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If you tuned in last week, there is a good chance you had some success in the tight end position. Last week, we mentioned Taysom Hill, Jonnu Smith, Will Dissly, Dawson Knox, and even Brock Wright as options for fantasy managers. You must feel good if you started any of those tight ends over Travis Kelce, Evan Engram, or Mark Andrews.
Let's continue our little game of tight-end roulette, shall we? Desperation is the name of the game once again this week. Kyle Pitts, Dalton Kincaid, Mike Gesicki, Hill, Engram, and even Tyler Conklin won't be available, leaving fantasy managers in scramble mode again.
It's time once again for your RotoBaller starts and sits for Week 12 at the tight end position.
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Week 12 Starts - Fantasy Football Booms
David Njoku - TE, Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh has been good this season when it comes to limiting fantasy production, and the tight end position is no different. On paper, this isn't a great matchup, as the Steelers have allowed just 8.10 fantasy points per game over the last four weeks, holding tight ends to 17 receptions and 73 yards in the process.
That all said, fantasy managers should consider allowing the volume here. In Njoku's previous five contests, the Browns tight end has seen at least seven targets and five receptions. He also caught all nine of his targets for 81 yards last week down in New Orleans. Since Jameis Winston has taken over under center, Njoku averages 7.7 targets per game, the third most at the position.
Winston has been feeding all his targets, and I'm talking pigskin, not crab legs. However, with a difficult matchup for his receivers this week, Winston could look to Njoku more than usual, who has been averaging 16.9 PPR points per game since Amari Cooper was dealt a few weeks back.
It’s time to drop all my stats recapping today’s games via @FantasyPtsData!
1. Jameis Winston is feeding families.
Targets per game with Winston:
Jerry Jeudy - 10.0 (would rank ~WR3)
Elijah Moore - 9.3 (~WR5)
Cedric Tillman - 9.0 (~WR6)
David Njoku - 7.7 (~TE3)— Ryan Heath (@RyanJ_Heath) November 18, 2024
Will Dissly - TE, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Baltimore Ravens
Since the Chargers came out of their bye, Will Dissly has become a fantasy factor, yet nobody wants to discuss it. Since Week 6, Dissly happens to be the TE14 and has averaged 10.1 fantasy points per game, producing two games that resulted in 16 or more fantasy points, including last week's 18-point performance against the Bengals.
Anyone pick up and start Will Dissly this week?!pic.twitter.com/Nj4mRA70VJ
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) November 18, 2024
Let's dig a little deeper into Dissly's usage. In five of the last six contests, Dissly has seen at least five targets. He also has four or more receptions over those contests, making him a valuable streaming option at the tight end position. In a favorable matchup against the Bengals last week, the Chargers' tight end scored his first touchdown of the season while adding 80 receiving yards.
This week, Dissly faces another favorable matchup against a Ravens team that has surrendered a pair of touchdown receptions, 244 receiving yards, and 15.63 fantasy points over the last four weeks.
Looking ahead, Dissly looks to be a weekly option as he faces the Ravens this week, followed by contests against the Chiefs and the Buccaneers, who both rank inside the top 5 when it comes to fantasy points allowed to the tight end position this season.
Ja'Tavion Sanders - TE, Carolina Panthers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
For the Carolina Panthers, the future is now. We are at the point of the season where, while not officially eliminated for the postseason, the 3-7 Panthers are evaluating their roster for the 2025 season. While the Panthers will likely get Adam Thielen back this week, I'm still willing to stream the rookie tight end over some well-known options.
The last time we saw Sanders on the field, he scored a touchdown in that Week 10 matchup against the Giants. Sanders may not be the Colonel, but his Week 9 numbers were finger-lickin' good. Sorry, I haven't finished my daily dose of caffeine yet. Against the Saints, we saw that potential on display as the rookie hauled in four passes for 87 yards, an average of 21.8 yards per reception.
First career TD for @Jatavionsanders! 🤘
📺: #NYGvsCAR on NFL Network
pic.twitter.com/4HfatdOQkZ— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) November 10, 2024
Sanders has played 70% of the snaps in six of the Panthers' 10 games this season, including some extra snaps from the slot.
Over the last four weeks, Sanders ranks sixth among tight ends, averaging a crisp 2.30 yards per route run, which should serve him well against a Chiefs team that plays primarily two-high safety and funnels most of the targets to the middle of the field. This is one of the main reasons the Chiefs have allowed 65 receptions to tight ends this season, the second-most.
Week 12 Sits - Fantasy Football Busts
Cade Otton- TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants
Word around the water cooler is that Mike Evans will likely return to the lineup this week. While this news alone isn't enough to scare fantasy managers off Cade Otton, we need to respect the Giants' defense when it comes to their ability to defend the position.
The numbers game gives the Buccaneers a more significant advantage out wide. New York is allowing 31.30 fantasy points per game to the receiver position. Meanwhile, they yield 7.62 fantasy points per game to tight ends, the second-fewest in the league.
Evans had the Giants' number throughout his career. In six games, the future Hall of Famer averaged 6.3 receptions, 109.1 receiving yards, and 1.17 touchdowns per game.
If you're starting Otton this week, and you may, don't go in thinking he'll put up the 17.4 fantasy points he's been averaging since Week 6.
Mark Andrews - TE, Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers
I'm calling it right now: Dissly puts up more fantasy points this week than Mark Andrews. Just when I started to believe in the Baltimore tight end again, he posted a dud performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, hauling in just two of three targets for 22 yards. It's hard to believe Andrews has never scored a touchdown against the Steelers in his career.
Even with that performance, Andrews sits third in fantasy scoring since Week 6, but facing a Chargers defense that hasn't allowed a touchdown to a tight end this season doesn't instill much confidence.
Back in Week 10, Andrews' 94% route rate was the highest it had been this season. Now, that was with Isaiah Likely out of the lineup. Likely returned in Week 11, and so did Andrews's poor route participation rate, all the way down to 58%, while his target share was the lowest since Week 4.
Got fully baited by Mark Andrews heading into last week. Role had seen an uptick even before Likely went down. Not the case with him back in Week 11:
54% route rate
11% target share
.14 targets per route run
Hand up✋— Kyle Dvorchak (@kyletweetshere) November 18, 2024
T.J. Hockenson - TE, Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
Since returning to the lineup, we have seen that T.J. Hockenson is on a snap count. The good news is that it's been consistent in his first three games post-injury, accounting for 33 snaps and a 45% snap share in Week 9, followed by a 46% snap share and 39 snaps in Week 10. Last week, he moved up to a 48% snap share, accounting for 35 snaps.
TE Josh Oliver has had more or the same amount of targets as #Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson in 2 of the last 3 games since Hockenson has returned from IR.
Hockenson has only 2 more targets overall than Josh Oliver over this period.
Hockenson’s targets need to go 📈 pic.twitter.com/XV14pXFFVs
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) November 17, 2024
Anticipating that we continue to see a rise in the snap share, say 50% or more this week in a favorable matchup, fantasy managers should feel a sense of relief on the way, considering the current state of the position.
That said, while the Bears have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points over the last four weeks, they have yet to yield a touchdown reception, so it becomes difficult to recommend Hockenson while his workload continues to be managed, especially against a defense that has allowed just one touchdown to the position this season.
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