Fantasy football is all about making the right lineup choices every week to get an edge over the competition. Deciding who to start and who to sit at each position can make or break your matchup, especially when it comes to tight ends.
With matchups and player usage changing every week, there’s always an opportunity to find value or avoid a potential bust. Staying informed gives you the best shot at a fantasy football win.
Start ‘Em: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. IND)
In a game where the Chiefs struggled to get anything going offensively for most of the afternoon, the lone bright spot was Travis Kelce. After a slow start to the season, the future Mr. Taylor Swift now has at least 13.8 fantasy points in five of his last six, culminating in a season-high 24.1 fantasy points last week against the Denver Broncos.
Kelce set his highest marks of the season in targets (13) and receptions (9). His 91 yards marked his second-best outing of the season, and he scored his fourth touchdown. This came against an elite Broncos defensive unit.
This week, Kelce gets a Colts defense allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Kansas City has to win this game. When Patrick Mahomes’ back is against the wall, he looks for his favorite all-time target. This should be another heavy usage game for Kelce.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (at CIN)
If you’re someone who used to roster Hunter Henry but no longer do, I can’t blame you. The New England Patriots tight end has just three double-digit fantasy performances on the season, and all of them came within the first month. He hasn’t sniffed 10+ fantasy points since Week 4.
With that said, there were encouraging signs last week. Henry saw six targets, catching four for 45 yards.
Now, the veteran tight end gets the best matchup imaginable. The gap between the Cincinnati Bengals and the second-worst team against tight ends is a chasm. They are, by far, the best matchup for the position. If you are not going to fire up Henry this week, you might as well drop him.
Sit ‘Em: Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (vs. ATL)
It’s always challenging to recommend tight ends because there are so few that are no-brainer starts. Juwan Johnson has been a mixed bag this season, oscillating between every week must start and waiver wire fodder. It’s actually been quite frustrating.
Fantasy managers probably didn’t fully buy into Johnson as a TE1 until Week 3 or 4. After opening the season with three straight double-digit outings, Johnson finally earned the trust of fantasy managers, only to disappear for three weeks.
After posting 11.0 fantasy points total from Weeks 4-6, he found himself cast aside, returned to the waiver wire from which he was found. Naturally, he went on to hit double digits in each of his next four games leading into the bye.
READ MORE: Katz’s Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Picks for Week 12: Alvin Kamara, DK Metcalf, Ricky Pearsall, and Others
Johnson is coming off his best game of the season, catching four passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. He’s now scored in two straight, which is skewing his perception. The reality is he’s in the midst of fading once again.
Since Tyler Shough took over, Johnson has seen target counts of four and four. That is not going to get it done. Now, he receives an Atlanta Falcons defense allowing the third-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. This is not the spot to chase those points.
Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns (at LV)
For a rookie third-round tight end, Harold Fannin Jr. has certainly exceeded expectations. He belongs on fantasy rosters and is startable in a pinch. This may not be the week.
Fannin has only had four games with double-digit fantasy points all season. He’s posted lines of 4-44 and 2-26 in each of his last two.
This week, Fannin gets a Las Vegas Raiders defense that has been surprisingly stout against the tight end. They are allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position.
As bad as the Raiders are overall, their defense hasn’t been a total disaster. Given the caliber of the Browns’ offense and their quarterback situation, this is the type of game where they will look to lean on Quinshon Judkins. With the volume unlikely to be there, fantasy managers are relying on a potential touchdown, which is not something you want to do with Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders playing quarterback.
