Fantasy Football TE PPR Rankings Week 6: Who to start, best sleepers at tight end

Matt Lutovsky

Fantasy Football TE PPR Rankings Week 6: Who to start, best sleepers at tight end image

We expected craziness at the tight end position in 2023, but we didn't expect some of the surprises we've seen. It's one thing for Cole Kmet and Logan Thomas to be top-10 performers, but the struggles from guys like Darren Waller and Kyle Pitts have been major shockers. Our Week 6 fantasy TE PPR rankings try to make sense of it all. 

Actual production matters more than reputation at this point, so we have to look past the names and get into the numbers. Five weeks' worth of data is enough to give us a good idea of favorable/unfavorable matchups, as well as which tight ends are the best bets for targets. We know virtually any TE can score a touchdown in a given week, but finding the players most likely to rack up catches and yards still matters, especially in PPR formats. 

With that in mind, let's dive into our rankings and see which TEs you should target and avoid this week.

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Who are the TEs on bye in Week 6?

With just the Packers (Luke Musgrave) and Steelers (Pat Freiermuth) on bye this week, the fantasy TE landscape won't be affected too much. Musgrave is merely a streamer in favorable matchups, and Freiermuth (hamstring) missed last week, so his owners are used to being without him. 

WEEK 6 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | D/STs | Kickers

Who are the best fantasy TEs in Week 6?

Travis Kelce (vs. Broncos in Week 6) remains atop our rankings, and he's followed by T.J. Hockenson (@ Bears), Mark Andrews (vs. Titans in London). Evan Engram (vs. Colts), and Sam LaPorta (@ Buccaneers) round out our top five.

We also consider Dallas Goedert (@ Jets) and Logan Thomas (@ Falcons) "must-starts" in PPR leagues because of their consistent targets and top-10 matchups. Goedert hadn't produced much this season before last week's breakout, but with a matchup against a Jets' defense that entered Week 5 allowing the most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to tight ends, he seems like a lock to come through again this week. 

WEEK 6 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

Who are the best fantasy TE sleepers, pickups, & streamers in Week 6?

Aside from Thomas (@ Falcons), there are several low-owned TEs who have top-10 TE matchups. Tyler Conklin (vs. Eagles) has the next-best matchup among semi-reliable TEs, and he should see a decent number of targets against Philly defense that entered Week 5 allowing the third-most FPPG to the position. The struggling Hunter Henry (@ Raiders) can also be considered a sleeper given his favorable matchup.

Zach Ertz (@ Rams) has been among the league leaders in TE targets all year, and now he gets a top-10 TE matchup. Cade Otton (vs. Lions) and Noah Fant (@ Bengals) haven't been nearly as busy in terms of consistent targets, but both have great matchups and can pay off even in PPR leagues. 

Going deeper, Kylen Granson (@ Jaguars) and Hayden Hurst (@ Dolphins) both have prime matchups. They're even more boom-or-bust than guys like Otton and Fant, but if you're in a deep league, they might be your best options.

WEEK 6 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start 'em, sit 'em

Who are the biggest potential fantasy TE busts in Week 6?

Owners of Darren Waller (@ Bills) and George Kittle (@ Browns) both have brutal matchups this week. Waller is in a worse spot than Kittle, as the Bills entered last week allowing the third-fewest FPPG to the TE position, but it's tough to recommend sitting Waller in PPR leagues. We saw Kittle's ceiling in a tough matchup last week, so he'll be even tougher to sit.

Jake Ferguson (@ Chargers) has been better in PPR leagues, but he also has a mediocre matchup and hasn't shown a high ceiling yet this year. If you think you'll need big points from your TE this week, you might be able to do better than Ferguson.

Kyle Pitts (Commanders) and Dalton Schultz (vs. Saints) both came through last week, but they're in brutal matchups this week. Given their inconsistent/disappointing play this year, it might be best to look elsewhere. The same goes for David Njoku (vs. 49ers).

WEEK 6 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks

What are the biggest TE injuries in Week 6?

All eyes will be on Travis Kelce's ankle this week as fantasy's top TE will work to avoid missing his second game of the year. Kelce returned and scored against Minnesota last weekend, but it's entirely possible his ankle swells and actually gets worse over the next couple of days. With Kansas City playing on Thursday night, Kelce is no sure thing. Noah Gray (vs. Broncos) would start in his place and be a legit deep-league streaming option against Denver's porous defense.

Greg Dulcich (hamstring) has been out since Week 1, but he's eligible to return this week against the Chiefs. There haven't been any updates on his status since his injury, so we're not expecting him on the field on Thursday night. Even if he does return, he's not a good option considering Denver's TEs have barely been used at all this season.

Juwan Johnson (calf) didn't practice or play last week, and it seems likely he'll be out again this week against the Texans. He's not a viable option anyway, and his replacement, Foster Moreau (@ Texans), is only a streaming option in more favorable matchups.

We'll be updating these TE PPR rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.

Fantasy TE PPR Rankings Week 6: Who to start, sit at tight end

Rankings based on full-point PPR formats

Rank    Player
1    Travis Kelce, Chiefs vs. Broncos
2    T.J. Hockenson, Vikings @ Bears
3    Mark Andrews, Ravens vs. Titans
4    Sam LaPorta, Lions @ Buccaneers
5    Evan Engram, Jaguars vs. Colts
6    Dallas Goedert, Eagles @ Jets
7    Logan Thomas, Commanders @ Falcons
8    Darren Waller, Giants @ Bills
9    George Kittle, 49ers @ Browns
10    Hunter Henry, Patriots @ Raiders
11    Cole Kmet, Bears vs. Vikings
12    Jake Ferguson, Cowboys @ Chargers
13    Zach Ertz, Cardinals @ Rams
14    Tyler Conklin, Jets vs. Eagles
15    Dalton Schultz, Texans vs. Saints
16    Cade Otton, Buccaneers vs. Lions
17    Noah Fant, Seahawks @ Bengals
18    Kyle Pitts, Falcons vs. Commanders
19    Tyler Higbee, Rams vs. Cardinals
20    Jonnu Smith, Falcons vs. Commanders
21    Dalton Kincaid, Bills vs. Giants
22    Hayden Hurst, Panthers @ Dolphins
23    Kylen Granson, Colts @ Jaguars
24    Foster Moreau, Saints @ Texans
25    David Njoku, Browns vs. 49ers
26    Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans vs. Ravens
27    Dawson Knox, Bills vs. Giants
28    Gerald Everett, Chargers vs. Cowboys
29    Taysom Hill, Saints @ Texans
30    Durham Smythe, Dolphins vs. Panthers
31    Mike Gesicki, Patriots @ Raiders
32    Michael Mayer, Raiders vs. Patriots

Week 6 TE PPR fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks

Draft Sharks projections for the new week will update every Tuesday and be constantly adjusted throughout the week

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Matt Lutovsky

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Matt Lutovsky has been a writer and editor for The Sporting News since 2007, primarily writing about fantasy sports, betting, and gaming.