Week 16 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 16 of the 2022 NFL season.
Week 15 Review – half-PPR scoring
Starts
- TE Dalton Schultz (Dallas Cowboys) @ Jacksonville Jaguars – 2.5 fantasy points (T-TE37)
- TE George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers) @ Seattle Seahawks – 23.3 fantasy points (TE1)
- TE Gerald Everett (Los Angeles Chargers) vs. Tennessee Titans – 6.2 fantasy points (TE21)
Sits
- TE Noah Fant (Seattle Seahawks) vs. San Francisco 49ers – 11.7 fantasy points (TE7)
Tight Ends – Starts
Mark Andrews (Baltimore Ravens) vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Baltimore Ravens are expected to score 22.25 points against the Atlanta Falcons.
Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews has not produced a double-digit fantasy point outing since Week 6 but his prospects are sky-high against Atlanta’s 27th-ranked defense versus tight ends, currently allowing 9.8 half-PPR points per game, per 4for4's Hot Spot: Team-Level SOS.
Andrews’ 27.5% team target share already led Baltimore’s pass catchers by 10.3% prior to Devin Duvernay (12.4%) suffering a season-ending injury in practice this week and Andrews’ jumbo target share ranks No. 1 among NFL tight ends with at least 50 targets. His 1.88 yards per route run rank No. 4, per 4for4's NFL Player Stats Explorer.
Juwan Johnson (New Orleans Saints) @ Cleveland Browns
The New Orleans Saints at Cleveland Browns game carries weather concerns and a concerningly low total (32.5 points) but tight end Juwan Johnson has developed into quarterback Andy Dalton’s go-to.
Over their last four games together, Johnson has earned an 18.6% team target share, No. 2 on the team, punctuated by a preposterous 2.47 yards per route run rate. For perspective, if compared to NFL tight ends with at least 50 targets, that 2.47 rate would rank No. 1 at the position.
Cleveland recently lost star coverage linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to Injured Reserve after Week 14.
Noah Gray (Kansas City Chiefs) vs. Seattle Seahawks
The Kansas City Chiefs enter Week 16 versus the Seattle Seahawks with a monstrous 29.5-point implied team total.
Seattle’s dreadful linebacker unit has directly aided opposing tight ends in averaging 9.8 half-PPR points per game against them, the sixth-highest average in the league. Injuries suffered by backup tight ends Jody Fortson and Blake Bell have helped Noah Gray average 18.7 routes run per game. The part-time receiving could bear fruit as a deep-league, emergency streaming option this week.
Among NFL tight ends with at least five targets in Weeks 13-15, Gray’s 1.62 yards per route run rank 15th and even notably outpace Kansas City wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (1.46).
Seattle’s 21st-ranked pass rush (18.1%, per 4for4's NFL Team Stats Explorer) offers cozy pockets for quarterback Patrick Mahomes to work his magic in.
*Check out our full TE Rankings here.
Tight End – Sits
Cole Kmet (Chicago Bears) vs. Buffalo Bills
The Chicago Bears are expected to score just 15.75 points against the Buffalo Bills.
Chicago tight end Cole Kmet had a short, midseason stardom stint in Weeks 9 and 10 but has averaged just 1.66 yards per route run and 6.0 half-PPR points per game since Week 11. The latter ranks 18th at the position.
Unfortunately for Kmet, Buffalo is allowing just 3.5 half-PPR points per game, the fewest in the NFL.
Injuries suffered by Chicago’s offensive line are likely to have a negative impact on Kmet’s route participation rate as the team may require Kmet to take on extra pass-blocking reps versus Buffalo’s eighth-ranked pass rush (21.5% quarterback pressure rate).
