Fantasy Football TE Rankings Week 15: Who to start, best sleepers at tight end

Matt Lutovsky

Fantasy Football TE Rankings Week 15: Who to start, best sleepers at tight end image

The fantasy football playoffs are finally here, but all of the fantasy-relevant tight ends are not -- at least not yet. Regardless, start 'em, sit 'em decisions need to be made, and our Week 15 fantasy TE rankings for standard leagues are here to help. 

Dallas Goedert returned last week, and Darren Waller has hinted at a return this week. Either way, with the byes over, the position is about as strong and deep as you can expect at this point in the season, which is all playoff-bound owners can ask for. 

Now that we know the backdrop, let's get to it and break down our Week 15 TE rankings.

Who are the best fantasy TEs in Week 15?

For the first time since Week 1, Travis Kelce (@ Patriots in Week 15) does not own the top spot in our rankings. Kelce sits at No. 3, two spots behind T.J. Hockenson (@ Bengals) and one spot behind Sam LaPorta (vs. Broncos). Hockenson and LaPorta face the two-worst TE defenses in the NFL, and given their consistent, high-ceiling play, we view them as slightly better options this week. Kelce remains a must-start, of course, but his reign as the unquestioned No. 1 has come to an end -- at least for one week.

WEEK 15 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | D/STs | Kickers

Assuming he's active, Taysom Hill (vs. Giants) and David Njoku (vs. Bears) also enjoy highly favorable matchups, while George Kittle (@ Cardinals), Trey McBride (vs. 49ers), and Dalton Kincaid (vs. Cowboys) have done enough this year to earn "must-start" status regardless of matchup. Kincaid is a little riskier than usual with Dawson Knox back, but considering he saw eight targets last week, we're not too worried about him.

WEEK 15 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

Who are the best fantasy TE sleepers, pickups, & streamers in Week 15?

Isaiah Likely (@ Jaguars) and Pat Freiermuth (@ Colts) aren't quite "must-starts," but they're close this week thanks to matchups against two defenses that entered last week in the top 10 in fantasy points per game (FPPG) allowed to TEs. 

Similarly, Logan Thomas (@ Rams) has an elite matchup, while Gerald Everett (@ Raiders) has an above-average matchup that makes him playable, regardless of Justin Herbert's status. Tyler Conklin (@ Dolphins) is also in a nice spot and should continue to benefit from having Zach Wilson under center. All three see inconsistent targets, but they should be solid this week. The same would be true for Darren Waller (@ Saints) if he's active, but if he's not, we wouldn't be nearly as excited about Daniel Bellinger (@ Saints). 

Going deeper, Chig Okonkwo (vs. Texans) and Cade Otton (@ Packers) have favorable matchups, giving them higher ceilings than usual. Both still have low floors, but they could come through with a big play or two to pay off in deep leagues if you're in a bind.

WEEK 15 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit

Who are the biggest potential fantasy TE busts in Week 15?

Jake Ferguson (@ Bills), Dallas Goedert (@ Seahawks), Evan Engram (vs. Ravens), and Kyle Pitts (@ Panthers) are all facing above-average TE defenses. It's tough to bench any, as all have decent ceilings, but their floors are lower than usual this week. Of course, we thought that last week about Engram and he had his best game of the season, so sit him at your own risk.

We also wouldn't touch last week's hero Hunter Henry (vs. Chiefs) or Cole Kmet (@ Browns), who both face top-seven TE defenses. Whoever starts for the Texans, be it a gimpy Dalton Schultz (hamstring) or Brevin Jordan (@ Titans) is in for a tough time, too, as Tennessee entered last week allowing the third-fewest FPPG to TEs. The same goes for late-season breakout Tanner Hudson (vs. Vikings), who faces a surprisingly solid Minnesota TE defense.

WEEK 15 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks

What are the biggest TE injuries in Week 15?

All eyes will be on Darren Waller (hamstring) this week after it was implied that he could return for Week 15. Waller has been out for six weeks, so he should be ready to play if the Giants want to take the risk with very little on the line. As we said before, he'd be a solid play against New Orleans' bottom-10 TE defense, but it wouldn't be surprising if Daniel Bellinger once again started.

Dalton Schultz (hamstring) has missed the past two games, and with just one limited practice in that span, he'll once again be very iffy to suit up against the Titans. The same goes for Taysom Hill (hand, foot), though he was considered a "game-time decision" last week despite not practicing all week, so we're optimistic he can return against the Giants.

We'll also be watching Tyler Higbee (neck) after he missed Week 14. He'd be a risky start against the Commanders, but given how much they've struggled in general since the trade deadline, Higbee could have some value in deep leagues.

Check back for the latest updates to our standard TE rankings throughout the week.

Fantasy TE Rankings Week 15: Who to start, sit at tight end

Rankings based on standard, non-PPR scoring

Rank    Player
1    T.J. Hockenson, Vikings @ Bengals
2    Sam LaPorta, Lions vs. Broncos
3    Travis Kelce, Chiefs @ Patriots
4    David Njoku, Browns vs. Bears
5    Taysom Hill, Saints vs. Giants
6    George Kittle, 49ers @ Cardinals
7    Trey McBride, Cardinals vs. 49ers
8    Isaiah Likely, Ravens @ Jaguars
9    Dalton Kincaid, Bills vs. Cowboys
10    Jake Ferguson, Cowboys @ Bills
11    Dallas Goedert, Eagles @ Seahawks
12    Evan Engram, Jaguars vs. Ravens
13    Pat Freiermuth, Steelers @ Colts
14    Logan Thomas, Commanders @ Rams
15    Darren Waller, Giants @ Saints
16    Tyler Conklin, Jets @ Dolphins
17    Dalton Schultz, Texans @ Titans
18    Kyle Pitts, Falcons @ Panthers
19    Gerald Everett, Chargers @ Raiders
20    Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans vs. Texans
21    Cade Otton, Buccaneers @ Packers
22    Cole Kmet, Bears @ Browns
23    Tucker Kraft, Packers vs. Buccaneers
24    Michael Mayer, Raiders vs. Chargers
25    Tyler Higbee, Rams vs. Commanders
26    Noah Fant, Seahawks vs. Eagles
27    Tanner Hudson, Bengals vs. Vikings
28    Dawson Knox, Bills vs. Cowboys
29    Ian Thomas, Panthers vs. Falcons
30    Adam Trautman, Broncos @ Lions
31    Hunter Henry, Patriots vs. Chiefs
32    Jonnu Smith, Falcons @ Panthers
33    Mike Gesicki, Patriots vs. Chiefs
34    Juwan Johnson, Saints vs. Giants

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.