Fantasy Football TE Rankings Week 7: Who to start, best sleepers at tight end

The tight end position is beginning to heal. Mark Andrews scored 15 PPR points for the first time in 343 days, and the Evan Engram PPR scam is back in full force. It was a rocky start to the season for tight ends, but things are finally trending in the right direction.

For the first time all season, there are (at least) a half dozen tight ends that fantasy managers can feel comfortable starting each week. Unfortunately, that number will take a hit this week with Jake Ferguson and the Cowboys getting the week off. Teams with Ferguson on the roster are going to have to pivot in Week 7.

As long as you have a trusty set of rankings, you should be able to fill your tight end slot with ease, even if you don't have one of those top-tier options. If you don't have the time to build out your own tight end rankings, there's no need to worry, we've got you covered.

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Fantasy TE Rankings Week 7: Who to start, sit at tight end

Rankings based on PPR scoring. These rankings will be updated throughout the week, so check back often. 

Who are the best fantasy TEs for Week 7?

The tight end position is finally beginning to stabilize. George Kittle has been leading the pack over the last month, scoring 20-plus PPR points in three of his last four games. He's maintained a steady role within the offense, averaging 7.5 targets per game during this stretch. But Kittle has done most of his damage in the red zone and has scored five touchdowns this season. He's on the path to another dominant season.

Two of the high-volume options at the position are back and doing their thing. Since Rashee Rice went down with a season-end knee injury, Travis Kelce has been the engine of the offense. He's posted a 28-percent target share in his last two games and will maintain a voluminous role for the rest of the season. Evan Engram, who led all tight ends in targets and receptions last year, returned in Week 6 after missing four games. He picked up right where he left off, finishing with 10 receptions for 102 yards on 10 targets. He's looking like a strong asset moving forward in PPR leagues.

The two young and talented tight ends round out our top five. Brock Bowers and Trey McBride will be regulars atop our tight end rankings. They are two of just four tight ends to have scored double-digit points in at least three games this season. Both offer the volume to maintain a steady floor, and the talent to reach an elite ceiling. They are every-week starters as long as they're healthy.

Who are the TEs on byes in Week 7? 

Dallas Cowboys: Jake Ferguson has been a bright spot at tight end this year. He's the clear No. 2 option in Dallas's passing attack and joins Bowers and McBride as one of the four TEs with at least three games of 10-plus PPR points. He's a set it and forget it TE following the bye.

Chicago Bears: Cole Kmet has been ascending the tight end ranks over the last month, averaging 16.2 PPG across his last four games. With the improvement of Caleb Williams and the Chicago offense in recent weeks, it's hard to keep Kmet outside of the top-12 TEs moving forward.

Who are the best fantasy TE waiver pickups for Week 7?

It seems that Drake Maye is going to be able to support legitimate fantasy production for his pass catchers. Maye threw for 243 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start, both marks that Jacoby Brissett did not hit at any point this season. One of those touchdowns and 41 of the yards went to his tight end, Hunter Henry. If Maye can withstand the poor play from his offensive line to deliver accurate passes, Henry can be a matchup-based starter.

Juwan Johnson may be worth a stash in the deepest of leagues. He had a respectable performance in Week 6, scoring 7.8 PPR points on a 3/48/0 stat line. He has an improved outlook in Week 7 if wide receiver Chris Olave misses any time with a concussion. If Johnson can take on some of his vacated volume, he may be able to compile his way to double-digit fantasy points.

Week 7: Check out our full Waiver Wire advice article

Who are the best fantasy TE sleepers for Week 7?

Don't be afraid to plug Zach Ertz into your lineup if you have Ferguson on bye or simply don't have a reliable tight end option. Ertz isn't going to win you weeks, but he's a safe option to provide enough production to get you through the week. Ertz has now cleared seven PPR points in four of six games on the year. He is Washington's top pass-catching tight end and can keep your team afloat in a matchup against a vulnerable Carolina defense.

When you're scraping the bottom of the barrel at tight end, all you can ask for is steady playing time, also known as a whole bunch of routes. Colby Parkinson has been this sort of tight end. He's run a route on 80 percent of Matthew Stafford's dropbacks and has drawn 6.2 targets per game as a result. He also has three end zone targets on the year, which ranks second on the team. This usage makes Parkinson a very viable streamer. Finally connecting with Stafford on one of those endzone targets would make for a highly successful week.

What are the biggest TE injuries for Week 7?

There's one lingering injury that fantasy managers should keep an eye on. T.J. Hockenson is set to make his return from an ACL injury in the very near future. His 21-day practice window opened on Oct. 4, and the expectation is that he could return as early as this week. Be sure to monitor practice reports if you have Hockenson stashed on the bench.

Thankfully, just one fantasy-relevant tight end suffered an injury during Week 6. Dallas Goedert left Philadelphia's Week 6 game due to a hamstring injury. The severity of the injury has yet to be determined, so this is a situation to keep tabs on.