Start ‘Em, Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups based on a PPR scoring system in fantasy football. This column will not cover the elite players in the NFL like Josh Allen, Austin Ekeler or Cooper Kupp. Instead, I'll look at the players you have questions about who could exceed or fail to meet expectations at each position. For all of your final fantasy lineup decisions, be sure to check out my weekly player rankings which will be updated daily throughout the 2022 NFL season.
Fabs Top 10 tight ends
1. Travis Kelce vs. Rams
2. Mark Andrews at Jaguars
3. George Kittle vs. Saints
4. T.J. Hockenson vs. Patriots (Thur.)
5. Pat Freiermuth at Colts (MNF)
6. Dalton Schultz vs. Giants (Thur.)
7. Dawson Knox at Lions (Thur.)
8. Tyler Higbee at Chiefs
9. Cole Kmet at Jets
10. David Njoku vs. Buccaneers
Week 12 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | KICKERS & TEAM DEFENSES
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Week 12 Start ‘Em: Tight Ends
Start of the Week
Pat Freiermuth at Colts (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Freiermuth is coming off his biggest game of the season from a fantasy perspective, scoring 15.9 points in a loss to the Bengals. I’d keep him active this week, as the Steelers face the Colts on Monday night. This unit has allowed nine or more points to seven tight ends, and the position has a 75.4% catch rate (third highest in the league) against them.
Start ‘Em
David Njoku vs. Buccaneers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Njoku returned to action last week and was held to just three targets and 3.7 fantasy points during a loss to the Bills. I’d still keep him active this week though, as the Buccaneers have been soft versus tight ends. Their defense has allowed the seventh-most points to the position this season, not to mention the seventh-highest catch rate (73.2%) in their 10 games.
Dawson Knox at Lions (Thur. 12:30 p.m. ET, CBS): Knox posted a season-high 14 fantasy points in last week’s win over the Browns, and he’s now scored at least nine points in four of his last five contests. He’ll be a low-end No. 1 tight end on Turkey Day against a Lions defense that’s allowed eight tight ends to score at least nine points against them. What’s more, the position has a 73.9% catch rate.
Evan Engram vs. Ravens (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Engram has hit a cold streak in the stat sheets, scoring a combined 9.3 points in two games before the bye. He had put up nine or more points in his previous four games, however, so I like him as a streamer in a matchup against the Ravens. Their defense has allowed six tight ends to score 11-plus points, not to mention the fourth-highest catch rate (75.4%).
More Starts
• Dalton Schultz vs. Giants (Thur. 4:30 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Tyler Higbee at Chiefs (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox)
DFS Bargains
• Foster Moreau at Seahawks ($3,400)
• Evan Engram vs. Ravens ($3,200)
• Noah Fant vs. Raiders ($3,200)
Week 12 Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends
Sit of the Week
Robert Tonyan at Eagles (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Tonyan seems to have become an afterthought in the Packers offense lately, as he’s seen four or fewer targets in four of his last five games. He’s also seen just one red zone target since Week 2, and a matchup against the Eagles makes him a fade in fantasy leagues. Their defense has allowed three scores and fewer than 10 points per game to tight ends.
Sit ‘Em
Hunter Henry at Vikings (Thur. 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Henry continues to flounder in the stat sheets, scoring nine or fewer points in four straight contests while also seeing two or fewer targets in all but one of those contests. The Vikings have given up just one touchdown and an average of 9.1 fantasy points to tight ends in their last four games, so I’d keep Henry on the fantasy sidelines on Thanksgiving Night.
Cade Otton at Browns (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Otton became a viable fantasy option, scoring 10-plus points in two of his last four games before the bye. He did see his target share decline in Cameron Brate’s first game back, however, and this week’s matchup against the Browns makes him a fade. Their defense has allowed just one touchdown and the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2022.
Tyler Conklin vs. Bears (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Conklin was a popular streamer last week, but he scored just 3.5 points in a loss to the Patriots. He has now scored fewer than nine points in all but one of his last seven games, and the Bears have been tough on the position this season. In fact, just two tight ends have scored more than 8.2 fantasy points against these Monsters of the Midway this season.
More Sits
• Hayden Hurst at Titans (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Austin Hooper vs. Bengals (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
DFS Fades
• George Kittle vs. Saints ($5,300)
• Cole Kmet at Jets ($3,900)
• Cade Otton at Browns ($3,300)
More fantasy & NFL coverage:
• Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups
• Week 12 IDP Waiver Wire
• Fantasy Fallout: Another Bad Week for Running Backs
• Odell Beckham Jr. to Visit Cowboys, Giants
• MMQB: Week 12 Power Rankings
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business to help you win a fantasy championship!
