Week 12 Fantasy TE Rankings: Must-starts, sleepers, potential busts at tight end

Rank Participant 1 Darren Waller, LV @ ATL 2 Travis Kelce, KC @ TB three Austin Hooper, CLE @ JAX. Hooper has averaged six targets per recreation in his previous 5 outings. Cleveland has shifted to a extra run-heavy strategy, however that can open up alternatives for Hooper to catch some play-action TDs shifting ahead. He did have a red-zone goal in opposition to the Eagles, however Baker Mayfield overthrew him. The Jaguars are a great matchup for Hooper, as they’re considered one of three groups to permit eight complete TDs to TEs this season and are permitting 10.four FPPG to the place (second most within the NFL). four Evan Engram, NYG @ CIN 5 Noah Fant, DEN vs. NO 6 Rob Gronkowski, TB vs. KC 7 Logan Thomas, WAS @ DAL. Thomas continued his spectacular streak of seeing no less than 4 targets in each recreation by getting 5 in opposition to the Bengals together with a keep on a sneak play. He did not do a lot with them, however the ground is excessive as a result of the chance is there. Final time he performed the Cowboys, Thomas had 4 catches for 60 yards and a TD. He might put up comparable numbers in a good matchup. eight T.J. Hockenson, DET vs. HOU 9 Mike Gesicki, MIA @ NYJ. In three consecutive video games, Gesicki has seen no less than 4 targets and racked up 40 yards. That alone is sufficient to put him into streamer territory, and in opposition to the Jets, he ought to have an opportunity to be a top-10 play. The Jets have allowed seven TDs to TEs and the seventh-most FPPG to TEs (9.three). Maybe Gesicki can discover the top zone for the primary time since Week three in opposition to them. 10 Mark Andrews, BAL @ PIT. After a little bit of a downturn in manufacturing, Andrews is again to being Lamar Jackson’s favourite goal. In his previous two video games, he has caught 12-of-16 targets for 157 yards and a TD, so he ought to have an opportunity to be a top-five play in future weeks. Nevertheless, the Steelers have allowed a league-low four.5 FPPG to TEs with just one TD on the season, so Andrews is only a low-end streamer on this one in consequence. 11 Dallas Goedert, PHI vs. SEA. Goedert appears to be rounding again into kind after lacking a number of weeks as a consequence of harm. He caught 5 passes for 77 yards and a TD in opposition to the Browns, and it was his second consecutive week racking up six targets. So long as Zach Ertz (ankle) is out, Goedert would be the prime TE to personal in Philadelphia. That stated, the Seahawks are excellent in opposition to TEs, and in the event that they pay further consideration to Goedert, he could possibly be restricted on this one, particularly with Richard Rodgers additionally having over 100 yards and a TD in his previous two video games. 12 Hunter Henry, LAC @ BUF. No workforce has allowed extra receiving yards to TEs this yr than the Payments (642). They’ve struggled in opposition to the place and will have bother containing Henry. Henry has logged 4 catches in 4 consecutive video games and whereas his common yardage complete over that point is simply 36, he has posted TDs in back-to-back video games. With Justin Herbert wanting his approach steadily, Henry needs to be a stable starter with a great ground. 13 Hayden Hurst, ATL vs. LV. Hurst did not catch a cross final week in a good matchup in opposition to the Saints, so he’ll attempt to rebound in opposition to a barely higher Raiders protection that has allowed the 12th-most receiving yards to TEs (523). If Julio Jones (hamstring) cannot go well with up for this recreation, Hurst might get some further targets, however given his boom-or-bust nature, it is onerous to advocate trusting him over among the different choices on a loaded slate. 14 Jordan Reed, SF @ LAR. In his remaining recreation earlier than a Week 11 bye, Reed snatched 5 passes and turned them into 62 yards for the 49ers. He was second on the workforce in targets that recreation to solely Brandon Aiyuk. Reed ought to proceed to be a giant a part of the 49ers offense with George Kittle (foot) out for the foreseeable future. The Rams have been stable in opposition to TEs, however so long as Reed is getting targets, he could be trusted. 15 Dalton Schultz, DAL vs. WAS. Schultz has performed dwith three totally different quarterbacks in his previous three video games however has seen constant seems from all of them. He’s averaging seven targets per recreation for 42 yards, and the Dalton-Dalton connection resulted in a TD final week. Washington is permitting eight.eight FPPG to TEs, good for 11th most within the NFL, so he can have some enchantment on this matchup and positively could possibly be a stable begin, particularly in PPR codecs. 16 Eric Ebron, PIT vs. BAL. Ebron has caught a TD in three of his previous 4 video games, and that features a matchup with the Ravens through which he caught 4 passes for 48 yards and a rating. That stated, the Ravens have been stable in opposition to TEs this yr, so this is not the perfect matchup to make use of him in. He might pan out, however he is extra of a TD-dependent threat contemplating the opposite choices within the Steelers offense. 17 Trey Burton, IND vs. TEN. The excellent news: Burton has averaged four.6 targets per recreation in his seven appearances for the Colts this yr. The unhealthy information: He’s averaging simply 24.four yards per recreation and the Colts have unfold their TDs round to Burton (four), Jack Doyle (three), and Mo Alie-Cox (2). Burton is not the worst streaming possibility because of his constant targets, however his ground is low, so there are higher choices. 18 Jimmy Graham, CHI @ GB. Graham ranks 10th within the NFL amongst TEs in targets per recreation (5.7) however the Packers have solely seen TEs focused in opposition to them 48 occasions, a league low. They’ve solely allowed 34 catches (fourth fewest within the league) so it is in all probability finest to search for a greater possibility than Graham on this matchup. 19 Jonnu Smith, TEN @ IND. Smith has a three-game TD streak going that has given him fantasy worth as a starter on the place. Nevertheless, Smith is averaging simply two catches for 19.5 yards in his previous six video games, so he is as TD-dependent as they arrive. In a matchup with a Colts D/ST that has allowed only one receiving TD to TEs, that is in all probability a great matchup to take a seat Smith in. 20 Robert Tonyan, GB vs. CHI. Tonyan discovered the top zone for the primary time since Week four in opposition to the Colts and accounted for the lone TD by the air in opposition to that protection all yr. Regardless of that accomplishment, he is nonetheless extra of a TD-dependent streamer, so beginning him in opposition to a troublesome Bears protection is not really useful.  21 Jordan Akins, HOU @ DET. In Week 11, Akins recorded a season-high 83 yards on 5 catches (six targets) for the Texans. With Randall Cobb (toe) and Kenny Stills (quad) probably out for a brief turnaround in Week 12, Akins could possibly be in line for extra targets. Nevertheless, he is dealing with a Lions protection that has allowed the second-fewest yards to TEs this yr (344). Akins might make sense as a lower-budget play in Thanksgiving DFS lineups, however trusting him in season-long codecs is not really useful but. 22 Mo Alie-Cox, IND vs. TEN 23 Tyler Higbee, LAR vs. SF. So long as he is not scoring, it is powerful to belief Higbee to ship contemplating that Gerald Everett siphons off a few of his targets. 24 Richard Rodgers, PHI vs. SEA 25 Jared Prepare dinner, NO @ DEN. Prepare dinner has one catch for six yards in his final two video games. Taysom Hill appears to be wanting extra towards Michael Thomas on offense than anybody else, so Prepare dinner ought to stay on the bench. 26 Irv Smith Jr., MIN vs. CAR 27 Tyler Kroft, BUF vs. LAC 28 Kyle Rudolph, MIN vs. CAR 29 Gerald Everett, LAR vs. SF 30 Jacob Hollister, SEA @ PHI. With Greg Olsen (foot) doubtlessly out long-term, Hollister will step up as the highest TE in Seattle’s offense. He might catch some passes since Russell Wilson likes focusing on gamers on the TE spot, however he’ll need to share these targets with Will Dissly. With Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf getting a lot of the consideration, that can maintain Hollister from being fantasy-relevant. 31 Tyler Eifert, JAX vs. CLE 32 Darren Fells, HOU @ DET 33 Drew Pattern, CIN vs. NYG 34 Ian Thomas, CAR @ MIN 35 Anthony Firkser, TEN @ IND 36 Dan Arnold, ARZ @ NE 37 Cameron Brate, TB vs. KC