It stands to reason that our Week 12 fantasy TE rankings for standard leagues are deeper than usual this week. There aren't any byes, and injuries are still manageable. However, what really sets this week apart is the high number of favorable matchups for upper-tier and mid-tier TEs, which creates plenty of studs and potential streamers.
That's big for owners of Mark Andrews (ankle) and Dallas Goedert (forearm). We know Andrews is out, and Goedert, despite avoiding the IR, still feels like a long shot to play. Fortunately, there are reinforcements available on the waiver wire, which we'll discuss in a minute.
With all that in mind, let's get to it and break down our Week 12 TE rankings.
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Which TEs are on bye in Week 12?
The NFL is giving fantasy owners a break for Thanksgiving, scheduling all 32 teams to be in action.
WEEK 12 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Last week saw Taysom Hill, Kyle Pitts, Hunter Henry, and Jonnu Smith get some time off, but just as important, it took away two favorable TE matchups. With the Falcons and Colts back in action, there are even more viable streamers this week.
WEEK 12 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | D/STs | Kickers
Who are the best fantasy TEs in Week 12?
Travis Kelce (@ Raiders in Week 12), T.J. Hockenson (vs. Bears), Dalton Schultz (vs. Jaguars), Dalton Kincaid (@ Eagles), and Trey McBride (vs. Rams) make up our top five this week. Hockenson, Schultz, and McBride all face defenses that entered last week in the top six in fantasy points per game (FPPG) allowed to TEs, while Kincaid faces an Eagles defense that checked in tied for 12th.
David Njoku (@ Broncos), Evan Engram (@ Texans), and Sam LaPorta (vs. Packers) are also "must-starts." Engram and Njoku face two of the worst four TE defenses in the league, and LaPorta has been as steady as almost any TE all season despite a recent downtick in production.
WEEK 12 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit
Who are the best fantasy TE sleepers, pickups, & streamers in Week 12?
Pat Freiermuth (vs. Bengals), who played for the first time since Week 4 last week, is a solid option in 12-team leagues against a Bengals' defense that entered last week allowing the third-most FPPG to TEs (yes, really). Isaiah Likely (@ Chargers), who figures to see six-plus targets most weeks as Mark Andrews' replacement, Luke Musgrave (@ Lions), and Taysom Hill (@ Falcons) are also great options against bottom-10 TE defenses. (UPDATE: Musgrave reportedly went to the hospital on Tuesday because of an abdominal injury. At this point, fantasy owners shouldn't expect him to suit up against the Lions on Thursday. Tucker Kraft will likely start and has some DFS appeal, but he shouldn't be trusted in season-long leagues.)
Going deeper, Tyler Conklin (vs. Dolphins), Juwan Johnson (@ Falcons), Cade Otton (@ Colts), and Jonnu Smith (vs. Saints) also have upside against below-average TE defenses. All see inconsistent targets, but they've shown in the past they can exploit favorable matchups.
WEEK 12 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Who are the biggest potential fantasy TE busts in Week 12?
Virtually all noteworthy TEs have favorable or neutral matchups this week. George Kittle (@ Seahawks) and Cole Kmet (@ Vikings) have slightly below-average matchups, but they should be started in most 10-team leagues and virtually all 12-team leagues.
Jake Ferguson (vs. Commanders) and Logan Thomas (@ Cowboys) are also in slightly unfavorable positions, but neither has a prohibitively tough matchup. If you can't get a better option, you should be fine with these guys, especially in PPR leagues.
What are the biggest TE injuries in Week 12?
Mark Andrews (ankle) is expected to join Darren Waller (hamstring) on the IR this week, making Dallas Goedert (forearm) the most important "questionable" TE we'll need to monitor throughout the week. It seems unlikely that he'll suit up, but it was promising that Philadelphia didn't put him on the IR last week.
Gerald Everett (chest) also missed last week, but even if he returns against the Ravens, neither he nor Donald Parham Jr. will be a recommended start with so many other solid options available.
Fantasy TE Rankings Week 12: Who to start, sit at tight end
Rankings based on standard, non-PPR scoring
Rank Player
1 Travis Kelce, Chiefs @ Raiders
2 T.J. Hockenson, Vikings vs. Bears
3 Dalton Kincaid, Bills @ Eagles
4 Dalton Schultz, Texans vs. Jaguars
5 Trey McBride, Cardinals vs. Rams
6 David Njoku, Browns @ Broncos
7 Evan Engram, Jaguars @ Texans
8 Sam LaPorta, Lions vs. Packers
9 Cole Kmet, Bears @ Vikings
10 George Kittle, 49ers @ Seahawks
11 Isaiah Likely, Ravens @ Chargers
12 Pat Freiermuth, Steelers @ Bengals
13 Taysom Hill, Saints @ Falcons
14 Logan Thomas, Commanders @ Cowboys
15 Kyle Pitts, Falcons vs. Saints
16 Jake Ferguson, Cowboys vs. Commanders
17 Cade Otton, Buccaneers @ Colts
18 Tyler Conklin, Jets vs. Dolphins
19 Tucker Kraft, Packers @ Lions
20 Jonnu Smith, Falcons vs. Saints
21 Juwan Johnson, Saints @ Falcons
22 Hunter Henry, Patriots @ Giants
23 Tyler Higbee, Rams @ Cardinals
24 Michael Mayer, Raiders vs. Chiefs
25 Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans vs. Panthers
26 Gerald Everett, Chargers vs. Ravens
27 Tanner Hudson, Bengals vs. Steelers
28 Julian Hill, Dolphins @ Jets
29 Noah Fant, Seahawks vs. 49ers
30 Daniel Bellinger, Giants vs. Patriots
31 Mike Gesicki, Patriots @ Giants
32 Adam Trautman, Broncos vs. Browns
33 Tommy Tremble, Panthers @ Titans
Week 12 TE 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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