Week 13 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 13 of the 2022 NFL season.
Week 12 Review – half-PPR scoring
Starts
- TE T.J. Hockenson (Minnesota Vikings) vs. New England Patriots – 12.8 fantasy points (TE6)
- TE Pat Freiermuth (Pittsburgh Steelers) @ Indianapolis Colts – 5.4 fantasy points (TE20)
- TE Dawson Knox (Buffalo Bills) @ Detroit Lions – 2.7 fantasy points (T-TE33)
Sits
- TE Juwan Johnson (New Orleans Saints) @ San Francisco 49ers – 0.0 fantasy points (TE57)
Tight Ends – Starts
David Njoku (Cleveland Browns) @ Houston Texans
Update: David Njoku was inactive due to a knee injury.
The Cleveland Browns have a big-time 27.0-point implied team total against the Houston Texans this week.
Cleveland tight end David Njoku proved he has sufficiently recovered from his Week 7 high-ankle sprain, collecting five-of-seven targets for 29 yards and one touchdown in Week 12. His 76.2% route participation rate ranked seventh among 19 NFL tight ends with at least four targets, per 4for4's NFL Player Stats Explorer.
Per 4for4's Schedule-Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed, Houston’s 12.4 half-PPR points per game allowed to opposing tight ends and 9.8% explosive pass plays allowed rate rank fifth- and fourth-most, respectively.
Unfortunately, Njoku suffered a knee injury of unknown severity in Week 12. He has not been ruled out for Week 13. Monitor Cleveland practice reports closely.
George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers) vs. Miami Dolphins
Due to tight end George Kittle’s notoriously sporadic production, he can be difficult to trust in crunch time. Week 13 offers game-breaking potential though.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will do battle with his most successful protégé, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel this week and BetMGM has the game totaled with a fantasy-friendly 46.5-point over/under.
Among 37 NFL tight ends with at least 25 targets, Kittle’s 78.0% route participation rate is No. 3 overall. His 31.6% end zone target share (No. 5) hints at dynamic involvement in San Francisco’s 25.25-point implied team total.
Miami’s 12.7 half-PPR points per game allowed to opposing tight ends is the league’s fourth-highest average.
Pat Freiermuth (Pittsburgh Steelers) @ Atlanta Falcons
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth flopped as a member of this section last week but the Atlanta Falcons’ soft linebacking corps is too good to pass up.
Atlanta’s 10.7 half-PPR points allowed to opposing tight ends is tied for ninth most in the NFL and their 252.6 passing yards allowed per game are seventh most, per 4for4's NFL Team Stats Explorer.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett should experience cozy pockets against Atlanta’s 32nd-ranked pass rush (11.1% quarterback pressure rate), which directly benefits Pittsburgh pass catchers. Freiermuth has maintained a sizable 24.7% target share since Pittsburgh’s Week 9 bye, leading the team by a 5.3% margin.
*Check out the full TE rankings here.
Tight End – Sits
Mike Gesicki (Miami Dolphins) @ San Francisco 49ers
Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki has been a matchup-based streaming play this year.
The San Francisco linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw are two of the league’s top coverage linebackers. As a whole, the unit is allowing just 6.8 half-PPR points to opposing tight ends, the fourth-lowest average in the NFL.
Head coach Mike McDaniel will rely on his dependable superstar wide receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, in an effort to defeat his mentor, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan.
