Last week was a strange one for tight ends. Most of the top games were by guys who weren't in lineups -- and probably aren't even worth being on rosters. We're talking about guys like Tyler Kroft, Foster Moreau, Jesse James, Marcedes Lewis, and Jacob Hollister. Even guys like Greg Olsen, Mo Alie-Cox, Jimmy Graham, and Eric Ebron were well under 30-percent owned. So, in a weird way, it's almost as if Week 3 had little-to-no effect on our Week 4 fantasy TE rankings, at least when it comes to the players themselves.
However, if one of those no-name TEs scored against a particular defense, it certainly affected our perception of future matchups. That's why you see someone like Evan Engram (@ Rams) move up slightly after L.A. allowed three TE touchdowns to the Bills, though it would be nice if Engram gave us any reason to be optimistic. Noah Fant (@ Jets) keeps moving up, partly because he continues to rack up targets and partly because of a matchup against Jets defense that got beat by Alie-Cox for a touchdown last week.
WEEK 4 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | D/ST | Kicker
Ultimately, there isn't much movement within our starter's tier. Zach Ertz (@ 49ers) rises despite a tough matchup, as he figures to command more targets with Dallas Goedert (ankle) likely out. Logan Thomas (vs. Ravens) remains an interesting sleeper because of his consistent targets, but it's tough to say whether Baltimore's early-season troubles against TEs is a mirage or just a small-sample-size fluke. Some of our favorite sleepers heading into last week, Dalton Shaultz (vs. Browns) and Drew Sample (vs. Jaguars), were non-factors, so even though both have favorable matchups on paper, they also have very low floors.
WEEK 4 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight End | D/ST | Kicker
Overall, it's been a down year for TEs, so unless you have George Kittle (vs. Eagles), who will hopefully be returning this week, Travis Kelce (vs. Patriots), Mark Andrews (@ Washington), or Darren Waller (vs. Bills), you might be tempted to play the matchups. It's tough to argue against that, but the players in our top 12 are still more reliable than the players below, so give it at least one more week of "playing it safe" before you start over at the position.
WEEK 4 DFS CASH LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
Check back for updates and analysis to these TE rankings throughout the week.
WEEK 4 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
Week 4 Fantasy TE Rankings (Standard)
These rankings are for non-PPR leagues
WEEK 4 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | George Kittle, SF vs. PHI |
| 2 | Mark Andrews, BAL @ WAS |
| 3 | Travis Kelce, KC vs. NE |
| 4 | Darren Waller, LV vs. BUF |
| 5 | Noah Fant, DEN @ NYJ |
| 6 | Zach Ertz, PHI @ SF |
| 7 | Tyler Higbee, LAR vs. NYG |
| 8 | Mike Gesicki, MIA vs. SEA |
| 9 | Hunter Henry, LAC @ TB |
| 10 | T.J. Hockenson, DET vs. NO |
| 11 | Hayden Hurst, ATL @ GB |
| 12 | Evan Engram, NYG @ LAR |
| 13 | Logan Thomas, WAS vs. BAL |
| 14 | Dalton Schultz, DAL vs. CLE |
| 15 | Jimmy Graham, CHI vs. IND |
| 16 | Drew Sample, CIN vs. JAX |
| 17 | Jordan Akins, HOU vs. MIN |
| 18 | Mo Alie-Cox, IND @ CHI |
| 19 | Greg Olsen, SEA @ MIA |
| 20 | Austin Hooper, CLE @ DAL |
| 21 | Adam Trautman, NO @ DET |
| 22 | Chris Herndon, NYJ vs. DEN |
| 23 | O.J. Howard, TB vs. LAC |
| 24 | Rob Gronkowski, TB vs. LAC |
| 25 | Tyler Eifert, JAX @ CIN |
| 26 | Taysom Hill, NO @ DET |
| 27 | Jack Doyle, IND @ CHI |
| 28 | Kyle Rudolph, MIN @ HOU |
| 29 | Ian Thomas, CAR vs. ARI |
| 30 | Dan Arnold, ARI @ CAR |
| 31 | Irv Smith Jr., MIN @ HOU |
| 32 | Dawson Knox, BUF @ LV |
