Nerds! The Dynasty Nerds writers are here to provide you with weekly starts and sits all season long. We will be making our recommendations based on weekly consensus PPR rankings. Here are the tight end starts and sits from senior writer Steven Pintado.
One thing to keep in mind when making start/sit decisions; it will ALWAYS depend on who your other options are. Don’t take the players below out of (or put them into) your lineups unless the alternates are worth it. NOTE: Rankings are sourced from Fantasy Pros expert consensus rankings (ECR) and our terminology is for a 12-team PPR league.
Our writers answer all start/sit questions on Discord before the games exclusively for the #Nerdherd. The advanced metrics used in this article are courtesy of Fantasy Points Data Suite, use code NERDS for 25% off your own data suite subscription or All-in bundle.
TIGHT END MATCHUPS
| Top 3 Toughest Matchups | ||||
| Fantasy Player | Opposing Team | Def vs FPPG | Def vs Yards | Def vs TDs |
| Mike Gesicki | WAS | 0.3 | 2.5 | 0 |
| Tucker Kraft | TEN | 0.7 | 6.5 | 0 |
| Colby Parkinson | SF | 0.9 | 9 | 0 |
| Top 3 Softest Matchups | ||||
| Fantasy Player | Opposing Team | Def vs FPPG | Def vs Yards | Def vs TDs |
| Kyle Pitts | KC | 16.8 | 138 | 0.5 |
| Brock Bowers | CAR | 13 | 52 | 1 |
| George Kittle | LAR | 12.6 | 66 | 0.5 |
TIGHT END SIT
Dalton Kincaid | V. JAX | 4.7 FPPG | ECR 6 | 55% Confidence
Dalton Kincaid has gotten off to a slow start in the 2024 season. Kincaid may be second on the team in targets, but the Bills aren’t throwing the ball like past years. Josh Allen’s pass attempts are down 33% compared to the last few seasons. This could be a game where the Bills are in positive game script, and Kincaid only plays 52% of the offensive snaps. The Jaguars defense has done a great job at defending below-average tight ends over the first two weeks. They have struggled to stop the run, so expect Buffalo to continue to pound the rock. Kincaid may have the talent of a TE1, but his projection for Week 3 shows a potential bust.
TIGHT END START
Luke Schoonmaker | V. BAL | 5.2 FFPG | ECR 363 | 80% Confidence
Former second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker could be making his second career start. This will depend on whether Jake Ferguson misses Week 3. Schoonmaker showed us in Week 2 that the Cowboys will use their starting tight end as a consistent option in the offense as he caught 6 passes for 43 yards. Dak Prescott has a long history of relying on his tight ends, especially in red-zone situations. The Ravens have allowed the second-most yards (180) to tight ends over the first 2 weeks. We saw rookie tight end Brock Bowers dominate with over 90 receiving yards last week. If Jake Ferguson is out then fire up Schoonmaker in a solid spot for Week 3.
TIGHT END START IN A PINCH
Brenton Strange | V. BUF | 4.8 FFPG | ECR 36 | 65% Confidence
Your fantasy sleeper tight end for Week 3 is Brenton Strange. This will depend on Evan Engram’s status, but early rumors are that he will likely miss Week 3. Although Strange came into Week 2 as a last-second start, he performed well in Engram’s absence. He played 68% of the offensive snaps and was second in targets with 6. The Bills have allowed a TE1 in back-to-back weeks. If Engram is OUT, Strange could sneak into a TE1 finish for Week 3.
TIGHT END SPOTLIGHT
Travis Kelce | V. ATL | 4.0 FFPG | ECR 5 | 85% Confidence
You may be wondering what to do with Travis Kelce in fantasy. He has under 40 yards over the first 2 games of the season. His targets have been under five in both games. However, we could see the offense change in Week 3. The Chiefs backfield lost Isiah Pacheco, which is a massive loss to the confidence to trust in that backfield. Mahomes has been limited in his throws, which could get unlocked due to a lack of a strong run game.
Yes, Kelce may be getting old, and the cliff is coming. He is still averaging a high route run rate (64.5%) and plays most of the offensive snaps. Even last week, Kelce did have a 40-yard catch called back due to a penalty. The Falcons are a matchup that Kelce could finally show off against in primetime. The situation has been slow, but Kelce needs to be in lineups for Week 3.
Tight End REDEMPTION
Kyle Pitts | V. KC | FFPG 8.3 | ECR 8 | 90% Confidence
Kyle Pitts needs a redemption game in fantasy football. Week 3 is where Pitts gets that, playing the Kansas City Chiefs. Pitts has only 40 yards and a touchdown over 2 games, but the Falcons need to take advantage of his matchup this week. The Chiefs are the worst team in the league at defending tight ends. They have allowed 16 or more fantasy points to the opposing tight end in the first 2 weeks of the season (Isaiah Likely and Mike Gesicki). You should continue to keep Pitts in your starting lineup for this Week 3 matchup.
That’s it for Week 3! Feel free to reach out on Twitter (X) @coachstevenp if you have any specific questions about who I would start.
