Week 11 Fantasy TE Rankings: Zach Ertz, Kyle Rudolph on start-sit bubble

Matt Lutovsky

Week 11 Fantasy TE Rankings: Zach Ertz, Kyle Rudolph on start-sit bubble image

Before we get into our Week 11 fantasy TE rankings, we'll tell you right away that Zach Ertz is still in our top 10 despite a matchup with the Patriots. You might not want to start him, but when the waiver wire/sleeper alternatives are Tyler Eifert, Jason Witten, and T.J. Hockenson, you really don't have much of a choice. It doesn't help that Austin Hooper and possibly George Kittle will be out either.

(Update: We've removed Kittle from the rankings and added Ross Dwelley.)

To be fair, Eifert (@ Raiders), Witten (@ Lions), and Hockenson (vs. Cowboys) are worthwhile bye-week fill-ins thanks to favorable matchups, but Ertz showed us enough in his last game (9-103-1) to get back in our good graces after what had been a disappointing start of the season. He's just too talented to sit, even in a brutal matchup. 

WEEK 11 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | D/ST | Kicker

The biggest tight end sleeper this week might not even be listed in our rankings yet. San Francisco's Ross Dwelley would play if Kittle (knee) is once again ruled out (very possible), and he would draw a matchup with TE-turnstyle Arizona. Dwelley is worth picking up early in the week on the chance he gets the start.

WEEK 11 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end

It was nice to see Mark Andrews (vs. Texans) finally turn in another big game last week. He was drifting down toward the start-sit bubble, but his upper-tier status is secure for another week. Gerald Everett (vs. Bears) and Jared Cook (@ Buccaneers) are both coming off high-target games that were somewhat garbage-time aided, but both still get enough work and have favorable-enough matchups this week to warrant spots in lineups. 

WEEK 11 DFS LINEUPS:
Y! cash | Y! GPP | DK cash | DK GPP | FD cash | FD GPP

Eric Ebron (vs. Jaguars) also had a high-target game and nearly caught a touchdown, but his season-long inconsistency makes us nervous in even neutral matchups. Both him and Week 9 hero Noah Fant (@ Vikings) are very much boom-or-bust options who should probably be avoided. Darren Fells (@ Ravens) falls into a similar category, but his touchdowns have been a little bit more consistent lately, giving him a slightly higher floor.

MORE WEEK 11 DFS: Values | Stacks | Lineup Builder

The bottom line is if you have been scrambling at TE all season, you'll likely be scrambling in Week 11. Hooper, Kittle, and Evan Engram owners are now in scramble mode, as well, so just play the matchups and take what you can get. In addition to Engram, Jimmy Graham, Jonnu Smith/Delanie Walker, and Jacob Hollister are also on bye this week. 

MORE WEEK 11:
Waiver wire | FAAB planner | Trade valuesSnap counts | Fantasy playoff SOS

Note: These rankings will be updated throughout the week, so check back for the latest.

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Week 11 Fantasy TE Rankings

These rankings are for standard, non-PPR leagues.

Rank Player
1 Travis Kelce, KC vs. LAC (in Mexico)
2 Hunter Henry, LAC vs. KC (in Mexico)
3 Darren Waller, OAK vs. CIN
4 Jared Cook, NO @ TB. The Bucs allow the the second-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to tight ends, and Cook is fresh off a 10-target game (though garbage time inflated that total). Cook hasn't been consistent this year, but with at least 7.4 standard fantasy points in each of the past three games, he's a solid play this week. 
5 Mark Andrews, BAL vs. HOU
6 Ross Dwelley, SF vs. ARZ
7 Gerald Everett, LAR vs. CHI. Everett has double-digit targets in three of the past five games, but he's had three- and five-target games in that span, too. He still has a decent amount of upside against the Bears, who allow the eighth-most FPPG to tight ends. 
8 Zach Ertz, PHI vs. NE. The Patriots are allowing the third-fewest FPPG to TEs, but they have also given up a TE touchdown in each of the past two games. Ertz is coming off a nine-catch, 11-target, 103-yard game, and while he's still a bit of a risk this week, you have to like his floor and ceiling compared to the guys below him on this list. 
9 Greg Olsen, CAR vs. ATL
10 Jason Witten, DAL @ DET. The Lions give up the ninth-most FPPG to TEs, but they've been much worse lately, giving up at least one TE touchdown in each of the past four games (Kyle Rudolph, Evan Engram, Foster Moreau, and Ben Braunecker). The Cowboys love to throw to Witten in the red zone, so this is a great matchup for him. 
11 Tyler Eifert, CIN @ OAK. The Raiders are one of three teams that allows over 10 standard FPPG to TEs. Eifert scored last week and had a six-catch, 74-yard effort in the game before that, so perhaps he's finally turning the corner after posting under 30 yards in each of the first seven games (and one total touchdown).
12 Kyle Rudolph, MIN vs. DEN. Rudolph has scored in three of the past four games, most of which were played without Adam Thielen (hamstring). If he's out again, Rudolph would be in play against virtually anyone, even a Broncos defense that's allowed just one TE touchdown this year. However, they have allowed the 13th-most TE receptions, so they're really not "lights out" against tight ends as much as they've had good touchdown luck. 
13 Vance McDonald, PIT @ CLE. McDonald has turned in far more poor performances than good ones this year, so he's a huge risk despite a favorable matchup. The Browns are allowing 8.6 standard FPPG to TEs, and that includes a 115-yard, one-TD effort to Noah Fant in Week 9, so McDonald has a higher ceiling than in most weeks.
14 T.J. Hockenson, DET vs. DAL. Hockenson has had three catches for at least 47 yards in each of the past two games (13 total targets), so he appears to be trending back upward even with Matthew Stafford (back, hip) out. The Cowboys allow the fourth-most FPPG to TEs, so Hockenson isn't a bad sleeper. 
15 Darren Fells, HOU @ BAL. Fells has been a touchdown machine lately, catching three over the past two games. However, he only had one catch his last time out, and two games before that, he had just two targets. The Ravens have limited TEs to just 5.7 standard FPPG, so Fells is a touchdown-or-bust option. 
16 Eric Ebron, IND vs. JAX. The Jaguars allow just under eight standard FPPG to TEs and Ebron is coming off a 12-target game, but he's been held below 27 yards in three of his past five contests. Consider him a touchdown-or-bust option, as well.
17 Noah Fant, DEN @ MIN. The Vikings have allowed the third-most TE catches this year but no TE touchdowns, so perhaps it's a matter of time before something breaks through. Fant is coming off a 100-yard game, thanks largely due to a 75-yard TD, but it was the first time he's had more than 37 yards in a game this year. He's a classic low-floor, boom-or-bust play.
18 Jack Doyle, IND vs. JAX
19 O.J. Howard, TB vs. NO
20 Mike Gesicki, MIA vs. BUF
21 Ryan Griffin, NYJ @ WAS
22 Demetrius Harris, CLE vs. PIT
23 Luke Stocker, ATL @ CAR
24 Dallas Goedert, PHI vs. NE
25 Benjamin Watson, NE @ PHI
26 Tyler Kroft, BUF @ MIA
27 Irv Smith Jr., MIN vs. DEN

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.