Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Tight Ends For Fantasy Football Week 11

Michael Fabiano | Nov 17, 2024

David Njoku (left) is a start this week while Kyle Pitts (right) is a sit. / David Njoku: Cooper Neill/Getty ImagesKyle Pitts: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It’s Week 11, folks! Time to set those fantasy lineups! Start ‘Em, Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups in a given week for fantasy football leagues. Each week, I'll examine the tight ends who could exceed or fail to meet expectations based on their weekly opponent … like Mark Andrews and Cole Kmet in Week 10!

For your final lineup decisions, check out my fantasy player rankings. I update them daily! Also, make sure you subscribe to the Fantasy Dirt Podcast with Lindsay Rhodes and me as we break down all things fantasy football five days a week!

All Positions: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | K & DSTs

Byes: Buccaneers, Cardinals, Giants, Panthers

Fabs’ Top 10 Tight Ends

1. Travis Kelce at Bills
2.Brock Bowers at Dolphins
3. David Njoku at Saints
4. Mark Andrews at Steelers
5. T.J. Hockenson at Titans
6. Evan Engram at Lions
7. Kyle Pitts at Broncos
8. Tucker Kraft at Bears
9. Dallas Goedert vs. Commanders (Thurs.)
10. Will Dissly vs. Bengals

Complete Week 11 tight end rankings

Week 11 Start ‘Em: Tight Ends

Browns tight end David Njoku is the start of the week. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Start of the Week

David Njoku at Saints (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Njoku had a stinker in his last game before the bye, scoring just 7.9 fantasy points. He had scored 17-plus in the previous two contests, though, and he’s been one of the league’s most targeted tight ends in the last month. In Week 11, he’ll face a Saints defense that’s given up at least 9.1 fantasy points to seven different tight ends, including Ja’Tavion Sanders, Luke Schoonmaker and Will Dissly.

Start ‘Em

T.J. Hockenson at Titans (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Hockenson looked great in his second game of the season, playing 39 snaps and scoring 15.2 fantasy points in a win over the Jags. He has a bad matchup on paper this week against the Titans, who have allowed the fifth-fewest points per game to tight ends, but I’m ignoring the matchup in this case. With four teams on a bye and Hockenson looking like his old self, he’s back as a virtual must-start.

Pat Freiermuth vs. Ravens (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Freiermuth has been nearly invisible in the stat sheets lately, posting 22 or fewer receiving yards in four of his last five games. Still, with four teams on a bye, he’s worth a roll of the dice against the Ravens. Their defense has been generous to tight ends, allowing seven to score at least 9.7 points including five with at least 15.5. Three tight ends have beaten them for 16-plus points since Week 7.

Jonnu Smith vs. Raiders (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Smith has been more involved in the Dolphins offense lately, seeing at least six targets in four of his last five games. He has a nice matchup in Week 11 too, facing a Raiders defense that’s allowed 25 or more points to two tight ends in each of their last two games. What’s more, no defense in the league has allowed more fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends dating back to Week 7.

TEs With Good Matchups

• Hunter Henry vs. Rams (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Dawson Knox vs. Chiefs (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Will Dissly vs. Bengals (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC)

Week 11 Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends

Sit of the Week

Jaguars tight end Evan Engram is the sit of the week. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Evan Engram at Lions (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Engram is nearly impossible to sit during the bye weeks, so take this as a warning. The Lions' defense has allowed just one tight end to score double digits against them this season, as Trey McBride, Tucker Kraft, Jake Ferguson, and Dalton Schultz have all had no real success against them. Engram is also catching passes from Mac Jones, who had a dreadful passer rating of 38.3 in his first start last week.

Sit ‘Em

Jake Ferguson vs. Texans (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Maybe this is a “rage” sit ‘em, as I’m a Cowboys fan and that offense looked brutal last week, but it’s hard to trust anyone with a star on his helmet right now. That includes Ferguson, who had just five targets and was held to 4.4 fantasy points in a terrible loss to the Eagles. The Texans' defense has allowed just one tight end to beat them for more than 13.1 points this season, too.

Kyle Pitts at Broncos (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox): Pitts has seen his numbers drop in the last two weeks, scoring a combined 11.6 fantasy points with a mere five catches. He also has a tough matchup against the Broncos, who have allowed single digits to every tight end not named Travis Kelce or Brock Bowers. That list includes Mark Andrews, Cade Otton, and Pat Freiermuth. If you do start Pitts, it’s best to temper your fantasy expectations.

Cole Kmet vs. Packers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Kmet can finish with a huge stat line at any time, but he’s been all or nothing this season. In fact, he’s been held to single digits in any game he hasn’t scored 24 or more points (just twice). So, while this week’s matchup against the Packers isn’t bad on paper, it’s tough to start Kmet with any kind of confidence. The Bears offense is a total mess too, making Kmet even more of a gamble for managers.

TEs With Bad Matchups

• Mike Gesicki at Chargers (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC)
• Chigoziem Okonkwo vs. Vikings (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Juwan Johnson vs. Browns (1 p.m. ET, Fox)