Things got weird at the TE position in Week 11. Travis Kelce returned from a bye, but he wasn't the top tight end on the slate on some sites. Instead, Taysom Hill, who has TE eligibility in ESPN leagues, instantly became the top option at the position when he was named the Saints' starting QB. Now, the only question for our Week 12 fantasy TE rankings is whether that gravy train keeps rolling. (Update: ESPN has taken away Hill's TE-eligiblity, so we've removed him from these rankings.)
Until we hear something about Jameis Winston starting (unlikely) or ESPN changing Hill's eligibility, he will be the top option in our TE rankings. Simply put, he has such a high floor because he will touch the ball on virtually every offensive play for the Saints. His rushing floor alone puts him in the same class yardage-wise as most TEs, so if you have Hill and can play him at TE, fire him up for as long as you can.
WEEK 12 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Darren Waller (@ Falcons) and Kelce (@ Buccaneers) are the other contenders for the top spot this week. Waller will be playing the league's worst defense against TEs in Atlanta, while Kelce gets a tougher matchup but is still as good as it gets for fantasy owners. They are the only players who could potentially challenge Hill's output.
WEEK 12 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | D/ST | Kicker
In terms of streamers, it's another solid week at the position. Logan Thomas (@ Cowboys), Jordan Reed (@ Rams), and Mike Gesicki (@ Jets) all have solid matchups in Week 12 or are getting consistent targets at the position. All three of those players should have high ceilings, so they can work their way into the top-10 conversation.
WEEK 12 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
For Week 12, Jonnu Smith (@ Colts) is among the TEs to be careful with. Indianapolis has been the best defense in the league against TEs, and in his five games prior to Week 11, Smith had just eight catches. He has scored in three straight outings, but without the touchdowns, he's done virtually nothing. With so many other worthwhile options available in a week with no byes, avoiding Smith seems like the right move. Mark Andrews (@ Steelers), Eric Ebron (vs. Ravens), and Jimmy Graham (@ Packers) are some of the other starting/borderline TEs with tough matchups this week.
WEEK 12 DFS CASH LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Check back for updates to these TE rankings throughout the week.
MORE WEEK 12 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Week 12 Fantasy TE Rankings (Standard)
These rankings are for non-PPR leagues
WEEK 12 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Darren Waller, LV @ ATL |
| 2 | Travis Kelce, KC @ TB |
| 3 | Austin Hooper, CLE @ JAX. Hooper has averaged six targets per game in his past five outings. Cleveland has shifted to a more run-heavy approach, but that will open up opportunities for Hooper to catch some play-action TDs moving forward. He did have a red-zone target against the Eagles, but Baker Mayfield overthrew him. The Jaguars are a good matchup for Hooper, as they are one of three teams to allow eight total TDs to TEs this season and are allowing 10.4 FPPG to the position (second most in the NFL). |
| 4 | Evan Engram, NYG @ CIN |
| 5 | Rob Gronkowski, TB vs. KC |
| 6 | Logan Thomas, WAS @ DAL. Thomas continued his impressive streak of seeing at least four targets in every game by getting five against the Bengals along with a carry on a sneak play. He didn't do much with them, but the floor is high because the opportunity is there. Last time he played the Cowboys, Thomas had four catches for 60 yards and a TD. He could post similar numbers in a favorable matchup. |
| 7 | T.J. Hockenson, DET vs. HOU |
| 8 | Mike Gesicki, MIA @ NYJ. In three consecutive games, Gesicki has seen at least four targets and racked up 40 yards. That alone is enough to put him into streamer territory, and against the Jets, he should have a chance to be a top-10 play. The Jets have allowed seven TDs to TEs and the seventh-most FPPG to TEs (9.3). Perhaps Gesicki can find the end zone for the first time since Week 3 against them. |
| 9 | Mark Andrews, BAL @ PIT. After a bit of a downturn in production, Andrews is back to being Lamar Jackson's favorite target. In his past two games, he has caught 12-of-16 targets for 157 yards and a TD, so he should have a chance to be a top-five play in future weeks. However, the Steelers have allowed a league-low 4.5 FPPG to TEs with only one TD on the season, so Andrews is just a low-end streamer in this one as a result. |
| 10 | Dallas Goedert, PHI vs. SEA. Goedert seems to be rounding back into form after missing several weeks due to injury. He caught five passes for 77 yards and a TD against the Browns, and it was his second consecutive week racking up six targets. As long as Zach Ertz (ankle) is out, Goedert will be the top TE to own in Philadelphia. That said, the Seahawks are very good against TEs, and if they pay extra attention to Goedert, he could be limited in this one, especially with Richard Rodgers also having over 100 yards and a TD in his past two games. |
| 11 | Hunter Henry, LAC @ BUF. No team has allowed more receiving yards to TEs this year than the Bills (642). They have struggled against the position and may have trouble containing Henry. Henry has logged four catches in four consecutive games and while his average yardage total over that time is just 36, he has posted TDs in back-to-back games. With Justin Herbert looking his way frequently, Henry should be a solid starter with a good floor. |
| 12 | Hayden Hurst, ATL vs. LV. Hurst didn't catch a pass last week in a favorable matchup against the Saints, so he'll try to rebound against a slightly better Raiders defense that has allowed the 12th-most receiving yards to TEs (523). If Julio Jones (hamstring) can't suit up for this game, Hurst may get some extra targets, but given his boom-or-bust nature, it's hard to recommend trusting him over some of the other options on a loaded slate. |
| 13 | Jordan Reed, SF @ LAR. In his final game before a Week 11 bye, Reed snatched five passes and turned them into 62 yards for the 49ers. He was second on the team in targets that game to only Brandon Aiyuk. Reed should continue to be a big part of the 49ers offense with George Kittle (foot) out for the foreseeable future. The Rams have been solid against TEs, but as long as Reed is getting targets, he can be trusted. |
| 14 | Dalton Schultz, DAL vs. WAS. Schultz has played dwith three different quarterbacks in his past three games but has seen consistent looks from all of them. He is averaging seven targets per game for 42 yards, and the Dalton-Dalton connection resulted in a TD last week. Washington is allowing 8.8 FPPG to TEs, good for 11th most in the NFL, so he will have some appeal in this matchup and certainly could be a solid start, especially in PPR formats. |
| 15 | Eric Ebron, PIT vs. BAL. Ebron has caught a TD in three of his past four games, and that includes a matchup with the Ravens in which he caught four passes for 48 yards and a score. That said, the Ravens have been solid against TEs this year, so this isn't the best matchup to use him in. He could pan out, but he's more of a TD-dependent risk considering the other options in the Steelers offense. |
| 16 | Trey Burton, IND vs. TEN. The good news: Burton has averaged 4.6 targets per game in his seven appearances for the Colts this year. The bad news: He is averaging just 24.4 yards per game and the Colts have spread their TDs around to Burton (4), Jack Doyle (3), and Mo Alie-Cox (2). Burton isn't the worst streaming option thanks to his consistent targets, but his floor is low, so there are better options. |
| 17 | Jimmy Graham, CHI @ GB. Graham ranks 10th in the NFL among TEs in targets per game (5.7) but the Packers have only seen TEs targeted against them 48 times, a league low. They've only allowed 34 catches (fourth fewest in the league) so it's probably best to look for a better option than Graham in this matchup. |
| 18 | Jonnu Smith, TEN @ IND. Smith has a three-game TD streak going that has given him fantasy value as a starter at the position. However, Smith is averaging just two catches for 19.5 yards in his past six games, so he's as TD-dependent as they come. In a matchup with a Colts D/ST that has allowed just one receiving TD to TEs, this is probably a good matchup to sit Smith in. |
| 19 | Noah Fant, DEN vs. NO. Fant might have the best chance of any of Denver's pass-catchers of having a decent day with Kendall Hinton at QB, but we still don't expect much from him despite the favorable matchup on paper. |
| 20 | Robert Tonyan, GB vs. CHI. Tonyan found the end zone for the first time since Week 4 against the Colts and accounted for the lone TD through the air against that defense all year. Despite that accomplishment, he's still more of a TD-dependent streamer, so starting him against a tough Bears defense isn't recommended. |
| 21 | Jordan Akins, HOU @ DET. In Week 11, Akins recorded a season-high 83 yards on five catches (six targets) for the Texans. With Randall Cobb (toe) and Kenny Stills (quad) likely out for a short turnaround in Week 12, Akins could be in line for more targets. However, he's facing a Lions defense that has allowed the second-fewest yards to TEs this year (344). Akins could make sense as a lower-budget play in Thanksgiving DFS lineups, but trusting him in season-long formats isn't recommended yet. |
| 22 | Mo Alie-Cox, IND vs. TEN |
| 23 | Tyler Higbee, LAR vs. SF. As long as he's not scoring, it's tough to trust Higbee to deliver considering that Gerald Everett siphons off some of his targets. |
| 24 | Richard Rodgers, PHI vs. SEA |
| 25 | Jared Cook, NO @ DEN. Cook has one catch for six yards in his last two games. Taysom Hill seems to be looking more toward Michael Thomas on offense than anyone else, so Cook should remain on the bench. |
| 26 | Tyler Kroft, BUF vs. LAC |
| 27 | Kyle Rudolph, MIN vs. CAR |
| 28 | Gerald Everett, LAR vs. SF |
| 29 | Jacob Hollister, SEA @ PHI. With Greg Olsen (foot) potentially out long-term, Hollister will step up as the top TE in Seattle's offense. He could catch some passes since Russell Wilson likes targeting players at the TE spot, but he'll have to share those targets with Will Dissly. With Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf getting most of the attention, that will keep Hollister from being fantasy-relevant. |
| 30 | Tyler Eifert, JAX vs. CLE |
| 31 | Darren Fells, HOU @ DET |
| 32 | Drew Sample, CIN vs. NYG |
| 33 | Ian Thomas, CAR @ MIN |
| 34 | Anthony Firkser, TEN @ IND |
| 35 | Dan Arnold, ARZ @ NE |
| 36 | Cameron Brate, TB vs. KC |
