Honorable mention starts: Trey McBride (ARI), George Kittle (SF), David Njoku (CLE)
Honorable mention sits: Evan Engram (JAX), Cole Kmet (CHI), Cade Otton (TB)
Start: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
What a season it has been for Travis Kelce. All tight ends, really. The first three weeks, meh. Next six weeks… five top 10s (four top 5’s). Since? Not one finish above 12. Inconsistency, friends and I tend to stay away from it. Tight end is such a volatile position; however, you have to take the good with the bad. All that said, we’re obviously starting him against the Browns, but the ceiling is lower, no? Cleveland has actually been better than their season-long averages (thanks, Taysom Hill), but I’m not overly concerned. The targets are there, the yards are there, and I bet we get a tuddy from him this week.
Start: Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins
THANK YOU , OVERTIME! AMIRIGHT? All I can say is… phew. Smith has been in my honorable mention a lot, but it’s time to feature him like Tua is doing. TE1 since Week 11, Jonnu is seeing a significant amount of targets, air yards, and touchdowns. And while the Texans have been good over the entire season-to-date, they’ve been susceptible this past month (even Chig got a 70 yard dart). Tyreek and Jaylen being back have diminished the output a bit for Smith, but I still like him this week in a must win for the Dolphins. Does a stat line of 6/50/1 seem so unreasonable in a game with an O/U at 47? Which, by the way, seems woefully low (I’ll be hitting the over if it stays here). Mr. Smith is a top-10 play this week.
Sit: Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys
My first TE sit was slotted for Brock Bowers (see Jakobi Meyers above), but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it with the season he’s having. Then I thought Pat Freiermuth, but with George Pickens likely to sit again, Pat is actually a decent start this week. Ferguson? Jake Ferguson, anyone? Ok, cool, me too. What a disappointment he’s been this year, even with Dak slinging the pill. But since Dak’s injury, bleh – TE34, TE41, TE21, and a couple of DNPs in between. I’m usually a matchup guy, and this one is fantastic – the Panthers are the most generous team to TEs on the season, exceedingly vulnerable to the touchdowns. But do you really have faith that Ferguson can deliver, even in the tastiest of matchups? Yeah, me neither.
Sit: T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
Week 12. Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears. Hockenson’s stat line – 7/114/0 on nine targets, good for TE5 on the week. Not shabby, so why is he in my sit recos this week? Let me explain. In Hock’s other games since returning from injury (five), he’s finished higher than 17 only once. AND. If you take out the overtime stats against the Bears in Week 12 (3 catches for 48 yards), he’d have finished as TE22. Maybe he’s still working himself back from the leg injury (this is my theory). Maybe he’s not on the same page with Sam Darnold. Maybe there are two elite receivers (per PFF) on the roster taking touches ahead of everyone else. Pick your poison. It’s do-or-die time for us, friends, and Hock is outside the top 12 this week.
