It’s the fantasy postseason, folks! Time to set those fantasy lineups and take home a championship! Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups in a given week for fantasy football leagues. Each week, I’ll examine the tight ends who could either exceed or fail to meet expectations based on their weekly opponent.
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Start of the Week
Browns tight end David Njoku is the start of the week. Njoku has been hot lately, scoring 17-plus points in three of his last four games. He’s also seen a combined 30 targets in the last two weeks, so he’s clearly a favorite of Jameis Winston in the offense. Njoku should continue to shine against the Chiefs, who have allowed two tight ends to beat them for more than 21 points since Week 9 and have allowed the second-most points per game overall.
TEs With Good Matchups
- Brock Bowers vs. Falcons (Mon.)
- Trey McBride vs. Patriots
- Travis Kelce at Browns
- David Njoku vs. Chiefs
- George Kittle vs. Rams (Thurs.)
- T.J. Hockenson vs. Bears (Mon.)
- Jonnu Smith at Texans
- Mark Andrews at Giants
- Evan Engram vs. Jets
- Sam LaPorta vs. Bills
Complete Week 15 tight end rankings (coming soon)
Start ‘Em
Another player to consider is Jonnu Smith at Texans (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Smith has been one of the best tight ends in fantasy football over the last four weeks, scoring 21-plus points three times with no less than 13.2 points in any of them. He faces the Texans this week, making him a top-10 tight end once again. Since Week 9, their defense has allowed 11-plus points to two players at the position, and they haven’t faced a truly “elite” tight end in their 13 contests in 2024.
Let’s not forget about Jake Ferguson at Panthers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Ferguson is well worth a look in the first week of the fantasy postseason, as he’s facing a plus matchup against the Panthers. No team in the league has allowed more fantasy points to tight ends on the season, and only one has given up more since Week 7. All told, Carolina has given up 10 or more points to the position nine times, including five who have hit that points total since Week 8.
And we can’t overlook Tucker Kraft at Seahawks (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Kraft is on a nice hot streak, scoring at least 10.6 fantasy points in three straight games, including two where he found the end zone. I’d keep him in starting lineups this week, as the second-year player faces Seattle in a good matchup. Their defense has allowed the 12th-most fantasy points per game to tight ends, and eight players at the position have beaten them for more than nine points.
Sit of the Week
On the flip side, we have Kyle Pitts at Raiders (Mon. 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): Pitts has seen his numbers tumble in the last five weeks, scoring 2.4 or fewer points three times while averaging just 3.2 points. While he did play 58 snaps and saw six targets last week, he was still held to 2.4 points. Pitts does have a great matchup this week against the Raiders, but can you trust him to make good in the first week of the fantasy postseason? I can’t, so he’s a sit ‘em.
TEs With Bad Matchups
Next up is Dalton Kincaid at Lions (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): Kincaid was close to returning to action last week, and he’ll be hard to trust if he does return in Week 15. That’s due to a bad matchup against the Lions, who have allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends this season. What’s more, just two players at the position have beaten them for double digits, and no tight end has scored more than 13.1 points in a game against them this season.
Another tight end to consider sitting is Dalton Schultz vs. Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Schultz is coming off his best game of the season, posting 61 yards, one touchdown, and 17.1 fantasy points. I wouldn’t chase the points, though, as he had failed to score more than 9.6 in every other game this season. So, while the matchup against the Dolphins isn’t terrible on paper, I’d have a hard time playing Schultz in what if the first week of the fantasy football playoffs in most leagues.
Lastly, we have Cole Kmet at Vikings (Mon. 8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+): Kmet was held without a point in a loss to the 49ers, and he’s now been held to single digits in all but one of his last seven games. While he did beat this week’s opponent, the Bears, for 13.4 points back in Week 12, their defense has allowed the sixth-fewest points per game to the position since Week 7. And with his overall lack of production, it’s tough to trust Kmet in the postseason.
As we dive into the fantasy postseason, remember to make informed decisions based on matchups and recent performances. Whether you’re starting or sitting a tight end, every point counts in your quest for that championship!
