For much of the season, we've been lamenting any injuries to the tight end position. It's already so thin, any missing players can only hurt it, right? Maybe not. This past week saw O.J. Howard and Delanie Walker sit out, but fantasy football owners probably didn't mind. We'd obviously never root for injuries, but Howard's absence made Cameron Brate the clear top TE in Tampa, while Walker's absence opened the door for the more athletic Jonnu Smith to get the majority of the snaps. A glance at our Week 9 fantasy TE rankings reveals we're projecting both players to miss this week -- and that it will actually help the position overall.
Those types of sleepers will be needed this week, as Austin Hooper, Gerald Everett, Jared Cook, and Tyler Eifert are on bye. It helps that Brate (or Howard, if he returns) has a favorable matchup against Seattle. Greg Olsen (vs. Titans), T.J. Hockenson (@ Raiders), Eric Ebron/Jack Doyle (@ Steelers), and Vance McDonald (vs. Colts) also have great matchups on paper, which is why we've ranked them ahead of TE stalwarts Zach Ertz (vs. Bears) and Mark Andrews (vs. Patriots).
WEEK 9 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | D/ST | Kicker
Ertz has disappointed most of the season, so while we're certainly not giving up on him, it's fair to move him down. Dallas Goedert has poached touchdowns in each of the past two weeks, but if that starts to even out, Ertz will shoot back up the rankings in a hurry. Andrews has disappointed lately, but the targets are still high, so he can produce against anyone -- even the Patriots.
WEEK 9 DFS LINEUPS:
Y! cash | Y! GPP | DK cash | DK GPP | FD cash | FD GPP
Noah Fant (vs. Browns) and Luke Willson (vs. Buccaneers) are two lightly owned players who have favorable matchups. If you're in a bind and need a boom-or-bust option, you could do worse than either of those two.
WEEK 9 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
Note: These rankings will be updated throughout the week, so check back for the latest.
WEEK 9: Waiver wire | FAAB planner | Trade values | Snap counts
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Week 9 Fantasy TE Rankings
MORE WEEK 9 DFS: Stacks | Values | Lineup builder
These rankings are for standard, non-PPR leagues.
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | George Kittle, SF @ ARZ |
| 2 | Darren Waller, OAK vs. DET |
| 3 | Evan Engram, NYG vs. DAL |
| 4 | Travis Kelce, KC vs. MIN |
| 5 | Hunter Henry, LAC vs. GB |
| 6 | Greg Olsen, CAR vs. TEN. Tennessee is tied for the ninth-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) allowed to tight ends, and Olsen has shown he can take advantage of favorable matchups, posting a 10-162 line in two games against Tampa and a 6-75-2 line against Arizona. He should see good volume in this one. |
| 7 | T.J. Hockenson, DET @ OAK. Few TEs have been more up and down than Hockenson, but he's had nine red-zone targets (tied for fifth among TEs), so he'll get his chances to score. Against the Raiders, who allow the third-most FPPG to tight ends, he could do even more than that. |
| 8 | Eric Ebron, IND @ PIT. Ebron is mostly touchdown-or-bust, but he still has some big-play ability between the 20s. Pittsburgh has been roasted for big games by Hunter Henry and Will Dissly this year, and Ebron can have similar production. |
| 9 | Zach Ertz, PHI vs. CHI. Ertz is declining in almost every way, so you might be wondering if you should sit him. It's not crazy depending on your backup, but Chicago isn't quite as strong against TEs as you might think (7.5 standard FPPG allowed). Plus, we know how talented Ertz is, so you're taking a major risk by benching him. |
| 10 | Mark Andrews, BAL vs. NE. Andrews has had at least seven targets in every game, but it's worth noting that he's only had more than 45 yards once in his past five contests. Against the Patriots, who allow the second-fewest FPPG to TEs, Andrews is a major bust risk, but given his volume, you likely have to play him, especially in PPR leagues. |
| 11 | Cameron Brate, TB @ SEA. Brate disappointed last week with O.J. Howard (hamstring) out, but he did get six targets. If that happens again against Seattle (10.1 FPPG allowed to TEs), he'll produce. |
| 12 | Vance McDonald, PIT vs. IND. McDonald hasn't done much of anything outside of a two-touchdown game in Week 2. Still, we like his matchup here against a Colts defense allowing 8.5 standard FPPG to TEs. |
| 13 | Darren Fells, HOU vs. JAX (in UK). Fells is inconsistent, but he's produced more than most TEs over the past month (four touchdowns). Jacksonville allows a relatively healthy 7.9 standard FPPG to TEs, so don't be afraid to take a shot with Fells. |
| 14 | Jack Doyle, IND @ PIT |
| 15 | Jimmy Graham, GB @ LAC |
| 16 | Jonnu Smith, TEN @ CAR. Smith took over for Delanie Walker (ankle) last week and hauled in six-of-seven targets for 78 yards and a score. The week before, he caught all three of his targets for 64 yards. You can argue he should be higher, but Carolina covers tight ends well (6.1 FPPG allowed), and you never know how Ryan Tannehill will perform on the road. |
| 17 | Chris Herndon, NYJ @ MIA |
| 18 | Noah Fant, DEN vs. CLE. Fant caught five-of-eight targets last week (both career highs), but it resulted in just 26 yards. He's yet to post more than 37 yards in a game this year. Even in a favorable matchup, he remains a risk, especially with a new QB. |
| 19 | Luke Willson, SEA vs. TB |
| 20 | Benjamin Watson, NE @ BAL |
| 21 | Jason Witten, DAL @ NYG |
| 22 | Dallas Goedert, PHI vs. CHI. Goedert has been on a roll lately, catching touchdowns and playing more snaps, but we all know Ertz is the top TE in Philadelphia, so Goedert is a major boom-or-bust candidate. |
| 23 | Irv Smith Jr., MIN @ KC |
| 24 | Kyle Rudolph, MIN @ KC |
| 25 | Tyler Kroft, BUF vs. WAS |
| 26 | Demetrius Harris, CLE @ DEN |
| 27 | Ricky Seals-Jones, CLE @ DEN |
| 28 | Mike Gesicki, MIA vs. NYJ |
| 29 | Trey Burton, CHI @ PHI |
| 30 | Jeremy Sprinkle, WAS @ BUF |
