With Week 14 of the NFL season on the horizon, it is officially crunch time for fantasy football managers. Smart leagues will be starting their playoffs this week, while all others have one more week to qualify for the postseason. Either way, it is important to devote some time to one of the most overlooked positions in many lineups: tight ends.
Which tight ends should you start in this crucial juncture of this season, and which ones are better off kept on the bench? Find out in Week 14 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends.
TEs to Start in Week 14
Bears' Cole Kmet (vs. Lions)
Cole Kmet's inconsistency has been the bane of many a fantasy owner this season. But fortunately for Kmet (and thousands of managers out there), this Detroit Lions secondary has struggled in recent weeks against the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers. Feel confident in starting Kmet this week.
Saints' Taysom Hill (vs. Panthers)
No fantasy tight end has been more difficult to predict this year than Taysom Hill. He followed up a pair of 20-point performances in Weeks 8 and 9 with just three touches in Week 10. He is averaging 9.9 fantasy points per game this year but has four games with 15-plus points and four contests with fewer than five points.
Last week, Hill nearly matched a career-high with 13 carries, and with Derek Carr's injury status for Week 14 not looking great, expect Hill to continue to get considerable touches as he shares this offense with Jameis Winston.
Ravens' Isaiah Likely (vs. Rams)
In his first start after Mark Andrews' season-ending injury, Isaiah Likely hauled in four of six targets for 40 yards. With Logan Thomas and Trey McBride on bye, plus Dallas Goedert and Darren Waller entering the week as injury question marks, Likely becomes a fringe TE1 this weekend.
TEs to Sit in Week 14
Jaguars ‘ Evan Engram (vs. Browns)
If there has been one recurring message in this column in 2023, it is: do not start fantasy football tight ends who are playing against the Cleveland Browns. The Browns are allowing just 5.9 fantasy points per contest to opposing tight ends, easily the lowest in the league (the San Francisco 49ers are second-best at 8.4 PPG). Even though he is coming off his best game of the season (23.2 fantasy points), save yourself the worry and keep Evan Engram out of your starting lineup in Week 14.
Bills' Dalton Kincaid (vs. Chiefs)
Dawson Knox's return is possible in Week 14, which could move Dalton Kincaid back to a secondary role. But even if Knox is not healthy enough to suit up, Kincaid will have to face a Kansas City Chiefs defense that is allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends. The Buffalo Bills rookie is a risky play this weekend.
Steelers' Pat Freiermuth (vs. Patriots)
After a career-high 120 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12, Pat Freiermuth could not produce another strong performance in Week 13. The Pittsburgh Steelers tight end had three catches for 29 yards, though he is hardly to blame. The Arizona Cardinals are one of the better defenses in the league against tight ends, and the injury to starting quarterback Kenny Pickett further diminished Freiermuth's chances of a big game. Pickett is out for Week 14 and the Steelers face a stout Patriots defense that has allowed ten points or fewer in three straight games. This is not a matchup to be trusted in fantasy football.
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