After one of our strongest weeks at the tight end position in recent memory, our Week 9 fantasy TE rankings are unfortunately thin. The reason for this is simple. In Week 8, many teams that were on bye didn't have a highly productive tight end, but in Week 9, the likes of Dallas Goedert, Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, Austin Hooper, Harrison Bryant, David Njoku, and Drew Sample will be idle. That will rip a chunk out of the depth of the rankings (and we'll be further tested if George Kittle's ankle injury is serious), and fantasy football owners will have to go back to relying on sleepers and streaming options.
Despite all those losses to the rankings, Logan Thomas and Darren Fells are essentially the only potential streaming options returning to action in Week 9. They can both be trusted as potential top-15 plays, as Thomas has a TD in each of his past two outings while Fells has scored twice in his past three games. Tyler Eifert and Dan Arnold return, as well, but neither of those players have been particularly reliable this year, though Eifert is getting a good matchup against the Texans defense this week.
WEEK 9 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
A familiar name is rearing his head as the top streamer of the week. That would be Eric Ebron (@ Cowboys). After he was jettisoned by many fantasy owners ahead of a tough Week 8 matchup with the Ravens, Ebron now gets to take on one of the weakest defenses in the league. The Steelers' receivers might be better positioned to take advantage of that situation, but Ebron undoubtedly has a chance to become a top-10 TE given that Ben Roethlisberger has been looking his way more the past few weeks. Trey Burton (vs. Ravens) is also in play given his frequent targets and the fact the Colts like to use him as a wildcat QB inside the 10-yard line.
WEEK 9 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | D/ST | Kicker
Greg Olsen (@ Bills) could also end up being a good streaming option considering the Bills have allowed a lot of yards to TEs this year,. He has a low floor, but he's still worth considering if you're in a bind. The same goes for Jack Doyle (vs. Ravens), who's scored in each of the past two games.
WEEK 9 DFS CASH LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Check back for updates to these TE rankings throughout the week.
WEEK 9 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Week 9 Fantasy TE Rankings (Standard)
These rankings are for non-PPR leagues
WEEK 9 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Travis Kelce, KC vs. CAR |
| 2 | Darren Waller, LV @ LAC |
| 3 | Noah Fant, DEN @ ATL |
| 4 | Rob Gronkowski, TB vs. NO |
| 5 | Hunter Henry, LAC vs. LV |
| 6 | Eric Ebron, PIT @ DAL. In his last two outings, Ebron has been targeted 13 times, has 10 catches, 98 yards, and a TD. Given that he scored against a tough Ravens defense and Ben Roethlisberger is continuing to look his way, Ebron can be trusted in a matchup against one of the NFL's worst defenses. |
| 7 | Evan Engram, NYG @ WAS |
| 8 | T.J. Hockenson, DET @ MIN |
| 9 | Mark Andrews, BAL @ IND. Andrews is a talented tight end, but he has been too TD-dependent this year. In the four weeks that he hasn't scored this year, he has put up 3.2 standard fantasy points or fewer in each contest. The Colts have allowed the fewest fantasy points per game (FPPG) to TEs at a mark of 2.3, so trusting Andrews in this matchup doesn't seem ideal. |
| 10 | Hayden Hurst, ATL vs. DEN. Over his past three games, Hurst has averaged six targets, five catches, and 59.7 yards per game for the Falcons. He has one TD in that span, as well. The Broncos allow only 6.5 FPPG to TEs this year, but Hurst should be able to do enough to be a solid starter at the TE position, at least in PPR leagues. |
| 11 | Jordan Reed, SF vs. GB. With George Kittle (ankle) out for at least eight weeks, Jordan Reed now becomes the top tight end in San Francisco. The 49ers love throwing the ball to their tight ends and Reed did have a two-TD game in relief of Kittle early in the year. If Reed (knee) is activated from IR before Thursday's 49ers-Packers game, he could be a top-10 play. If he isn't, then Ross Dwelley will be a low-level TE streamer |
| 12 | Darren Fells, HOU @ JAX. Before doing nothing in his final game before the Texans bye, Fells had scored in consecutive games and had racked up eight catches for 142 yards. The Jaguars have allowed the second-most TDs to TEs this year (7) and allow the fourth-most FPPG to TEs overall (12.3). Even with Jordan Akins expected back, Fells is a solid streamer, and Deshaun Watson should continue to look his way in the red zone, especially if the Texans deal any of their receivers before the trade deadline. |
| 13 | Trey Burton, IND vs. BAL. Burton, Mo Alie-Cox, and Jack Doyle had 4, 4, and 3 targets, respectively, against the Lions in Week 8. It's hard to predict what will happen in the team's TE rotation each week, but Burton has seen the most consistent targets since getting healthy (five per game). He'll be the top option to trust for now against a Ravens defense that has allowed 8.5 FPPG to TEs this year and just let Eric Ebron score on them. It doesn't hrt that Burton has been used as a wildcat QB inside the five-yard line in two straight games, converting both runs into touchdowns. |
| 14 | Jonnu Smith, TEN vs. CHI. Smith was dynamic to start the season for the Titans, but he has tailed off a bit in recent weeks since suffering an ankle injury. He has just four catches for 51 yards in his past three games. He could bounce back against a Bears defense that has allowed 422 yards and five TDs to TEs this year, but it's just hard to trust him as anything more than a streamer right now. |
| 15 | Logan Thomas, WAS vs. NYG. In each of his past two games, Logan Thomas has seen four targets and caught a TD. That includes a Week 6 matchup against the Giants. He's starting to come into his own as a red-zone weapon, and if he continues to be among the top-12 targeted TEs on the year (5.7), he will be a solid streamer. |
| 16 | Mike Gesicki, MIA @ ARZ. Gesicki has been a boom-or-bust play all year. He has five outings with 30 or fewer yards and two outings with 91-plus yards. With Tua Tagovailoa making his first road start against a solid Cardinals defense in Week 9, it's hard to trust Gesicki as anything more than a mid-tier streaming option. |
| 17 | Jimmy Graham, CHI @ TEN. Graham is still seeing a lot of targets as one of Nick Foles' favorite weapons. He is averaging seven targets per game in his past three outings, but that has only translated to four catches for 26 yards per game. The Titans allow 9.9 FPPG to TEs, tied for the eighth most, so Graham could be a nice play given his volume and TD upside in a favorable matchup. |
| 18 | Jared Cook, NO @ TB. In four of his last five games played, Cook has found the end-zone and he tied a season-high in targets last week with seven. The potential returns of Michael Thomas (hamstring) and Emmanuel Sanders (COVID) may take some touches away from him, but as long as he remains a red-zone threat, he can be considered as a starter. |
| 19 | Robert Tonyan, GB @ SF. It's been three games since Tonyan last scored a TD, but he was solid against the Vikings in Week 8. He saw seven targets and caught five of them for 79 yards. Aaron Rodgers should continue to look Tonyan's way even when Allen Lazard returns from a core muscle injury. That said, the 49ers have allowed the eighth-fewest points to TEs this year and have only allowed one TD to the position. This probably isn't the best week to start Tonyan, if you can help it. |
| 20 | Greg Olsen, SEA @ BUF. The Bills have had major trouble against TEs this year. They have allowed 509 receiving yards to the position, good for third most, and six TDs, also tied for the third most. While Olsen's matchup is good, he has caught just three passes for 38 yards in his past three games. He did see four targets against the 49ers, but it's hard to trust him as anything more than a dart throw. |
| 21 | Albert Okwuegbunam, DEN @ ATL. After averaging 6.5 targets and 52.5 receiving yards in his first two NFL games, Okwuegbunam scored on his lone target against the Chargers in Week 8, though he did have another red-zone target in the end zone that was wiped out because of a defensive pass interference penalty. Albert O is playing second fiddle to Noah Fant, but Okwuegbunam actually leads the team with four red-zone targets despite only having played three games. The Falcons rank dead last in FPPG allowed to TEs this season (14.5) so Okwuegbunam could be a sneaky-good play this week. At the very least, he'll be worth considering in DFS contests. |
| 22 | Jack Doyle, IND vs. BAL. Doyle has three targets and a TD in each of his past two games. He may be in a frustrating time share with Trey Burton and Mo Alie-Cox, but he can be used as a highly TD-dependent TE option if you're desperate at the position. |
| 23 | Taysom Hill, NO @ TB. Hill had what was easily his best game of the season against the Bears. He totaled 65 yards and a TD and should continue to be involved as a runner and a receiver moving forward. Hill will have to do most of his damage as a receiver against a Bucs D/ST that is good against the run, but Hill will always be a solid upside play because of the many different ways he is used. |
| 24 | Dalton Schultz, DAL vs. PIT. Schultz had six catches for 53 yards against the Eagles, but most of that came in garbage time. He's not going to have a chance to do nearly as much against a much stronger Steelers defense. |
| 25 | Tyler Eifert, JAX vs. HOU |
| 26 | Irv Smith Jr., MIN vs. DET |
| 27 | Ian Thomas, CAR @ KC |
| 28 | Anthony Firkser, TEN vs. CHI. Firkser actually outproduced Jonnu Smith last week, catching two passes for 36 yards compared to Smith's two for 29. If Smith continues to struggle or it becomes clear he's dealing with an ankle injury, Firkser can be trusted as a streamer since Ryan Tannehill loves throwing to his TEs. |
| 29 | Kyle Rudolph, MIN vs. DET |
| 30 | Tyler Kroft, BUF vs. SEA |
| 31 | Jordan Akins, HOU @ JAX |
| 32 | Cameron Brate, TB vs. NO |
| 33 | Dan Arnold, ARZ vs. MIA |
