Tight End Matchups to Target in Week 15 - Trey McBride, Zach Ertz, Jake Ferguson

When the season started, the tight end position was a black hole, with very few players posting useable stat lines for seasonal fantasy or DFS.

But lately, we've seen some solid production from many tight ends and you frankly can't afford to miss at the position while others are getting strong outings from the tight ends that they rostered.

Let's analyze some of the best tight-end matchups this week with some options at multiple price points on DraftKings and FanDuel.

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Trey McBride ($6,000 DK, $7,500 FD)

Arizona Cardinals vs. New England Patriots

Despite the fact they've dropped their last three games, the Cardinals still enter Sunday's matchup with the ninth-rated DVOA passing game and will face a Patriots' secondary that ranks 31st.

It's a "get right" spot for Arizona, and the most consistent player in their offense all season has been tight end Trey McBride. While Marvin Harrison Jr. has had an erratic rookie campaign, McBride has been super steady, and therefore, he has seen his target share increase to the point where he's a very tough guy to fade this week.

McBride has seen a whopping 41 targets over the last three weeks, catching 31 of those for 299 yards. Those numbers will play in any format, but in DraftKings PPR scoring format, the huge volume of targets gives him a massive floor that no other TE brings to the table.

He's averaged over 21 DK points per game over this last three-game stretch - without scoring a touchdown! With the Cardinals implied for 26.5 points on Sunday (third on the DK slate behind only Baltimore and Detroit), getting a piece of Arizona into lineups feels imperative. McBride is easily the safest play on the board.

Zach Ertz ($4,000 DK, $5,200 FD)

Washington Commanders @ New Orleans Saints

It's been a renaissance season for Ertz in Washington as the veteran tight end has emerged as one of Jayden Daniels's most trusted targets. Ertz has managed to turn back the clock and stay healthy this season, racking up 501 yards receiving on 52 catches while scoring four touchdowns.

Zach Ertz catches his 50th career TD 🔥

📺: #TENvsWAS on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/AnUShkAtKe

— NFL (@NFL) December 1, 2024

He has a three-game touchdown streak intact right now, as he's averaged nearly 16 DK points per game over the last three weeks. While the Saints' pass defense is a neutral matchup at the macro level, they're the eighth-worst team against the TE position in DVOA pass defense this season.

When you pair the positive matchup with the possibility that Ertz picks up some of the targets vacated by the injured Noah Brown, you get a great play at a great value this week. Ertz doesn't bring the same floor as McBride, but he has a similar ceiling for a fraction of the price.

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Jake Ferguson ($3,800 DK, $5,400 FD)

Dallas Cowboys @ Carolina Panthers

Everyone was ready for the Jake Ferguson comeback game on Sunday night against the Bengals, but the big man finished with just three catches for 32 yards. It didn't work out like we wanted, but there were some positive signs even though the production wasn't there.

Ferguson played 77% of the snaps and looked healthy out there. He was targeted six times, too, which is right around his average for the season.

TE Jake Ferguson (DAL) v. CAR: Ferg came back from injury and played 77% of snaps! This is great news. He received 6 targets and caught 3 balls for 32 yards. Not a huge week, but great to see his snap count and usage. He should be a solid start facing the league’s worst defense…

— Joshua Cho (@jbchoknows) December 12, 2024

This week, the Cowboys get one of the best matchups (at least on paper) for an offense. The Panthers have struggled to slow down offenses all season. They are bad against the run and the pass, but they have been specifically quite terrible against the TE position, as they rank 31st in DVOA against them and have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.

This feels like a great spot for Ferguson to bounce back and maybe even find the end zone. If you were on him last week, roll him out there again. The price is right, and the matchup is about as good as it gets.

Stone Smartt ($2,600 DK, $4,500 FD)

LA Chargers vs. Tampa Bay

We have a very compelling punt option this week in Smartt. The Chargers will be without Will Dissly, who has been one of their most reliable chain-movers all season. Hayden Hurst is their other tight end, but he's been on IR for the last month, and there's been no word that he will be activated before Sunday's game.

That leaves Smartt in a position to be the starting tight end and possibly a featured target of Justin Herbert against the Bucs. Smartt finished last week's game against the Chiefs after Dissly got hurt, playing 37% of the snaps and caught three passes for 54 yards.

The Bucs rank 27th in DVOA against the tight end position and have struggled to stop opposing passing games. It would not be a surprise to see Smartt have a very solid outing in this matchup, and at this price, even 10 DK points would make him a nearly 5x value.

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

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