Week 7 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em:  Tight Ends

Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups based on a PPR scoring system in fantasy football. This column will not cover the elite players in the NFL like Josh Allen, Jonathan Taylor or Cooper Kupp. Instead, I’ll look at the players you have questions about who could exceed or fail to meet expectations at each position. For all of your final fantasy lineup decisions, be sure to check out my weekly player rankings which will be updated daily throughout the NFL season.

Fabs Top 10 tight ends

1. Travis Kelce at 49ers
2. Mark Andrews vs. Browns
3. Zach Ertz vs. Saints (TNF)
4. George Kittle vs. Chiefs
5. David Njoku at Ravens
6. Pat Freiermuth at Dolphins
7. T.J. Hockenson at Cowboys
9. Kyle Pitts at Bengals
10. Evan Engram vs. Giants

Byes: Bills, Eagles, Rams, Vikings

Week 7 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | KICKERS & TEAM DEFENSES

Week 7 Start ‘Em: Tight Ends

Start of the Week

David Njoku at Ravens (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Njoku has scored at least 8.8 fantasy points in four straight games, during which time he’s averaged 14.3 points. He has a great matchup this week, as the Chief faces a Ravens defense that’s allowed 11-plus fantasy points to four different tight ends including Daniel Bellinger (14.8) just last week. At what is a very thin position, Njoku is a top-10 fantasy option.

Start ‘Em

Pat Freiermuth at Dolphins (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Freiermuth missed last week’s game due to a concussion, so keep tabs on his status throughout this week. If he is able to return, the Penn State product will be in a great spot to succeed against the Dolphins. Their defense has given up 10-plus fantasy points to three different tight ends, including Irv Smith Jr. (10.7 points) in last Sunday’s loss to Minnesota.

Gerald Everett vs. Seahawks (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Everett has had his share of ups and downs in the stat sheets in 2022, and the potential return of Keenan Allen could hurt his stock this week. Still, a revenge game against the Seahawks makes him a viable starter. Seattle’s defense has been brutal against opposing tight ends, allowing an NFL-high 22.9 fantasy points per game to the position after six weeks.

Hayden Hurst vs. Falcons (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Listed as a sit ‘em last week, Hurst put up a modest 5.1 points in a win over the Saints. Still, this week’s revenge game against the Falcons makes him a streaming option. Atlanta’s defense has allowed 73 yards per game and the fourth-most points to tight ends, and six players at the position have scored at least 9.7 fantasy points against them through six weeks.

More Starts

• Robert Tonyan at Commanders (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Evan Engram vs. Giants (1 p.m. ET, Fox)

DFS Bargains

• Gerald Everett vs. Seahawks ($4,000)
• Hayden Hurst vs. Falcons ($3,500)
• Evan Engram vs. Giants ($3,300)

Week 7 Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends

Mike Gesicki vs. Steelers (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Gesicki went off last week, as he scored a pair of touchdowns and 24.9 fantasy points. That’s the good news. The bad news is that he had failed to score more than 4.3 points in four of his previous five games. So while he can have a high ceiling, Gesicki’s floor is low. Also, just one tight end has scored more than 9.6 points against the Steelers this season.

Sit ‘Em

Daniel Bellinger at Jaguars (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Bellinger is a hot name off the wire, as he’s scored 25.2 combined fantasy points in his last two games. Still, he’s seen three or more targets in just two of six games. Bellinger also has a tough matchup against a Jaguars defense that’s allowed just one touchdown and an average of 9.5 fantasy points to enemy tight ends in 2022. I’d be wary of Bellinger this week.

Noah Fant at Chargers (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Fant has seen his fantasy points increase in four straight games, culminating in a season-best 10.5 points in last week’s win over the Cardinals. Still, he’s seen more than four targets in just two of six games, and the Chargers have allowed just one touchdown to a tight end this year. Fant also continues to split snaps and opportunities with Will Dissly.

Tyler Conklin at Broncos (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Conklin was a legitimate fantasy asset earlier in the season, but his value has crashed since Zach Wilson has taken over the offense. In fact, the veteran tight end has scored a combined 10.9 points in three games with Wilson under center. The Broncos have allowed double-digit points to a tight end in just one of their first six games, so Conklin is a fade.

More Sits

• Cole Kmet at Patriots (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
• Greg Dulcich vs. Jets (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS)

DFS Fades

• T.J. Hockenson at Cowboys ($4,800)
• Kyle Pitts at Bengals ($4,300)
• Daniel Bellinger at Jaguars ($3,400)

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Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business to help you win a fantasy championship!