Week 12 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Candidates: Tight Ends
Wondering whom to start and sit at tight end this week? Below are three top-notch starts and one sit option at the tight end position for Week 12 of the 2022 NFL season.
Week 11 Review – half-PPR scoring
Starts
- TE Foster Moreau (Las Vegas Raiders) @ Denver Broncos – 3.8 fantasy points (T-TE19)
- TE Trey McBride (Arizona Cardinals) vs. San Francisco 49ers – 3.4 fantasy points (TE23)
- TE Tre’ McKitty (Los Angeles Chargers) vs. Kansas City Chiefs – 0.0 fantasy points (TE N/A)
Sits
- TE Dawson Knox (Buffalo Bills) vs. Cleveland Browns – 10.5 fantasy points (TE6)
Tight Ends – Starts
T.J. Hockenson (Minnesota Vikings) vs. New England Patriots
The Minnesota Vikings have a helpful 22.75-point implied team total versus the New England Patriots this week, per 4for4 betting partner BetMGM.
Since being traded to Minnesota three weeks ago, tight end T.J. Hockenson’s 28 targets trail only Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (34), per 4for4's NFL Player Stats Explorer. His 20.0% end zone target rate is the 10th highest among NFL tight ends with at least 10 targets during that span.
New England is currently allowing 11.5 half-PPR points per game to opposing tight ends, sixth most in the NFL, per 4for4’s Schedule-Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed. Hockenson will be looking for revenge after flopping (1.1 half-PPR points) against New England as a Detroit Lion earlier this year.
Pat Freiermuth (Pittsburgh Steelers) @ Indianapolis Colts
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has thrived since the team traded away wide receiver Chase Claypool in Week 9. Freiermuth’s 29.7% team target share ranks No. 1 in the NFL among NFL tight ends with at least 10 targets in Weeks 9-11 and his 0.64 weighted opportunity rating trails only Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts.
Indianapolis Colts three-time First-Team All-Pro linebacker Shaq Leonard landed on Injured Reserve earlier this month.
Indianapolis’s moderately tight-end-friendly 8.7 half-PPR points allowed to the position will help Freiermuth return TE1 value this week.
Dawson Knox (Buffalo Bills) @ Detroit Lions
Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox has done a great job of earning targets over the last two weeks. Among 25 tight ends with at least five targets during that span, Knox’s 19.7% team target share ranks No. 10. His 2.02 yards per route run rate is No. 8, and his 63.5 receiving yards per game trail only Kelce’s 98.0.
Buffalo’s 32.0-point implied team total against the Detroit Lions signals points aplenty and Detroit is currently allowing 14.9 half-PPR points per game to opposing tight ends, the third-highest average in the league.
*Check out the full TE Rankings here.
Tight End – Sits
Juwan Johnson (New Orleans Saints) @ San Francisco 49ers
New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson is the TE3 in half-PPR points per game over the last three weeks (12.1) but he needs to be benched in Week 12 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Johnson’s 73.2% route participation rate since Week 9 is solid but remains a few ticks below the desirable 80.0% snap rate threshold.
Among 16 NFL tight ends with at least 10 targets in Weeks 9-11, Johnson’s 15.7% team target share ranks 12th.
San Francisco’s linebackers are limiting opposing tight ends to just 6.8 half-PPR points per game, tied for the fourth-fewest rate in the league.
New Orleans’ 17.0-point implied team total is far from reassuring.
