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It's crunch time in the world of fantasy football, as we only have a couple more weeks until playoffs get underway. By now, teams are beginning to clinch playoff berths, but for those who haven't, the race for the postseason is on, which makes putting the right players in your starting lineups incredibly important.
The tight end position is always a tough spot to nail down, but if you make the right move at that spot, it could end up being the difference between winning and losing. So with that in mind, let's take a look at our start em sit em tight ends list for Week 12 and check out three players at this position who you should start this week, and three you should leave on your bench.
Tight ends to start in Week 12
Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions (@ Indianapolis Colts)
There's really no beating around the bush; fantasy football managers who drafted Sam LaPorta this year have gotten burned. He was expected to be the top fantasy tight end this year after a standout rookie campaign, but instead, he's averaging a mere 8.8 points per game so far. However, there's reason to believe he's in line for a big outing in Week 12.
For starters, LaPorta will draw a favorable matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, who have been unable to guard tight ends this season. And prior to missing last week's destruction of the Jacksonville Jaguars with a shoulder injury, LaPorta's two best performances of the season had come in his past three games. LaPorta may get eased back into the action, but considering how ruthless Detroit's offense has been recently, it wouldn't be much of a surprise to see him find his way into the end zone against Indy.
Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles (@ Los Angeles Rams)
Dallas Goedert has posted double-digit fantasy outings in his first two games back from a hamstring injury, and with the Philadelphia Eagles offense rolling, it's safe to say he's been one of the more underrated tight end options this season when he's been healthy. That recent trend should be set to continue when Goedert suits up in Week 12 for Philly.
Goedert gets a friendly matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, and the Eagles offense will be without one of their top playmakers in DeVonta Smith, who has been ruled out for the game with a hamstring injury. Goedert was already Jalen Hurts' favorite safety blanket in the passing game, but Smith's absence should increase his target share, which means more fantasy points for managers who start him this week.
Will Dissly, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. Baltimore Ravens)
Will Dissly has emerged from out of nowhere to become a viable fantasy football option at the tight end over the past five weeks, as he's averaging 10.8 points during that stretch. He's not exactly an explosive playmaker, but he's getting himself free on underneath routes, and with Justin Herbert continuing to get more comfortable in the Los Angeles Chargers offense, it's led to more targets for Dissly.
The veteran tight end is fresh off a four-catch, 80-yard performance that also saw him score his first touchdown of the season, and he will be going up against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12, who have struggled against the pass all season long. With the Chargers set to air the ball out in this one, Dissly should enjoy another big day for fantasy owners who are gutsy enough to start him.
Tight ends to sit in Week 12
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Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@ New York Giants)
While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing Chris Godwin and Mike Evans in one fell swoop during their Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens obviously was not good for their offense, it has allowed Cade Otton to emerge as a key weapon for Baker Mayfield under center. Over the past four games, Otton is averaging 19.3 fantasy points per game, making him a surefire starter for managers who were lucky enough to stash him earlier in the year.
There are a couple of things working against Otton in Week 12. For starters, the New York Giants have allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season, and considering how big of a mess they are, this game could become a blowout very quickly. Beyond that, Evans is expected to return from his hamstring injury, which takes away from Otton's target share. It may seem like a surprise, but Otton may not be the guy you want to turn to this week.
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings (@ Chicago Bears)
T.J. Hockenson made his long-awaited season debut for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9, but two of his first three games have been complete duds. While the Vikings passing game hasn't been particularly great during this stretch, Hockenson's production is not what fantasy managers who stashed him all year long were hoping to see from him.
There may be a bit of a desire for those managers to simply plug Hockenson into their lineups and hope he finally gets going given the draft pick they invested in him, but Week 12 may not be the week to do that. Beyond the Vikings aforementioned passing game woes as of late, they get a surprisingly stout Chicago Bears defense in their upcoming matchup, which means folks hoping for Hockenson to get going should look elsewhere this week.
Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders (vs. Dallas Cowboys)
Zach Ertz has had a surprisingly resurgent year in fantasy football, as he went from being an afterthought to one of the top tight ends in the league. Granted, he's not putting up huge numbers on a weekly basis, but he's receiving a steady diet of targets from Jayden Daniels under center, which has helped him be one of the more consistent options at the position.
The main thing working against Ertz in Week 12 is game script, as the Commanders could run away from the Dallas Cowboys early, which would mean that they would not want to throw the ball as much as they typically would. Ertz isn't an awful starter this week if you have no other options, but it may not be a bad idea to target a better matchup this week if you have the resources to do so.
