Tight End Matchups to Target in Week 14 - Will Dissly, Pat Freiermuth, Jake Ferguson, Grant Calcaterra

The tight end position is perhaps the toughest to get an edge on in DFS. There's so much variability in the weekly proportion of opportunities for even good tight ends compared to previous weeks.

However, in a position with so much change week-to-week in terms of who scores the most, you can get a big advantage in your matchups if you choose the right ones, especially with great values.

Let's dive into some TEs that can help you win your DFS matchups this week and explain why they could smash their cash prices on DraftKings and FanDuel.

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Will Dissly, Los Angeles Chargers

$3.8k on DraftKings, $5.1k on FanDuel; at. Kansas City Chiefs

We're a little less excited about Dissly on FanDuel than we are on DraftKings, but he draws an excellent matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14, who have allowed the third-most PPR fantasy points to opposing tight ends per game this season. Dissly had just one target and didn't make a reception in Week 13.

It takes a lot of fortitude to stick Will Dissly back in your lineup after a Zero last week but…

- Ladd McConkey is banged up & may not play
- Chiefs allow the 2nd-most fantasy points to TEs
- Dissly’s route% didn’t change last week

I’m sticking with him another week. pic.twitter.com/2Zwtz94xJT

— Drew Davenport (@DrewDavenportFF) December 4, 2024

One of the best indicators of whether a performance was a sign of a new trend or just bad luck, game script, or something else is route participation. As long as a player maintains running plenty of routes, they'll have more opportunities for targets. Dissly's bad game might have stung, but he's a solid value this week, especially on DraftKings.

As the tweet mentions, wide receiver Ladd McConkey (shoulder/knee) is dealing with injury issues. He has shoulder and knee ailments and is listed as "Questionable" for Week 14. We could see him have a diminished role even if he does play to help manage his injuries.

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers

$3.8k on DraftKings, $5.5k on FanDuel; vs. Cleveland Browns

Freiermuth caught four passes for 59 yards just two weeks ago when the Steelers took on the Browns for the first time. That was in a snow game that saw quarterback Russell Wilson pass for just 270 yards. We saw that the Steelers are perfectly capable of handling shootout games, and Russ threw for 414 yards and three touchdowns in Week 13.

Touchdown No. 4 of the season for Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth came against the Bengals:pic.twitter.com/5mFAuoD3uB

— Daniel Mader (@DanielMader_) December 3, 2024

We all know Cleveland quarterback Jameis Winston threw for a whopping 497 yards, four touchdowns, and three picks against the Denver Broncos' solid defense in Week 13. It wouldn't surprise us if this game was a shootout as well, and that would benefit all of Pittsburgh's pass-catchers.

In addition, Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (hamstring) was listed on the team's injury report on Thursday. It appears that he suffered this injury in practice, and it being so close to game time isn't a good sign. If he can't play, or even if he's limited, Freiermuth could get more opportunities.

Final #Browns-Steelers injury/participation report.

Amid all the trash talk, WR George Pickens popped up on the injury report today with a hamstring injury and is questionable for Sunday's game. pic.twitter.com/rh0i6T7kCA

— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) December 6, 2024

We like the Steel City's best tight end in a favorable matchup this week.

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— Scott (@scottd923) September 25, 2023

Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys

$3.9k on DraftKings, $5.5k on FanDuel; vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Ferguson (concussion) will return to play in Week 14 after missing two games due to a concussion. He gets a plus matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, who allow the second-most PPR fantasy points to tight ends this season. They've been a very porous defense lately- in fact, they've been one of the league's worst.

ANOTHER BENGALS DEFENSIVE MASTERCLASS🔥🔥🔥:

44 POINTS💥
520 YARDS💥
410 PASSING💥
110 RUSHING💥
4 TOUCHDOWNS💥
3 FIELD GOALS💥
31 FIRST DOWNS💥
1 PUNT FORCED💥
(…allowed) pic.twitter.com/hDntCzChuI

— Bengalsinc🌵 (@Bengalsinc) December 1, 2024

Ferguson will return and take over as the lead TE. Concussions typically don't impact players' ability to produce upon their return, so we can assume he's at full strength. He won't have his normal starting quarterback, Dak Prescott (hamstring), but he's still a solid player and is available at a reasonable price.

Grant Calcaterra, Philadelphia Eagles

$3.5k on DraftKings, $4.3k on FanDuel; vs. Carolina Panthers

Perhaps the biggest sleeper pick this week is Calcaterra, who will now fill in as the starting tight end for the Eagles after TE Dallas Goedert (knee) was placed on injured reserve. In the previous games that Goedert missed (including Week 6, where he played just 5% of snaps), Calcaterra was mostly a full-time player.

First ladder of the weekend!

With Dallas Goedert out again, Grant Calcaterra is set to see an increased role. During his four-game span earlier this season as the starter, he posted an 82.5% route participation, a 15.5% target share, 1.88 yards per route run, and a 12.7%… pic.twitter.com/8M7MTrqK2h

— Double B🪄 (@DoubleB_Picks) December 6, 2024

He also ran the majority of the routes, commanded a solid target share, had an impressive yards-per-route run figure for tight ends, and was often the primary read on the play, as you can see above. His usage is highly encouraging. He's got a cheap cash price, likely because there's some doubt about whether he's good.

Here’s what #Eagles HC Nick Sirianni and OC Kellen Moore have said about TE Grant Calcaterra over the past couple months: https://t.co/TJaWc5pR2g pic.twitter.com/77TP0eZ2BX

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) December 7, 2024

The coaching staff seems to think he is. He's extremely cheap and will allow you plenty of money for other players to set in your lineups. He's our smash play of the week and even has solid value in redraft, which is always a good sign. Also, the Carolina Panthers allow the most PPR fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season.

He's primed for at least a solid game.

Thanks for reading, and good luck with your DFS contests!

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