The tight end market continues to be a difficult position for fantasy football this season. It's time to continue our fantasy football series with a breakdown on the tight end position.
As mentioned in previous weeks, this position is hardly ever utilized in the game plan. Besides the dynamic players like Travis Kelce, Darren Waller, and Mark Andrews, it's tough to see consistent fantasy football numbers. Even those three guys have had weeks off where they hardly produced. With that being said, let's focus on the six players you need to pay attention to for Week 9 in fantasy football.
Fantasy Football Week 9 Start ‘Em
Dallas Goedert, Philadephia Eagles
Goedert is now the main guy in Philadelphia. With Zach Ertz now in Arizona, Goedert will be targeted quite a bit. He hasn't reached 17 points in fantasy football yet this year per ESPN. That is now likely to happen with the absence of Ertz. He caught six passes for 72 yards in the blowout win over the Detroit Lions.
Goedert and the Eagles face the 30th ranked Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. The Chargers are great against opposing receivers, which allows the opposing tight ends to free up. That is what Jalen Hurts will focus on when it comes to the passing game this week.
Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins
Gesicki saw two straight dominant performances prior to last week's loss to the Buffalo Bills. He caught a combined 15 passes for 200 yards and a TD before just three catches for only 48 yards last week. The Bills own the top fantasy defense in every position so it's no surprise to see the low performance.
This week should be like the previous two games. Gesicki should get back into his groove against the 27th ranked Houston Texan's defense. He's the No. 4 overall fantasy TE this year and should be started more weeks than not. If Tua Tagovailoa can find him the ball, then he will be dominant for weeks to come.
Tyler Conklin, Minnesota Vikings
Tyler Conklin isn't a guy who is eye-opening by any means. The reason he is on this list is that he will be facing the 32nd ranked defense against tight ends. The Baltimore Ravens display a tremendous all-around defense, but somehow allow the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. This isn't more of what Conklin can do, but more of what the Raven will allow.
Conklin caught seven passes for 70 yards and a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. Since then he has been average with 14 catches combined. I think he should catch a good amount of passes since the Ravens tend to allow it. If he reaches the endzone then that is an added bonus.
Fantasy Tight Ends Sit ‘Em
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
Higbee is a part of a truly dynamic offense in LA. However, he isn't really benefitting from it. He makes some great catches during games but doesn't provide much fantasy football value. His route tree is mostly short routes and his catches don't result in much. He's only found the endzone twice this year.
Higbee will face the 7th ranked Titans defense this week against opposing tight ends. If you have the chance to avoid him, it's probably the best move considering Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods are playing very well. He will have to prove his worth for you to even consider starting him again.
Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals
In Ertz's first two games as a Cardinal, he played well scoring a touchdown in each game. He didn't play great last Thursday night against the Packers catching only four passes. The Cardinals are clearly one of the best teams in the NFL and the offense is elite at every position. Kyler Murray will find a way to get Ertz the ball in the future but this week isn't favorable for him.
They face the rival San Francisco 49ers on Sunday who rank 10th against opposing tight ends. This isn't the best week to start him but if you don't have any other options, start him. He is better than whoever is available in waivers for this week.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
Freiermuth is becoming a solid fantasy football tight end this year. He caught four passes for a TD last week against the Cleveland Browns. The rookie does have a difficult matchup this week, however. He and the Steelers face the Chicago Bears who rank 2nd against opposing tight ends. It will be a Monday night game on primetime TV so anything can happen, but I wouldn't take the chance on him this week.
Follow Us
Subscribe