The beauty of a thin position like tight end is that it can avoid being decimated by a six-team bye depending on which teams are idle. This is one of those weeks, as our Week 7 fantasy TE PPR rankings are barely affected by the first massive bye week of the season.
That doesn't necessarily mean our rankings are strong, of course. Tight end always has inherent limitations, and the six-team bye does take away a bunch of favorable matchups (more on that below). It's always a struggle at this position, even as it starts to stabilize a bit, so all we can do is look for the highest-percentage options and go from there.
With that in mind, let's check out our rankings and break down the top sleepers and potential stumblers for Week 7.
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Who are the TEs on bye in Week 7?
Despite six teams (Panthers, Bengals, Cowboys, Texans, Jets, and Titans) being on bye this week, we only lose one TE owned in more than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues (Dallas' Jake Ferguson).
WEEK 7 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | D/STs | Kickers
Dalton Schultz is the next highest-owned idle TE, so he'll be missed in deep leagues, while Tyler Conklin and Chig Okonkwo are often streamed in favorable matchups. Overall, though, this is about as good as we can expect for a six-team bye.
WEEK 7 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Who are the best fantasy TEs in Week 7?
As usual, Travis Kelce (vs. Chargers in Week 7) tops our rankings. He's followed by Mark Andrews (vs. Lions), Dallas Goedert (vs. Dolphins), T.J. Hockenson (vs. 49ers), and Sam LaPorta (@ Ravens), some of whom come with more risks than usual (more on that below) but still have higher floors than most TEs.
Evan Engram (@ Saints) remains a virtual must-start in PPR formats despite a hurting QB and a matchup against a defense that entered Week 6 allowing the second-fewest fantasy points per game (FPPG) to TEs. New Orleans got exposed a bit by Dalton Schultz, though (61 yards, TD), so we're more worried about Trevor Lawrence's knee injury. Either way, we'd stick with Engram, and we'd also keep George Kittle (@ Vikings) in our lineup despite his second one-catch game of the season last week.
WEEK 7 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start 'em, sit 'em
Who are the best fantasy TE sleepers, pickups, & streamers in Week 7?
It's tougher than usual to find low-end streamers this week, as five teams that entered Week 6 in the top 13 in FPPG allowed to TEs are on bye. Your best bets are Luke Musgrave (@ Broncos), who's hauled in 12-of-15 targets in his past two full games, and Michael Mayer (@ Bears), who broke out with 75 yards last week. Like Musgrave, Cade Otton (vs. Falcons) also faces a defense that entered Week 6 in the top six in FPPG allowed to TEs, so he has some sleeper appeal, too, despite disappointing in a similar situation last week.
In really deep leagues, you can try Durham Smythe (@ Eagles) and Taysom Hill (vs. Jaguars), who have highly favorable matchups. However, workload is a potential issue for both, making both TD-or-bust options with slightly higher floors than usual.
Other than those TEs, you can always opt for an under-owned TE who usually see steady targets, such as Zach Ertz (@ Seahawks) or Logan Thomas (@ Giants). Both have slightly higher floors in PPR formats even though they disappointed last week.
WEEK 7 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Who are the biggest potential fantasy TE busts in Week 7?
We already discussed the unfavorable matchups for LaPorta (@ Ravens), Hockenson (vs. 49ers), and Engram (@ Saints), as all face defenses that entered Week 6 in the top seven in FPPG allowed. It's tough to sit any, especially in PPR leagues, but all have lower ceilings than usual. Similarly, Darren Waller (vs. Commanders) is facing off against a top-10 TE defense and has a lower floor and ceiling than he does most weeks, though it was nice to see Washington give up two TE touchdowns last week.
We're also a little leery of the Falcons' duo of Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith (@ Buccaneers). Despite improvements from Pitts, neither is reliable in general, and Tampa's solid TE defense doesn't help either stand out. The same goes for Hunter Henry (vs. Bills), Dalton Kincaid (@ Patriots), and Tyler Higbee (vs. Steelers), who all face top-10 TE defenses.
What are the biggest TE injuries in Week 7?
It's a relatively healthy week for TEs, as Pat Freiermuth (@ Rams) is the biggest player to watch. He's coming off a bye, but he's still no guarantee to play after failing to practice ahead of Week 5 due to a hamstring injury. If he's active, he will be in play against a poor Rams' TE defense. However, if he's out, neither Connor Heyward nor Darnell Washington can be counted on to produce.
Dalton Kincaid (vs. Patriots) was out last week due to a concussion, but he should be back against New England. Juwan Johnson (vs. Jaguars), who's missed three-straight games because of a calf injury, could also return this Thursday against Jacksonville. Taysom Hill got a chance to actually play tight end in his absence last week, but this situation would be completely unpredictable if Johnson returns.
Hunter Henry (@ Bills) was in and out of Sunday's game due to an ankle injury. If he can't go, Mike Gesicki would get a bump in targets, but he wouldn't be worth starting against Buffalo's top TE defense.
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 7: Who to start, sit at tight end
Rankings based on full-point PPR formats
Rank Player
1 Travis Kelce, Chiefs vs. Chargers
2 Mark Andrews, Ravens vs. Lions
3 Dallas Goedert, Eagles vs. Dolphins
4 T.J. Hockenson, Vikings vs. 49ers
5 Sam LaPorta, Lions @ Ravens
6 Evan Engram, Jaguars @ Saints
7 George Kittle, 49ers @ Vikings
8 Luke Musgrave, Packers @ Broncos
9 Darren Waller, Giants vs. Commanders
10 Michael Mayer, Raiders @ Bears
11 Cole Kmet, Bears vs. Raiders
12 Kyle Pitts, Falcons @ Buccaneers
13 Logan Thomas, Commanders @ Giants
14 Zach Ertz, Cardinals @ Seahawks
15 Hunter Henry, Patriots vs. Bills
16 Tyler Higbee, Rams vs. Steelers
17 Cade Otton, Buccaneers vs. Falcons
18 Taysom Hill, Saints vs. Jaguars
19 Jonnu Smith, Falcons @ Buccaneers
20 David Njoku, Browns @ Colts
21 Dalton Kincaid, Bills @ Patriots
22 Durham Smythe, Dolphins @ Eagles
23 Noah Fant, Seahawks vs. Cardinals
24 Gerald Everett, Chargers @ Chiefs
25 Mo Alie-Cox, Colts vs. Browns
26 Dawson Knox, Bills @ Patriots
27 Mike Gesicki, Patriots vs. Bills
28 Trey McBride, Cardinals @ Seahawks
29 Adam Trautman, Broncos vs. Packers
30 Foster Moreau, Saints vs. Jaguars
Week 7 TE PPR fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks
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