Another week in the NFL season is now under our belt and it was yet another week that showed how shaky the tight end position is in fantasy football, making the start 'em sit 'em options for Week 5 very interesting. There were some familiar and unfamiliar faces who graced the top five scoring tight ends in Week 4.
If you read last week's article, then you would've known that Will Dissly would perform well against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4. The Seattle Seahawks pass-catcher caught seven passes for 57 yards and a touchdown for 18.7 fantasy points. At the same time, Ricky Seals-Jones and Gerald Everett were both in the top six fantasy performers at tight end in Week 4.
When deciding on a tight end in fantasy football you are looking for the ‘v-word'. That none-explicit ‘v-word' is volume and if you can find a tight end who consistently sees targets in his offense, then start them.
The only five tight ends who are must-start options right now are George Kittle, Zach Ertz, Travis Kelce, Evan Engram, and Darren Waller. Aside from that, you have to pay close attention to matchups and volume in the offense.
Before we get further into who to start this week, the picks are based on PPR (points per reception) scoring and can be used in season-long or DFS (daily fantasy sports) leagues. Without further ado, here are the tight ends to contemplate starting and sitting in Week 5.
TEs to Start in Week 5
Colts' Eric Ebron (vs. Chiefs): With Jacoby Brissett as his quarterback, Eric Ebron has yet to be a consistent fantasy option in 2019. After catching 13 touchdowns from Andrew Luck in 2018, Ebron caught just his second touchdown of the season in Week 4.
Nevertheless, at some point, Brissett has to begin looking in Ebron's direction right? That game could be this week against a Kansas City Chiefs defense that has allowed 32 receptions to TEs this season (most in NFL).
Packers' Jimmy Graham (vs. Cowboys): Jimmy Graham is no longer the once-dominant version of himself but he showed in Week 4 that he can still contribute for the Green Bay Packers. The receiving tight end caught six passes for 61 yards and found the end zone versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
The veteran tight end may see an uptick in targets in the offense with Davante Adams likely being out with an injury. Look for Aaron Rodgers to look in Graham's direction against a solid Dallas Cowboys secondary.
Saints' Jared Cook (vs. Buccaneers): It has been tough this season if you were one of the unlucky people who drafted Jared Cook in fantasy. The belief was that Cook would thrive in the New Orleans Saints offense but that has yet to come into fruition.
In the first four weeks, the Saints off-season addition has combined for just 17 fantasy points this season. However, if there is any week that the veteran pass-catcher is going to be relevant in fantasy it is Week 5 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers have surrendered 365 yards to TEs this season (second-most in NFL).
TEs to Sit in Week 5
Bengals' Tyler Eifert (vs. Cardinals): Do not fall for the trap. I repeat, do not fall for the trap. Every single week, we've seen every tight end that faces the Cardinals dominate in fantasy football.
Furthermore, Arizona has allowed a league-high 27.7 fantasy points per game and six touchdowns to TEs this season. As favorable as that matchup is, Tyler Eifert has shown nothing to warrant starting him in Week 5. The Cincinnati Bengals tight end has just 16 targets all season and has only found the end zone once.
Texans' Jordan Akins (vs. Falcons): Over the past couple of weeks, Jordan Akins has emerged as a potential weekly streaming option at the tight end position. The Houston Texans pass-catcher has combined for 27.4 fantasy points in the past two weeks.
Unfortunately, the athletic tight end is heading into a matchup in Week 5 that doesn't bode well for him. The Atlanta Falcons are one of the few remaining teams in the NFL that has yet to allow a touchdown to a TE this season.
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