has the aforementioned three top 10s alongside two finishes as TE25 or worse), making him a weekly option that you can feel good about rolling out there.
Kyle Pitts, TE | ATL (at TB)
The former first-round pick has 65+ receiving yards in three straight games, matching Brock Bowers for the longest TE streak this season and the longest by a Falcons tight end since Tony Gonzalez (Weeks 10-14, 2011). Is the breakout coming?
It’s possible. Pitts recorded season highs in catches (seven) and targets (nine) last week, posting his fourth finish of TE13 or better in a five-game stretch. What encouraged me most from last week was consecutive catches of 10-plus yards on the first drive. He’s being scripted into this offense in a way that we never saw under Arthur Smith.
The upside might not be what we thought it was (his aDOT is down 27.5% from 2023), but fantasy managers should be happy to sell off some ceiling for additional stability — that’s the situation I think we have.
There was a moment in late September when Pitts was on the fantasy chopping block, but he’s now a tier ahead of streamers and one that can be started with confidence moving forward.
Mark Andrews, TE | BAL (at CLE)
He’s back, baby! The tight end I paid top dollar for this summer had a slow start, but he’s been a top-six producer at the position in consecutive weeks. He is 100% ready to be the asset I hoped for when it matters most!
Slow down.
Yes, Andrews has now scored three times over the past two weeks and set a season high in fantasy points in three straight. But acting as if all is right is a bit optimistic (and is exactly what makes him the top sell-high candidate of the week).
We know this offense is going to run through Derrick Henry more often than not — that has Andrews’ role taking a back seat. He hasn’t been on the field for even 55% of Baltimore’s offensive snaps in a game since Week 2 and has relied on insane efficiency over the past three weeks to give him lineup-worthy numbers (12.5 yards per target with one score every 4.3 targets isn’t exactly stable).
It’s encouraging that Andrews is getting valuable looks. That’s enough to justify starting him as a part of the best offense in the NFL, but I’d very much caution against assuming that his elite fantasy status is back like it never left.
Noah Fant, TE | SEA (vs. BUF)
Slowly but surely, Fant is making his way onto the streaming radar, and I don’t mind going that direction this week if you believe the Seahawks are playing catch-up. In the Week 7 win over the Falcons, we saw some explosive play-making from the former Hawkeye as he reeled in first half catches of 21 and 28 yards, his two longest grabs of the season.
Over the past five weeks, none of the 21 passes thrown in Fant’s direction have hit the turf. That efficiency has allowed him to produce well over expectation for fantasy managers who took a flier on him.
Geno Smith has 126 more passing yards than any other quarterback through seven weeks. If that continues to be the approach of this offense, this won’t be the last time you see Fant highlighted as a viable option off the wire.
Pat Freiermuth, TE | PIT (vs. NYG)
After being targeted on over 15.5% of passes when he was on the field in each of Pittsburgh’s first four games this season, Freiermuth hasn’t cleared 12.5% in three straight games. He managed to haul in a nice 30-yard catch in Russell Wilson’s season debut, but it was his third straight game with no more than three catches.
Volume has never been a calling card for Freiermuth, and even with Wilson adding equity to the passing game, it’s not something we can rely on. He is the head of the “I’m a part of this offense but need a touchdown to pay off” tier at tight end. That makes him expendable if there are other options available.
I prefer Hunter Henry to Freiermuth this week if we are looking at “fringey” tight ends playing New York teams. Henry has been a part of the Drake Maye puzzle. That role is good enough for confidence in him over Freiermuth this week in a more difficult matchup than you might assume for a player with this skill set (the Giants rank better than league average in YAC, red-zone defense, and overall scoring defense this season).
Sam LaPorta, TE | DET (vs. TEN)
LaPorta has been a victim of the success of the Lions, a vastly different story than the one we were telling in August. We liked this offense to succeed, with the budding star being a key cog in it. However, instead, they are putting points on the board so quickly that LaPorta hasn’t been near the target vacuum we projected.
In Week 1, he saw five targets and we were underwhelmed — the man hasn’t seen five targets in a game since. His aDOT and route participation are in the same range as they were a year ago, but with Jared Goff processing at the speed of light and distributing the ball to the first player to get open, LaPorta’s on-field target share has cratered from 21.7% to 10.2% (three targets on 43 routes run over the past two weeks).
In the short term, this has a chance of changing due to the suspension of Jameson Williams. Goff’s average yards per attempt is tracking to be a career high by 10.7%, a number that is inflated by the catch-and-run ability of a player like JaMo. Goff’s average depth of throw this season is actually a tick under his career average, and that’s consistent with what we had projected, but the Williams involvement on those passes was something we undershot.
With Williams sidelined for the next two weeks, I suspect we see something close to the 2023 version of LaPorta in terms of volume. You’ve hung in there up to this point, it’s time to be rewarded for your loyalty!
Taysom Hill, TE | NO (at LAC)
Fantasy managers may want to get cute by playing Hill at tight end, with the thought process that he could see an extended run under center and thus prove to be something of a cheat code.
I’m not fully against the idea, but facing the seventh-best red zone defense in the league (45.5% touchdown rate) makes New Orleans’ offensive weapon a bit tougher to sell.
Hill is cleared to play (ribs), and a good fit for what projects to be a physical battle, but his opportunity count is unlikely to impress, and with an implied team total of just 17 points, I think streamers can do better.
T.J. Hockenson, TE | MIN (at LAR)
Updated at 4:30 PM on Thursday, October 24
We’ll have to wait another week for T.J. Hockenson as he has been ruled inactive for Week 8’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Hockenson is nearing his return from the devastating knee injury that ended his 2023 season. Once he is back for the Vikings, he is back for you. Sam Darnold is completing 74.3% of his short passes this season with a 106.4 passer rating on those looks. Hock should walk into the secondary role in this passing game and be as good a bet for 5-7 targets as anyone at the position.
I expect there to be some slow weeks in the beginning, but 75% of Hockenson in an offense that is far better than we assumed when we were drafting this summer is better than the vast majority of tight ends in the sport.
The tight end position isn’t one to be cute with — you play the options with elite upside and Hockenson is certainly on that list.
Travis Kelce, TE | KC (at LV)
The Chiefs really want to manage Kelce, but they are running out of bodies in the short passing game. That’s the primary reason for my optimism about the future Hall of Famer for the remainder of the season.
We know that Rashee Rice is done for the season and JuJu Smith-Schuster was an early rule out for Week 8. We are angling toward Kelce’s third game with seven-plus catches over the past month. He may only have two finishes better than TE15 this season, but there’s not much you can do. Trading him for pennies on the dollar isn’t logical with the role as strong as it’s been at any point this season, and the waiver wire is a wasteland for the tight end position.
Kelce caught 11 of 14 targets against the Raiders (allowing the seventh-most yards per catch to the slot this year) last season with a 20-yard grab in both contests. He’s still deserving of a Tier 1 designation at the tight end position, even if his production has yet to reflect as much.
Trey McBride, TE | ARI (at MIA)
McBride extended his streak of games with at least six targets to 14 straight. That alone is enough to lock him into fantasy lineups. The prospect profile, not to mention the production down the stretch last season, suggests that this level of involvement (28% target share on Monday night against the Chargers) will eventually come with elite production attached to it. We just have to be patient.
By no means has he been bad this season, he just hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. He is yet to score and has been held under 55 yards in the majority of his games this season. McBride’s aDOT is up 22.6% from a season ago, and with a route adjustment like that, there is a learning curve to be expected. He remains one of my five favorite tight ends the rest of the way, and I feel good about saying that the best is yet to come in 2024 for this 24-year-old.
Tucker Kraft, TE | GB (at JAX)
They say that we don’t know if a tree falling in a forest makes a sound if no one is around to hear it. The fantasy equivalent is as follows:
“If a tight end fails to pick up yardage but manages to score, does anyone notice?”
The answer is no. Kraft has now scored four times in four games and is firmly on the low-end TE1 radar as a result — not bad for a player who has yet to reach 40 air yards in a single game. His touchdown on Sunday was the result of his first end-zone target this season.
While the sheer number of viable pass catchers in Green Bay these days makes a reasonable target or yardage share difficult to project, this offense (sixth-most red-zone trips per game since the start of 2023) threatens paydirt enough to justify going in this direction.
Kraft is my TE8 for this week and will find himself in that 8-12 range more often than not — he’s part of the “I’ll play him every week and take my chances” tier that now includes David Njoku, Cole Kmet, Dalton Kincaid, and the emerging Hunter Henry.
Tyler Conklin, TE | NYJ (at NE)
Conklin found the end zone on a play that the Jets never wanted to take place (the coaching staff botched a chance to challenge if the play prior was a score). That was pretty much the only noteworthy play we saw from the tight end during Davante Adams’ debut (four catches for seven yards).
Against the Steelers, Conklin’s on-field target share was under 12%, a low threshold that he has now failed to reach in the majority of games. He’s been useful in three of seven weeks this season. While that is a suitable hit rate, it’s not one that I’d bank on sustaining with this offense as it is currently constructed.
If we see this offense click and generate red-zone drives on a consistent basis, we can have a discussion about streaming Conklin. But for now, there’s no need to keep him rostered. Hunter Henry, Noah Fant, and even Ja’Tavion Sanders are all options down the board that I like the short-term outlook of more.
Zach Ertz, TE | WAS (CHI)
The veteran tight end has seen at least five targets in consecutive games for the first time this season, and his getting there in a game led by Marcus Mariota is encouraging given the unknown status of Jayden Daniels at this moment.
The Bears are the most difficult team to complete red-zone passes against (30%), and that cuts out the legs from some of Ertz’s immediate appeal. That said, he has cleared fantasy expectations in five of six games this season (his first touchdown of the season got him there last week). That allows him to sneak inside my top 15 at the position this week, even in a less-than-ideal matchup
I’m counting on Daniels playing — should he sit, Ertz would fall a few spots but remain within the same streamer tier.