Dallas Goedert wasn’t drafted as a starting tight end in fantasy football leagues this season, but that’s exactly what he’s been through the first five weeks of 2024.
The Philadelphia Eagles veteran enters Week 6 as the TE4 in overall PPR scoring. He’s averaged over 20 fantasy points over his past two games, with the Eagles forced to adjust their attack without star receivers A.J. Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (concussion).
With Brown and Smith on track to return Sunday as the Eagles take on the struggling Cleveland Browns, should Goedert still be treated as a sure-fire TE1 in fantasy? And can Brown and Smith be trusted in lineups as they return from multi-week injuries?
Let’s break it down:
Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 6: Dallas Goedert
Which version of Dallas Goedert will we see against the Browns? The version who saw just nine total targets over the first two weeks of the season? Or the game-changer who was targeted 19 times for 17 catches and 232 receiving yards over Weeks 3 and 4?
Most likely, Goedert falls closer to the former, dropping back to fringe starter territory.
He’ll likely get less targets with Brown and Smith back in the fold, and the matchup against Cleveland doesn’t look favorable. The Browns have been among the stingiest defenses against opposing tight ends and are yet to allow a touchdown to the position in 2024.
Considering Goedert is yet to score himself this season, this one feels like a fade.
Verdict: Sit him.
Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 6: DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown
Brown injured his hamstring on Sept. 13. That means he’ll be over a month removed from an issue that was described by the team as “tightness” when it occurred in practice days before Philly’s Week 2 game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Brown returned to practice before the bye week. He’s practiced in full this week in preparation for Sunday’s game against Cleveland. If he’s active as expected, he’s a must-start as a top-10 fantasy option.
Smith is in a similar boat. Although he was reportedly still working through the NFL’s concussion protocol on Wednesday of this week, all signs point to him being ready to return against the Browns.
The risk of re-injury does not outweigh the reward of getting Smith and Brown back this week for your fantasy team.
Verdict: Start them.
More Philadelphia Eagles news:
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Eagles predicted to part ways with $42M cornerback at NFL trade deadline
Ex-NFL exec: Eagles the frontrunner for superstar safety at trade deadline
