The NFL season is well underway and that means that fantasy football is also in full swing. One of the most unpredictable positions in fantasy is the tight end spot unless you have one of the top-tier options.

Names like Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Mark Andrews will be penciled into lineups every week. Zach Ertz is also a reliable option while Tyler Higbee is beginning to emerge as an elite tight end. Kittle has been dealing with an injury that forced him to miss his Week 2 matchup with the New York Jets.

If you have Kittle, or any other goth end who is injured or facing a bad matchup, there are plenty of other options you can go with. Here are the starts and sits at the tight end position for Week 3.

TEs to Start in Week 3

Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans

Smith has been a breakout fantasy star over the first two weeks for the Titans. He has scored in each of the first two weeks. Against the Jaguars in Week 2, Smith broke a 62-yard touchdown on the first play of the game. He finished with four catches for 84 yards and two scores. Despite the slow finish, he made an impression on the offense.

This is a good matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. They allowed backup Mo Allie-Cox to get comfortable last week as he finished with five catches for 111 yards. There is something wrong in Minnesota right now on both sides of the ball and Smith will look to take advantage.

He might have been available in your league, but it is likely that he was a hot waiver wire target after his standout performance.

T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions

Hockenson lit up the Arizona Cardinals during his first career NFL game. He finished with nine catches for 131 yards and a touchdown. The former top 10 pick has shown that he can be productive catching the football and Detroit knows this. The Lions will look to utilize their tight end once again in this one.

Matthew Stafford has been looking for Hockenson often this season. He has caught all nine of his targets for 118 yards and a touchdown through two games. The Lions might be getting Kenny Golladay back in this one but Hockenson should still be considered a TE1. This is a nice matchup against an Arizona defense that has holes.

Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins

Gesicki flew under the radar last season but showed a great ability to catch the ball. That has transferred over to this season as the Dolphins are using him more and more. Throw Week 1 out the window against the elite defense of the New England Patriots. Gesicki was a start ‘em player last week and is once again.

Against the Buffalo Bills, Gesicki caught eight passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. He is a big tight end who acts as more of a receiver on the outside because of his versatility and athleticism. He will look to expose the Jaguars, who just allowed Smith to have a massive game in Week 2. There will be points in this game and Gesicki will have a hand in it.

Fitzpatrick and Gesicki have a connection that has continued here in 2020. It looks as though he is a security blanket for this offense and a good one at that.

Other fantasy football tight ends to start:

Denver Broncos’ Noah Fant (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Atlanta Falcons’ Hayden Hurst (vs. Chicago Bears), Washington’s Logan Thomas (at Cleveland Browns)

TE’s to Sit in Week 3

Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns

Since the start of last season, Washington’s defense has allowed the fourth-most points to tight ends. They are a much-improved defense, especially in their front four. Baker Mayfield will be feeling pressure all afternoon but even with a clean pocket, he is not looking for Hooper. 

The Browns signed Hooper to a four-year, $44 million contract in March. They are not using him like someone getting paid $11 million a year. He has just our catches on the season for 37 yards. Hooper is ranked 24th in routes run per game among tight ends and there are 25 players with more targets than him at the position. If you have not dropped Hooper yet in fantasy football, then he must remain on your bench.

Chris Herndon, New York Jets

Starting any Jets’ player in fantasy would be questionable, especially with Le’Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder injured. Herndon was supposed to take the next step this season but has been a huge disappointment. This is also because the Jets are not using him as a pass-catcher, which is strange considering they need one to step up.

New York used Herndon as a blocker on 40% of the snaps he was in there on a passing play. When he did get a chance, Herndon dropped one of Darnold’s few good throws in the end zone. The Indianapolis Colts are allowing an average of 4.7 catches and 44.3 yards per contest since the beginning of next season. Do not expect Herndon to be a breakout star for the Jets, who are struggling to get anything going offensively.

Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys were in need of someone other than their stars to step up in Week 2 and it was Dalton Schultz. He hauled in nine catches for 88 yards and a touchdown during the Cowboys massive comeback against the Atlanta Falcons. Schultz is worth a waiver wire add because of the injury to Blake Jarwin, but it is hard to trust him on a consistent basis.

This is especially true this week against the Seattle Seahawks. Through two weeks, the Seahawks are allowing just 5.4 fantasy points per game to tight ends. This is mainly because of the addition of Jamal Adams. He has been all over the field. Adams is being used as a blitzer and is tremendous in the passing game. Dallas could have a huge let down in this one.

Other fantasy football tight ends to sit:

Tampa Bay Bucs’ Rob Gronkowski (at Denver Broncos), Jacksonville Jaguars’ Tyler Eifert (vs. Miami Dolphins), Minnesota Vikings’ Irv Smith. Jr. (vs. Tennessee Titans)