The role of tight end may not be looked at as the most important part of your fantasy football roster, but it certainly can be the difference between winning and losing a postseason-clinching game for you in Week 13.
The likes of Travis Kelce, Darren Waller, and others are certainly the position’s leaders this year, as they have commonly been lately. But there are a plethora of other good options that can serve as above-average contributors in a time that you desperately need to score points to get into the playoffs.
Take a look at this week’s Starts and Sits for the tight end position – as a note, all predictions and outlooks are based on a full-point, point-per-reception league format.
Tight Ends to start in Week 13
Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers
An offensive attack that is led by superstar receiver Davante Adams seems to only support one other weapon in the passing game on a weekly basis outside of Adams. Robert Tonyan, who has produced for this offense on multiple occasions this year, looks to be a solid spot to do that same thing this week against the Philadelphia Eagles.
By allowing 8.9 fantasy points per game on average to the tight end position, the Eagles are not what you would call a stout defense against the TE role, something that certainly will benefit Tonyan in GB’s next game. Plus, with how surgical Aaron Rodgers has been this year so far, the Eagles will be hard-pressed to produce a competent defensive attack in what amounts to be a crucial game for their postseason hopes.
The outside possibility that Tonyan exists on your waiver wire certainly is something you should check for, but if you have him, he profiles as a solid low TE1 option, a role that is essentially all you are looking for at this point in the season.
Besides DeVante Parker, tight end Mike Gesicki is the biggest beneficiary of Ryan Fitzpatrick being back under center, but if he only made a one-game reappearance, then Gesicki’s fantasy football ceiling dips a bit with rookie Tua Tagovailoa back in the fold.
Head coach Brian Flores was on record this week saying that there will be no official confirmation on which QB will start this week until Sunday, which directly impacts the kind of role that Gesicki would have. Granted, any role that he has against the below-average Cincinnati Bengals defense should produce a higher floor than usual, but whichever signal-caller takes the snaps on Sunday will dictate how successful Gesicki is for fantasy football rosters.
The potential of both Adam Shaheen and Durham Smythe earning crucial red-zone snaps has gone from fever dream hallucinations to real-life occurrences, something that has severely driven down Gesicki’s production in a year that he was a hot pick to break out in. Nonetheless, Gesicki’s low TE1 – high TE2 role this week will be dictated by the starting QB choice, but he has a safe-enough role in the offense that he can be plugged in regardless of who is throwing him the rock.
Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys
The Baltimore Ravens have become a much-maligned squad this season after being title contenders the previous year. Their team's defense, which entered the year as one of the stoutest units across the league, became a bit weaker as the season has progressed, but certainly still ranks as one of the top 5-7 units in the league.
However, their one shortfall seems to be in their coverage of opposing tight ends, a great note for Dalton Schultz and the Dallas Cowboys. Their Tuesday game will (hopefully) be the conclusion of Week 13, presenting Schultz and company and opportunity to try and do something to remain in the terrible NFC East divisional title hunt.
Schultz has maintained a safe floor in the injury-riddled DAL offense, having caught at least four passes in four straight games from Andy Dalton and his backup options. And with the offensive line injuries that will severely decrease the amount of time that Dalton will get in the pocket, Schultz can be a sure-fire dump-off option. This projects him as a high-ceiling fantasy TE that could finish as a top-12 option by week’s end.
Other Week 13 starts – T.J. Hockenson (DET), Austin Hooper (CLE), Kyle Rudolph (MIN)
Tight Ends to sit in Week 13
This ‘effective’ thing that is now called the offense down in New Orleans has transitioned from pocket-passer Drew Brees to run-first Taysom Hill due to Brees’ long-term injury. While Alvin Kamara has certainly been the biggest disappointment ever since Hill took over, the looks for Cook have drastically decreased as well, cratering any sort of potential fantasy football value that he had.
When Michael Thomas was sorting out his off-field concerns, Cook profiled as a perfect target replacement hog, but that honeymoon period has come and gone without a trace.
Not having received more than four targets in one game since Week 8 against the Chicago Bears, Cook’s lack of receptions are very concerning, and even a hapless Atlanta Falcons defense (that somehow gave Derek Carr and Josh Jacobs fits) should not be enough to get him out of his funk.
A droppable option if a better player presents itself, Cook is on the unplayable list for the foreseeable future until his production improves or Brees returns to the lineup.
Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles
Based solely on expectations coming back from an injury, Zach Ertz will disappoint this week, plain and simple.
First and foremost, this Philly offense looks like they are playing in quicksand every week, and that all starts with Carson Wentz. His lack of confidence shows through on every one of his throws, and the team only seems to move the ball at a consistent pace when they speed up and run some hurry-up offense, which commonly only occurs once they are losing.
Traveling to Green Bay is one thing, but traveling to Green Bay in the month of December is a whole different thing, something that the Eagles do not seem set up for.
Secondly, Dallas Goedert and Richard Rodgers have admirably filled in for Ertz during his absence, and while Ertz is the biggest name in that TE group, his production has not been on that same level.
Even if Ertz earns the most attention of all the TEs that earn playing time Sunday, it does not forecast well for fantasy football relevancy, so stay away from Ertz at all costs if you can this week.
A roller coaster is going to be the best way to describe the type of fantasy season Jonnu Smith has put up for the Tennessee Titans, both caused by the run-heavy play style and his lack of targets in an offense lacking a true no. 2 option.
AJ Brown is the real deal and Ryan Tannehill obviously treats him as such, but even with Corey Davis’ eventual emergence this season, Smith profiles as a much-likelier second option for Tannehill, yet his involvement in the offense has been so spotty that he has gone from fantasy sleeper to being slept on.
Having only touched a double-digit point total without having scored a TD in that same game this year, Smith’s TD reliance is a big risk for any fantasy teams starting him currently, as he is probably the third or even fourth option when considering both the rushing and passing attacks.
While facing the Browns could give Smith a chance to produce yet again, be very cautious of keeping Smith in your starting lineup, especially after putting up a goose egg against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12.
Other Week 13 sits – Jordan Reed (SF), Tyler Higbee (LAR), Logan Thomas (WAS)
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