RADIO
The tight end position is the most risky to forecast unless you have Rob Gronkowski or Greg Olsen on your roster. The rest of us are struggling with hit-or-miss performances each week from our tight ends. Each week is a gamble with the matchups playing the biggest roles in making an informed decision. There are two heavily-started players this week that can easily turn into busts that will cost you your game.
Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed has been one of the most productive and successful players at the position due to his chemistry with Kirk Cousins. The Redskins quarterback is most comfortable throwing towards the middle of the field and that’s where Reed enters as his most reliable weapon. The issue for Reed this week will be his matchup against the Carolina Panthers. With an undefeated 9-0 record this season, Carolina has put together one of the best defenses in the league. Most of the Panthers games are low-scoring affairs and Reed’s best games have come on days where Washington exploits a weak pass defense or are playing catch-up when trailing big. Carolina is an excellent team but their games don't typically get out of hand early. Reed has also been struggling a bit lately with less than forty receiving yards in three of his last four games. Touchdowns have kept him fantasy-relevant, but it will be hard to envision Washington having an easy time getting to the end zone in Carolina.
The other tight end to stay away from is Martellus Bennett of the Chicago Bears. Last week, Bennett trashed the St. Louis Rams to the media after the Bears victory. Bennett has been a disaster with only one game of more than sixty receiving yards and a total of just three touchdowns all season. Despite being ranked one of the best tight ends entering the season, Bennett is tough to feel confident starting and will see a difficult matchup on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. The usually outstanding Denver defense is coming off a three-game losing streak and will be looking to send a message against a lackluster Chicago team. Most of the Bears will be tough to start against such a stellar defensive unit but given how terrible Bennett has been for fantasy purposes, you must avoid him at all costs in Week 11.
