Soon, tight end will no longer be the barren wasteland that it was to start the season. However, that reality is still a bit further off into the future. With bye weeks now hitting full swing, four teams are off this week, and with them, potential top-15 TEs Jimmy Graham, Jared Cook, and Vance McDonald all have a week off. There are still enough matchup-based options to keep us going for at least another week. Still, there will be some difficult start 'em, sit 'em decisions at the position, especially if you have to resort to the waiver wire (seriously, is C.J. Uzomah better than Austin Hooper? Does anyone know?).
The big name to watch this week is Giants TE Evan Engram. After 10 days off thanks to the mini-bye following the Thursday night game, Engram will have extra time to rehab from his MCL sprain. He could return to action as a result, and that would be a big boost to the Giants offense -- but most importantly, it will provide a boost to the TE position in fantasy.
Week 7 Rankings:
Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | D/ST | Kicker
If you're looking for streamers (Graham and Cook owners, I'm looking at you) there are a few solid options this week. Uzomah (@ Chiefs), Cameron Brate (vs. Browns), and Gerald Everett (@ 49ers) all have good matchups and should be available on the waiver wire. Starting them comes with some risk, but they are better than the mostly TD-dependent options at the position that some other owners will be forced to start.
Reminder: We will keep these rankings updated and add analysis during the week, so check back often.
WEEK 7 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
Week 7 Fantasy Rankings: TE
These rankings are for standard, non-PPR leagues
| 1 | Travis Kelce, Chiefs vs. Bengals. There's no reason to shy away from Kelce, who continues to be the best tight end in the NFL. He has seen at least eight targets in each of the last five games and has totaled at least 61 yards in all of those outings. The Bengals allow the ninth-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to TEs, so Kelce should continue to perform at a solid clip. |
| 2 | Zach Ertz, Eagles vs. Panthers. The Panthers had trouble containing Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis last week, and their issues should continue against Ertz. Ertz had seen at least nine targets in every game this year and has caught a TD in consecutive weeks. He's one of the position's most consistent players. |
| 3 | Rob Gronkowski, Patriots @ Bears. Gronk hasn't been his usual self this year and hasn't scored since Week 1. That's bound to change though, and he has at least 75 receiving yards in each of the past two games. The Bears have allowed the 11th-most FPPG to TEs this year, so they're not a particularly tough matchup for one of the league's best. |
| 4 | Evan Engram, Giants @ Falcons. If Engram is healthy, he gets a good matchup with the Falcons, who just allowed both Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard to notch TDs last week. |
| 5 | David Njoku, Browns @ Buccaneers. This may seem a bit high for Njoku, but the Bucs have allowed the most FPPG to TEs this season (13.38). Couple that with the fact that Njoku has seen at least 11 targets in each of the past two games and caught a TD last week and he looks like a solid option at one of the weaker positions in fantasy. |
| WEEK 7 DFS GPP LINEUPS: Yahoo | FanDuel | DraftKings | |
| 6 | Eric Ebron, Colts vs. Bills. Ebron has at least 8.6 fantasy points in all but one game this season. Fire up the TD threat in a decent matchup with the Bills. |
| 7 | Trey Burton, Bears vs. Patriots. The Patriots have allowed 10.16 FPPG to TEs this year. That's the sixth-highest average in the league. Burton isn't getting a ton of targets, but he has a TD catch in each of his past three games. At tight end, scores are all you can ask for, so Burton can be trusted as a somewhat TD-dependent option with big-play potential. |
| 8 | George Kittle, 49ers vs. Rams |
| 9 | Kyle Rudolph, Vikings @ Jets. The Jets hadn't allowed more than 36 receiving yards to a TE until Eric Ebron went off against them last week. Rudolph is a sure-handed option, but he hasn't scored since Week 3. That may not change against the stingy Jets defense. |
| 10 | Jordan Reed, Redskins vs. Cowboys. Reed hasn't scored since Week 1, and Vernon Davis appears to be eating a little bit into his target share. The Cowboys have been solid against TEs this year, so Reed's upside is capped. But again, if he can score, he's definitely a top-10 play. |
| WEEK 7 DFS CASH LINEUPS: Yahoo | FanDuel | DraftKings | |
| 11 | Greg Olsen, Panthers @ Eagles. Olsen is back and he totaled seven targets, four catches, and 48 yards in his return against the Redskins. Save for one long TD to O.J. Howard, the Eagles defense has been great against TEs this year, so Olsen is a bit of a riskier option this week. Still, he should see targets from Netwon, so he's worth playing as a TE1. |
| 12 | O.J. Howard, Buccaneers vs. Browns. Howard returned to the Bucs in Week 6 without missing any action, and he had 62 yards and a TD on four catches. He has a decent matchup with the Browns this week, and the only reason he isn't ranked higher is because Cameron Brate may steal some red-zone targets from him. |
| 13 | C.J. Uzomah, Bengals @ Chiefs. Uzomah has taken over as the top TE in Cincinnati and has a great matchup with a Chiefs defense that has allowed the third-most FPPG to TEs this year. Uzomah is a great streaming option and should have a chance to rack up targets again, as the Bengals figure to throw a lot against the Chiefs. |
| 14 | Cameron Brate, Buccaneers vs. Browns. Brate has TD in three consecutive games. Jameis Winston loves throwing to him and if he can keep scoring, he could be a solid start this week in a solid matchup. |
| 15 | Austin Hooper, Falcons vs. Giants. The Giants have been very good against TEs this year, but they did just allowed Zach Ertz to get a TD. Considering that Hooper may be the No. 2 receiving option for the Falcons, pending the health of Calvin Ridley and Mohamed Sanu, he should still have a chance to put up decent numbers. |
| MORE WEEK 7 DFS: Values | Stacks | Lineup Builder | |
| 16 | Ricky Seals-Jones, Cardinals vs. Broncos. The Broncos have allowed the fourth-most points to TEs this year. Seals-Jones is a big-play threat and he's starting to get targeted more by Josh Rosen -- six in each of the past two games -- so he's a streaming option this week. |
| 17 | James O'Shaughnessy, Jaguars vs. Texans. O'Shaughnessy is now the Jaguars top TE with both Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Niles Paul hurt. He's a risky play, but the Texans do allow the fifth-most FPPG to TEs, so he might be a sleeper this week. |
| 18 | Gerald Everett, Rams @ 49ers. Everett is starting to get a bit more involved with the Rams offense, and he has seen seven targets in the past two games. He could see more targets if Cooper Kupp is out and the 49ers allow the eighth-most FPPG to TEs. He's another guy that might be worth a flier. |
| 19 | Charles Clay, Bills @ Colts |
| 20 | Jeff Heuerman, Broncos @ Cardinals |
| 21 | Ryan Griffin, Texans @ Jaguars |
| 22 | Vernon Davis, Redskins vs. Cowboys. Davis had a TD last week and has chemistry with Alex Smith. He's more of a name to watch right now than a legitimate starting option, but definitely keep an eye on him. |
| 23 | Mike Gesicki, Dolphins vs. Lions |
| 24 | Chris Herndon, Jets vs. Vikings. Herndon had a mini coming out party last week, notching two catches for 56 yards and a TD. The Jets don't have a lot of talent at the tight end position and Herndon was a fourth-round pick. That said, he's not a recommended play -- even against a Minnesota defense that has struggled against TEs (9.84 FPPG). |
| 25 | Ben Watson, Saints @ Ravens |
| 26 | Mark Andrews, Ravens vs. Saints |
| 27 | Hayden Hurst, Ravens vs. Saints |
| 28 | Antonio Gates, Chargers vs. Titans (in London) |
| 29 | Dallas Goedert, Eagles vs. Panthers |
| 30 | Rhett Ellison, Giants @ Falcons |
| 31 | Luke Willson, Lions @ Dolphins |
