As always, Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is geared toward helping fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. You won't see "start Jahmyr Gibbs" here. Instead, I'm exploring the players closer to the perceived fringe and aiming to optimize your lineup for a win each week. Importantly, the new "Start of the Week" and "Sit of the Week" are the calls I have deemed the most notable in each category, not necessarily the most essential players to start or sit.
Also, you'll see quite a few references in this year's column to NFL Pro, spotlighting insights provided through Next Gen Stats data dashboards, matchup evaluations, All-22 film and the uniquely trained Fantasy AI Assistant. You can get access to all of those tools yourself with an NFL+ Premium subscription!
P.S. Feel free to follow me on X (@MattOkada) or Instagram (@mattokadaNFL) and hit me with your questions, congratulations or complaints throughout the year.
Start 'Em
Start of the Week
Kelce continued his extremely efficient start to the season in Miami last week, raising his yards-per-reception mark to 16.5 with 59 yards on a pair of catches. Entering Week 4, he’s the TE2 overall and is producing like prime Kelce after a couple years of apparent decline. He’s fourth among tight ends in yards per route run (min. 30 routes) and first in passer rating when targeted. And this Sunday, he takes on the Raiders, who’ve allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to the position. This week and until further notice, Kelce is back in must-start territory for fantasy.
Notable starts
Rostered in just 55% of ESPN leagues last week, Johnson has scored double-digit fantasy points in all three games and is the TE3 on the season. The connection with Tyler Shough is evident. Get Johnson in your lineup on a weekly basis.
Schultz ranks second among tight ends in targets (25), behind only Arizona's Trey McBride (34). The Texans tight end has logged 205 receiving yards on 19 receptions, and the Cowboys are surrendering the fifth-most fantasy points per opportunity to the position.
Likely put up a fantasy dud in messy MetLife weather last week, but he’s third among tight ends in targets (23) and faces the Cardinals in Week 4. Arizona just allowed 26.2 fantasy points to George Kittle, setting up Likely for a bounce-back effort.
Deeper streamer options: The Panthers' Darren Waller has eight catches for 84 yards and two scores over the last two weeks, and the Lions have allowed 13-plus fantasy points to five tight ends in three games. ... The Jaguars' Brenton Strange is up against the Cincinnati defense, which has allowed the most points to the position since the start of last season.
Sit 'Em
Sit of the Week
Throughout his pro career, Pitts has been a famously frustrating fantasy asset, and he's recently hit a new low, totaling two catches for 20 yards through three games. The Falcons tight end has an 8% target share and is averaging 0.4 yards per route run this season. The return of Michael Penix Jr. didn’t help, so there’s nothing redeeming in Pitts’ fantasy outlook right now. Don't start him under any circumstances. In fact, he's not far from drop territory.
Notable sits
Andrews was disappointing last week against the Cowboys with just 24 yards on three catches, and he has been good but not great all season. Meanwhile, the Titans have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends.
With nine receptions for 72 yards in three games, Ferguson has been successful early in the season due to his three touchdowns. Unfortunately, Houston hasn’t allowed a TD to the position in 2026. He’s an extremely risky TD-or-bust fantasy play.
