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 your 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 lineup unless the alternatives are worth it.
NOTE: Rankings are sourced from FantasyPros expert consensus expert rankings (ECR) and our terminology is for a 12-team PPR league. So, saying RB2 means top 24, or RB1 means top 12, etc.
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 CHEAT SHEET
| Tight End Matchups | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 3 Toughest Defenses Against TEs | ||||
| Fantasy Player | Opposing Team | Def vs FPPG | Avg Def vs Yards | TDs Allowed |
| Kylen Granson | TEN | 1.4 | 13.8 | 0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | NYJ | 2.6 | 25.6 | 0 |
| David Njoku | PHI | 2.8 | 27.8 | 0 |
| Top 3 Weakest Defenses Against TEs | ||||
| Fantasy Player | Opposing Team | Def vs FPPG | Avg Def vs Yards | TDs Allowed |
| Chigoziem Okonkwo | IND | 9 | 53.8 | 3 |
| Theo Johnson | CIN | 8.6 | 49.4 | 3 |
| Kyle Pitts | CAR | 8.3 | 50 | 2 |
TIGHT END SIT
Dalton Kincaid | Buffalo Bills | TE 8
Week 5 Stats | TE26 | FPts 5.4 | Tgts 6 | Rec 2 | Yds 34 | TDs 0 | Confidence 70%
Our sit of the week has to be Buffalo Bill, Dalton Kincaid. Kincaid figured to have a great opportunity last week without Khalil Shakir on the field. After struggling to produce against an elite team, he’ll have another tough matchup against the New York Jets, who ranked second in the league as defending tight ends.
The Jets have not allowed a tight end over 40 yards and were able to keep George Kittle in check in Week 1. Kincaid has struggled to get over 45 yards in any game this season. If Shakir does return in Week 6, then Kincaid could be left with even fewer targets against in a difficult Jets matchup.
TIGHT END START
Zach Ertz | Washington Commanders | TE 16
Week 5 Stats | TE37 | FPts3 | Tgts 8 | Rec 2 | Yds 10 | TDs 0 | Confidence 75%
The tight end who needs to be starting is Zach Ertz. The Commanders’ tight end will face off against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. This should be a high-scoring game with tons of yardage for both offenses. The Ravens are a bottom-five team against defending fantasy tight ends this year. They have allowed 40-plus yards in each game to the position.
While Ertz has been mediocre this season, this should be his breakout game for 2024. Jayden Daniel is throwing the ball well and targeted Ertz eight times last week. This should be a game that will make it harder for the running backs to score, so Daniels will have to take shots at his veteran tight ends.
TIGHT END STREAMER
Hayden Hurst | Los Angeles Chargers | TE 38
Week 5 Stats BYE Week | Confidence 40%
Our streamer tight end of the week has to be the Chargers’ Hayden Hurst. The veteran TE hasn’t made his mark on his new team yet this season. The Chargers are coming off a bye week, so anything is possible for the offense moving forward. That could lean towards getting their tight end work more in the offense.
Hurst has a decent matchup against the Broncos, who are a bottom-10 defense against fantasy tight ends this year. They have allowed 3 tight ends 35 yards or more, so there is hope for Hurst. It’s more of a dart throw, but he could play well in Week 6.
TIGHT END SPOTLIGHT
Dalton Schultz | Houston Texans | TE 15
Week 5 Stats | TE23 | FPts 7.4 | Tgts 6| Rec 4 | Yds 34 | TDs 0 | Confidence 75%
Dalton Schultz is our spotlight tight end of the week. Schultz could be in a prime opportunity to make a jump in fantasy production. Nico Collins is heading to the IR, which could push Schultz to at least third in targets for Week 6. Last year, we saw that Schultz could produce when one of the big three in Houston was out with an injury.
Now, Schultz will face a Patriots defense that has allowed 45 or more yards to the last three opposing tight ends. He should have an opportunity in a game where the receivers have a tough matchup, allowing Schultz to work in the middle of the field. Schultz could be risky based on his recent production, but an opportunity has opened for the veteran tight end.
Tight End REDEMPTION
Hunter Henry | New England Patriots | TE 20
Week 5 Stats | TE28 | FPts 5.2 | Tgts 4 | Rec 2 | Yds 32 | TDs 0 | Confidence 65%
Hunter Henry is the tight end who could see some redemption in Week 6. Since his dominant Week 2 performance, Henry has just 53 total yards over the last 3 weeks. Henry won’t get much help with the matchup since the Texans are more challenging for tight ends. The change at quarterback could help Henry produce more fantasy points.
Rookie quarterback Drake Maye will take the field on Sunday. Maye is a superior talent to Jacoby Brissett as a passer, and he could rely on Henry as a safety blanket underneath. Hunter Henry could produce. It likely won’t be his Week 2 performance, but 5 receptions for 50 yards is possible. That would be a big upgrade in the tight end landscape after the last three weeks.
If you’d like to see a full list of defensive matchups to target for every position, check out fellow Nerd Brad Custer’s Positional Matchups article (IDP included):
