Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Tight Ends Fantasy Football Week 2: Zach Ertz Puts a Hurt on Raiders

Don’t worry about Dalton Schultz, even with a backup QB.

Start ‘Em, Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups based on a PPR scoring system in fantasy football. This column will not cover the elite players in the NFL like Josh Allen, Jonathan Taylor or Cooper Kupp. Instead, I'll look at the players you have questions about who could exceed or fail to meet expectations at each position. For all of your final fantasy lineup decisions, be sure to check out my weekly player rankings which will be updated daily throughout the NFL season.

Fabs Top 10 Tight Ends
1. Travis Kelce vs. Chargers (TNF)
2. Mark Andrews vs. Dolphins
3. Kyle Pitts at Rams
4. Darren Waller vs. Cardinals
5. Dalton Schultz at Bengals
6. T.J. Hockenson vs. Commanders
7. Zach Ertz at Raiders
8. Dallas Goedert vs. Vikings (MNF)
9. Pat Freiermuth vs. Patriots
10. Dawson Knox vs. Titans (MNF)

Complete positional rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | FLEX | K | DST

Week 2 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | KICKERS & TEAM DEFENSES

Week 2 Start ‘Em: Tight Ends

Start of the Week

Zach Ertz at Raiders (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): Ertz did most of his statistical damage in garbage time last week, but he finished as a top-10 fantasy tight end. I’d get him into your lineup this week, as he faces a Raiders defense that’s been awful against tight ends. Their defense has allowed the eighth-most points to the position in their last eight games, including a touchdown to Gerald Everett last week.

SI Sportsbook Player Prop: Ertz over 40.5 receiving yards

Start ‘Em

Dalton Schultz vs. Bengals (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): Fantasy managers might be a bit concerned about Schultz’s value with Dak Prescott on the sidelines, but I’d still start him against the Bengals. I’m expecting him to be a security blanket of sorts for new starter Cooper Rush, and Cincinnati has also allowed more fantasy points to tight ends than any team in the league in their last eight games overall.

Pat Freiermuth at Patriots (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Freiermuth doesn’t always record a monster total, but he almost always has a decent floor. In fact, he’s scored at least 7.2 PPR points in each of his last eight games dating back to last season. That of course includes last week, when he recorded a solid 12.5 points on 10 targets. So, while the matchup in New England isn’t great on paper, I’m starting Freiermuth.

SI Sportsbook Player Props: Freiermuth over 36.5 receiving yards

Tyler Higbee vs. Falcons (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox): Believe it or not, no tight end in the NFL had more targets than Higbee in Week 1. He scored a modest 8.9 points, but the target share was impressive with Van Jefferson out of action. If he’s out once again, I’d stream Higbee in a matchup against the Falcons. Their defense has allowed five touchdowns to opposing tight ends over their last eight contests.

More Starts

• Albert Okwuegbunam vs. Texans (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Hayden Hurst at Cowboys (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)

DFS Bargains

• Tyler Higbee vs. Falcons ($4,200)
• Albert Okwuegbunam vs. Texans ($3,700)
• Logan Thomas at Lions ($3,400)

Week 2 Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends

Sit of the Week

Taysom Hill vs. Buccaneers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Hill was a fantasy star in Week 1, scoring 15.3 fantasy points in a win over the Falcons. I wouldn’t chase the points though, as he played just 15 offensive snaps and was used as a blocker on more than half of them. He scored a good chunk of his points on a 50-yard run, which is also unlikely to happen in most weeks. If you grabbed him off the wire, I’d sit him.

Sit ‘Em

Mike Gesicki at Ravens (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Gesicki is not only a sit ‘em, but he’s a candidate to be released in a lot of fantasy leagues. Per PFF, the Dolphins ran 25 snaps from 21 or 22 personnel and Gesicki was never on the field in those sets. He played just 19 pass snaps overall, and Tua Tagovailoa looked in his direction just twice. So while the Ravens are bad against tight ends, I simply can’t start Gesicki.

Noah Fant at 49ers (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox): Fant’s fantasy value is taking a serious nosedive, as he finds himself in a tight end committee with Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson. In Week 1, Dissly led the trio in snaps while Fant saw just four targets. That’s bad news for the veteran, who also has to face a Niners defense that has given up the seventh-fewest fantasy points to tight ends since Week 12, 2021.

Irv Smith Jr. at Eagles (Mon. 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC): Smith, who was listed as a sit ‘em a week ago, played a mere 19 snaps and was targeted twice as the Vikings brought him along slowly in his return from an injured thumb. Johnny Mundt led their tight ends in snaps and caught three passes for 17 yards. I wouldn’t cut Smith in most fantasy leagues, but I wouldn’t start him until his playing time increases.

More Sits

• O.J. Howard at Broncos (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Austin Hooper at Bills (7:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)

DFS Fades

• Mike Gesicki at Ravens ($4,300)
• Noah Fant at 49ers ($4,000)
• Tyler Conklin at Browns ($3,400)

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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. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business to help you win a fantasy championship!