Tight end is a wasteland. Honestly, if you didn't snag Travis Kelce or Sam LaPorta in the early rounds, you’re probably staring at a waiver wire full of guys who might get you two points or twenty. It’s stressful. Every Sunday morning, the same panic sets in: do I start the guy with the "safe" floor or chase the touchdown upside of a backup who’s suddenly seeing red zone targets?
The truth about start em sit em tight ends decisions is that they aren't actually about the players. They're about math and physics. If a guy isn't run-blocking on 60% of snaps, he's a receiver. If he's glued to the tackle’s hip, he’s a ghost in your lineup. You’ve got to look at the "route participation" rate more than the projected points. A projection is just a guess; a route participation rate is a promise of opportunity.
The Volume Trap: Why Projections Lie to You
Fantasy apps love to tell you a player is projected for 9.4 points. Where does that number even come from? It’s usually a blend of past performance and opponent rank. But for tight ends, opponent rank is often a lie. A team might look "good" against tight ends simply because they haven't played a team that actually uses one.
When you’re looking at start em sit em tight ends for the week, look at the linebacker matchups. Is the opposing defense missing their star middle linebacker? That’s a green light. Are they playing a heavy Cover 2 that leaves the seam open? That’s where the money is. Take a guy like Dalton Kincaid. Some weeks he's the primary read; other weeks, the Bills use him to chip-block elite edge rushers. If he's chipping, he isn't catching.
Most people just look at the "green" or "red" numbers next to a team name. Stop doing that. It’s lazy. Instead, check the Vegas over/under. If the game total is 51, everyone is a start. If it's 37, sit everyone except the absolute studs. You can't catch a touchdown in a game where nobody scores.
Start Em: The Guys Who Actually Earn Their Keep
Start the players who are essentially oversized wide receivers. Kyle Pitts is the eternal poster child for this. People get frustrated because his production fluctuates, but his physical profile and snap share make him a "start" almost every week regardless of the box score from the week before. You have to play the long game.
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You also need to look for "vacated targets." If a team’s WR1 goes down with a hamstring injury, those targets don't just vanish into the ether. They usually move inward. The tight end becomes the security blanket. In 2024 and 2025, we saw this repeatedly with guys like Jake Ferguson in Dallas. When the outside is locked down, the middle opens up.
- Trey McBride is a locked-in start. His target share is absurd for a tight end.
- Evan Engram thrives in PPR because he’s basically a slot receiver who happens to weigh 240 pounds.
- George Kittle is a start, but you have to accept the "Kittle Coaster." He might give you 3 points or 30. There is no middle ground.
Don't overthink it with the elite tier. If you paid a fourth-round pick for a guy, you play him. Bench-pressing your stars because of a "bad matchup" is how you lose championships to the guy in your league who hasn't checked his lineup since October.
Sit Em: When to Walk Away
Sitting a tight end is harder than starting one. Why? Because the waiver wire is so thin. But you have to be brave enough to sit a "big name" who is trending down. Mark Andrews owners had to learn this the hard way recently. It doesn't matter what he did in 2022. It matters what his snap count looks like today.
If a tight end is primarily used for blocking in a "heavy" personnel package, sit him. If the quarterback is a rookie making his first start, sit the tight end. Rookie QBs often struggle to see the middle of the field where windows are tightest. They tend to throw check-downs to running backs or "go" routes to the sidelines.
Specifically, be wary of "TD-dependent" players. You know the ones. They get two targets a game, and if one isn't a three-yard score, your week is ruined. Hunter Henry has had seasons like this. Dawson Knox too. If you're betting on a single play to save your fantasy week, you've already lost the process.
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The Streaming Strategy: Playing the Wire Like a Pro
Streaming is an art form. It requires you to be a week ahead of your league mates. If you see a tight end with a great matchup in Week 8, you should be picking him up in Week 7.
Look for the "Trend Line." Is a player’s target share increasing over the last three weeks?
5% -> 8% -> 14%.
That’s the scent of a breakout. Grab him before the Monday Night Football broadcast mentions his name. Once the announcers start talking about a guy's basketball background, the secret is out and he'll cost you 25% of your FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget).
Check the weather, too. It sounds like a cliché, but high winds hurt the deep passing game. When a QB can't throw it 40 yards downfield, he’s going to dink and dunk to the tight end all afternoon. Cold weather and wind are actually a tight end's best friends.
Identifying the "Fake" Top-10 Tight End
Every year, some guy finishes as the TE8 on the season, but he was actually terrible to own. This happens because he had two massive games of 25 points and twelve games of 4 points. On paper, his season total looks great. In reality, he probably lost you more weeks than he won.
When evaluating start em sit em tight ends, look at the median score, not the average. The average is skewed by outliers. The median tells you what is actually likely to happen on a standard Sunday. You want the guy who consistently gives you 8-10 points. He's the floor that allows your high-upside wide receivers to win the week for you.
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Defensive Archetypes to Attack
Some defenses are built to be "funneled." The Seattle Seahawks, for example, historically played a style that invited underneath routes while taking away the deep ball. If you’re playing a defense that runs a lot of "Tampa 2," your tight end is going to be busy. The "hole" in a Tampa 2 is exactly where tight ends live—between the linebackers and the safeties.
Conversely, avoid tight ends playing against the 49ers or Ravens when they are at full health. These teams employ "hybrid" defenders—guys who are too fast for offensive linemen to block but too big for tight ends to bully. When Kyle Hamilton is lurking in the box, your tight end is going to have a very long, very unproductive day.
Finalizing Your Lineup: The Saturday Night Checklist
Before you lock in your roster, do a quick "vibe check" on the injury report. It’s not just about the tight end. If the starting Left Tackle is out, the tight end might be asked to stay in and help block. That kills his fantasy value.
If the WR1 is out, the tight end gets more targets but also more defensive attention. It's a double-edged sword. Usually, more volume is better, but sometimes it just leads to a lot of double-teams and frustration.
Honestly, the best advice for start em sit em tight ends is to stop chasing last week's points. Fantasy football is a game of prediction, not reaction. If a guy caught two touchdowns on the bench last week, that doesn't mean he'll do it again. In fact, it's statistically less likely. Focus on the routes. Focus on the snaps.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Team:
- Audit Snap Counts: Go to a site like Pro Football Focus or Football Outsiders. If your tight end is playing fewer than 70% of snaps, start looking for a replacement immediately.
- Check "Red Zone Target Share": Some guys get lots of yards but are never looked at inside the 20-yard line. You need the guys the QB trusts when the field shrinks.
- Stop Holding Two Tight Ends: Unless it’s a "Tight End Premium" league, don't waste a bench spot on a second mediocre TE. Use that spot for a high-upside running back. You can always stream a TE, but you can't stream a starting RB.
- Watch the "In-Game" Usage: Don't just look at the box score. Watch the game (or the condensed highlights). Is the tight end the first read or the "oh crap, nobody's open" dump-off option? You want the first read.