You have lineup questions, we have lineup answers -- at least we hope so. Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is here to help fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. And you know what is a good move? Starting Justin Jefferson. But that's too obvious, so you won't see such simple analysis here. Instead, we're exploring more debatable situations. And if you can't find a player you are looking for, please check out the latest NFL Fantasy lineup rankings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats come from NFL Pro, Next Gen Stats or NFL Research.
Start 'Em
After a monstrous Week 2, Bowers took a bit of a step back last Sunday. It was the first time he did not top 11 fantasy points in a game this season. But a floor of seven fantasy points is much better than what most tight ends can offer. We have already seen that the rookie brings a lot of upside. Bowers has a healthy 20 percent target share. His safe floor paired with the upside makes him a must-start option at the weakest position in fantasy football.
It took a couple of weeks, but we finally got the Dallas Goedert we knew and loved before the 2023 season. He exploded for 10 catches and 170 yards on 11 targets. A.J. Brown has missed the last two weeks due to a hamstring injury. DeVonta Smith exited early last week after taking a big hit and is up in the air for Week 3. That could make Goedert the top target for Jalen Hurts once again. That alone makes him a must-start option at tight end.
Ferguson came into the season with breakout upside. Now that he is healthy again, we could be getting just that. He caught six of 11 targets for 95 yards against the Ravens. Ferguson is one of seven tight ends who can say they've eclipsed the 15-point fantasy mark in a game this season. He is the No. 2 target for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys, who have thrown the ball on 71 percent of their plays, the third-highest rate in the NFL. There is far too much upside not to take a shot on Ferguson this week.
I know fantasy managers are at their wits' end with the Ravens tight ends, but I think you have to give them another shot this week. The strength of the Bills' secondary is their cornerbacks, but they are extremely banged up at linebacker. We saw Jonnu Smith have his best game of the season against the Bills in Week 2, and Brenton Strange found the end zone against Buffalo in Week 3. The Ravens have used less two-TE sets the last two weeks, and Andrews only ran a third of the snaps in Week 3, but this could be a game in which they get back to that usage. If these tight ends disappoint again this week, then you can get away from them. But in what could be a high-scoring game, I want to give them one last opportunity.
Conklin finished last week with five catches for 93 yards on six targets. This could be another big fantasy outing for the Jets tight end. Not only have the Broncos allowed an 83 percent completion rate on passes to tight ends, but they've also yielded a 110.6 passer rating when TEs are targeted. If Patrick Surtain II is able to limit Garrett Wilson, that will likely lead to the Jets targeting their secondary options more. The floor may be low, but with the bar of fantasy success being so low at tight end right now, Conklin is an upside shot worth taking.
Sit 'Em
Tight end is brutal right now in fantasy football. So much so that anyone who is consistently seeing volume is worth taking a shot on. Unfortunately, that does not include Schultz. He has just 11 targets and 48 yards through three games. And he's yet to reach five fantasy points in a game this season. Unfortunately, he is just a name right now, buried behind the three big receivers in Houston. Until we see otherwise, Schultz cannot be trusted in fantasy.
If Pat Freiermuth is anything, he is consistent. He has sat between 27 and 39 yards and 6.7 and 7.9 fantasy points in all three games this season. I guess that would classify as a safe floor, given the state of fantasy tight ends, but I would rather take a shot on someone with more upside. The Steelers' offense has just three touchdowns through three games. They do not bring much upside to anyone not named George Pickens. I would avoid the Muth.
Gesicki finished with a respectable 8.7 fantasy points last week, but he only had one catch until midway through the fourth quarter. With the Bengals in catch-up mode, Gesicki was able to rack up a couple of catches late and salvage his day. But with Tee Higgins back in the mix, the tight end slides down in the target pecking order. I would try to find another option this week.
Otton is coming off his best game of the season in Week 3, when he caught seven of his eight targets for 47 yards. But that was in a game where Patrick Surtain II was able to limit Mike Evans' production, so the Bucs had to get their secondary options more involved. Plus, Tampa Bay was down numerous scores for most of the day, forcing the Bucs to air it out. In Otton's first two games, he scored a combined 1.1 fantasy points. Do not chase last week's production.
Even with the Rams missing their two top receivers, it has not led to much fantasy success for Parkinson. He has just 32 yards in his last two games combined. In that span, he has scored less than eight fantasy points. The floor is too low, and we have yet to see any upside to justify starting him in fantasy.
