The Dynasty Nerds writers are here to provide you with weekly start/sit advice all season long. We will be makng our recommendations based on weekly consensus PPR rankings. Here is the Week 9 Tight End Start/Sit from Senior Nerd Steven Pintado.
One thing to keep in mind when making your tight end 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 TE2 means top 24, or TE1 means top 12, etc.
Our writers answer all positions questions, including tight end start/sit, 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 START/SIT CHEAT SHEET | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 3 Toughest Matchups | ||||
| Fantasy Player | Opposing Team | Def vs FPPG | Avg Def vs Yards | TDs Allowed |
| Evan Engram | PHI | 2.6 | 36.9 | 0 |
| Tucker Kraft | DET | 2.9 | 30 | 1 |
| Zach Ertz | NYG | 3 | 38 | 0 |
| Top 3 Softest Matchups | ||||
| Fantasy Player | Opposing Team | Def vs FPPG | Avg Def vs Yards | TDs Allowed |
| Juwan Johnson | CAR | 11 | 59 | 6 |
| Noah Fant | LAR | 10.7 | 63.9 | 4 |
| Cade Otton | KC | 9.8 | 80.9 | 2 |
Tight End start/SIT
Dalton Kincaid | Buffalo Bills | TE 12
Week 8 Stats | TE14 | FPts 13.1 | Tgts 7 | Rec 4 | Yds 31 | 1 TD | Confidence 65%
Our tight end to consider sitting in Week 9 is Dalton Kincaid. The Buffalo tight end has put up some decent numbers this season, but one of his worst outings was against the Dolphins. While folks may look at last week and how Trey McBride dominated the Dolphins for 100 yards, don’t expect the same in Week 9. Kincaid has failed to produce high yardage totals—under 50 yards in most games.
Unlike the Cardinals, the Bills have a strong run game and other weapons to use against the Dolphins. We saw in Week 2 that the Bills rely on their run game to beat the Dolphins. Miami’s run defense is one of the worst in the league, so expect a similar game plan from Buffalo. With so many other weapons in Buffalo, Kincaid could get lost in the fold.
Tight End START/sit
Mike Gesicki | Cincinnati Bengals | TE21
Week 8 Stats | TE21 | FPts 12.3 | Tgts 7 | Rec 7 | Yds 73 | Confidence 75%
Now that it seems even more official that Tee Higgins is missing Week 9, Mike Gesicki should be a start in your fantasy lineups. When Higgins is out in the lineup, Gesicki averages 11 fantasy points per game. This is a big jump compared to the 5 fantasy points when Higgins is playing. Gesicki gains a bigger role in the offense and sees an average of 6 targets per game.
Gesicki will face off against the Raiders, who allowed aging Travis Kelce to produce 90 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals vs. Raiders has sneaky high-scoring potential, with both defenses playing poorly. If you need a tight end for Week 9, trust Mike Gesicki to produce for your team.
Streamer | Tight End START/sit
Juwan Johnson | New Orleans Saints | TE 28
Week 8 Stats | TE25 | FPts 7.8 | Tgts 4 | Rec 3 | Yds 48 | Confidence 55%
Our tight end streamer may be risky, but Juwan Johnson has a terrific matchup in Week 9. To be honest, this could also be said for Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau. Johnson goes up against the Panthers, who are the worst team in the league at guarding tight ends in 2024. They allow over 11 fantasy points per game and have allowed a league-high 6 receiving touchdowns.
Johnson hasn’t been the most reliable tight end this year, but this is a matchup to consider. He has had 7 fantasy points in 3 of these last 4 games. The loss of Rashid Shaheed has benefited Johnson as he had 10 targets in the previous 2 weeks. Johnson will be getting back Derek Carr, who will help boost a passing attack that has struggled the last few weeks. If you were ever going to stream Johnson, then this would be the week.
Spotlight | Tight End START/sit
T.J. Hockenson | Minnesota Vikings | TE 16
Week 8 Stats | N/A | Confidence 65%
Our tight end spotlight is a returning player in T.J. Hockenson. Hockenson is finally returning to the field after tearing his ACL last year. You should feel very confident in starting the veteran tight end. It was announced early last week that he would play in Week 9. Despite playing in his first game in almost a year, he will get a great matchup with the Colts. Indianapolis is a bottom-seven defense in guarding fantasy tight ends. Four times, the Colts have given up 50-plus receiving yards to a tight end. They also give up the 3rd-most touchdowns to the position.
While the Vikings are trying to patch up their offensive line, it is a liability for the offense. Sam Darnold may look to get the ball out quickly, which could go to his veteran tight end underneath. Hockenson could pleasantly surprise fantasy managers who have waited this long for him.
Redemption | Tight End START/sit
Jake Ferguson | Dallas Cowboys | TE 8
Week 8 Stats | TE24 | FPts 8.3 | Tgts 8 | Rec 6 | Yds 23 | Confidence 75%
Our tight end who is about to redeem himself is Jake Ferguson. The Cowboys are getting a great matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9. The Falcons are a bottom-10 team against fantasy tight ends this season. In the last 4 weeks, the Falcons defense has struggled, allowing opposing tight ends over 40 yards in each game.
This game is projected to be high-scoring as it is the highest over/under on ESPN bets. Ferguson has struggled the past few weeks, producing under 30 yards in some games. He has 7 or more targets in 4 of his last 5 games. So, if you have been disappointed in Ferguson lately, he should be able to bounce back this week.
If you enjoyed the Week 9 Tight End Start/Sit by Steven Pintado, please check out the rest of our Start/Sit series by navigating the toolbar above.
If you want some added dynasty content, check out College Content Director Tristan Cook‘s Top 25 NFL prospects in our first installment of the Rookie Big Board series:
For a full write up on each game with FREE premium stats for every fantasy player, check out my Sunday Fantasy Preview for Week 9 and let me know what you think:
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