Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 14: Tight Ends - Sleepers, Fades, Matchups, DFS Bargains

Start 'em and sit 'em tight ends for Week 14 from senior fantasy football expert Michael Fabiano.

Week 14 Start 'Em: Tight Ends

Start of the Week

Hunter Henry vs. Falcons (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX): Henry and the rest of the Los Angeles offense were dreadful a week ago, but a home matchup against Atlanta should be good for what ails it. Their defense has allowed an average of 404 total yards per game on the road, and opposing tight ends have scored nine times and averaged nearly 16 fantasy points against them overall. In what could turn into a high-scoring affair, Henry should be seen as a top-10 tight end option.

Week 14 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em

• QUARTERBACKS
• RUNNING BACKS
• WIDE RECEIVERS
• TIGHT ENDS
• KICKERS
• TEAM DEFENSES

Be sure to check out my Week 14 rankings before finalizing any lineup decisions or if your league has special scoring rules, sign up for SI Fantasy+ for customized rankings.

MORE: Week 14 Rankings, Articles, Reports & Tools Hub

Start 'Em

Eric Ebron at Bills (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Ebron has been peppered with targets in recent weeks, seeing a combined 29 over his last three games. That trend should continue against the Bills in what could be a shootout at Orchard Park. Buffalo has been generous to tight ends, allowing seven touchdowns and an average of nearly 16 fantasy points per game to the position. With Ben Roethlisberger throwing the football a ton, Ebron should be seen as a top-10 option this week.

Noah Fant at Panthers (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Fant has finished with nine or more fantasy points in three of his last five games played with a true quarterback (sorry, Kendall Hinton). He's also seen five or more targets in three straight games without Hinton under center, and a matchup against the Panthers makes him a potential top-10 play this week. Carolina has been generous to tight ends, allowing an average of 13.9 points a game. That's the seventh-most in the NFL.

Dalton Schultz at Bengals (1 p.m. ET, FOX): Schultz has been a target machine in the Cowboys offense lately, seeing 26 in four games heading into Week 13. He'll be a viable streamer for fantasy managers this week, as a date with the Bengals is a favorable one. In fact, their defense has surrendered 10 or more fantasy points eight times this season. In all, the position has scored seven touchdowns and put up an average of 16.1 fantasy points a game against Cincinnati in 2020.

More Starts

• Rob Gronkowski vs. Vikings (1 p.m. ET, FOX)
• Robert Tonyan at Lions (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX)
• Jordan Akins at Bears (1 p.m. ET, CBS)

DFS Bargains

• Logan Thomas at 49ers (DraftKings: $3,500)
• Dalton Schultz at Bengals (DraftKings: $3,500)
• Jordan Akins at Bears (DraftKings: $2,900)

Week 14 Sit 'Em: Tight Ends

Sit of the Week

Austin Hooper vs. Ravens (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Hooper has failed to put up improved numbers since the Browns lost Odell Beckham Jr. to a knee injury. He's averaged just 5.5 fantasy points in the last month and has seen just two targets in three of his last four games. Hooper also failed to produce a good stat line in his first game of the year against the Ravens, scoring just 3.5 fantasy points. Unless you're desperate, Hooper is a fade in this AFC North contest.

Sit 'Em

Jared Cook at Falcons (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX): Cook did find the end zone last week, but he produced just 28 yards and has put up zero yards twice in the last month. I'd continue to sit him in Week 14, even against an Eagles defense that's given up seven touchdowns and the eighth-most points to tight ends. Cook has averaged just 3.3 fantasy points since Week 9, and the Saints have run the ball 58 percent of the time with Taysom Hill as the team's starting quarterback.

Zach Ertz vs. Saints (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX): Ertz returned to action for the Eagles last week, but he saw just four targets and was held to a mere 31 yards in a loss to the Packers. He was out-targeted and out-produced by Dallas Goedert, who is still the top option in the Eagles pass attack. Ertz also has a tough matchup against the Saints, who have allowed just one tight end to score more than 3.3 fantasy points since Week 5. While Goedert remains a start, I'd sit Ertz this weekend.

Trey Burton at Raiders (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Burton has been tough to trust in recent weeks, scoring fewer than six fantasy points in three of his last five games. He's a touchdown-dependent player in most leagues, and this week's matchup isn't favorable in that respect. Las Vegas' defense has had its share of issues, but it's been tough on tight ends. In fact, the position has scored just one touchdown against the Silver & Black since Week 7. Beware of Burton this week.

BETTOR'S DREAM: Up to $1,000 Sign Up Bonus at DraftKings Sportsbook

More Sits

• Tyler Eifert vs. Titans (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Jimmy Graham vs. Texans (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Dan Arnold at Giants (1 p.m. ET, FOX)

DFS Fades

• Jared Cook at Eagles (DraftKings: $3,800)
• Zach Ertz vs. Saints (DraftKings: $3,700)
• Dan Arnold at Giants (DraftKings: $3,600)

Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for all of the latest breaking fantasy football news and the best analysis in the business!

It's time to join the club! Become a member of SI Fantasy+ for as low as 14 cents a day!