Tight End Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks For Fantasy Football Week 6

Michael Fabiano | Oct 11, 2024

Start Em, Sit Em TEs: Week 6 / Sports Illustrated

It’s Week 6, 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 Tucker Kraft and Tyler Conkin in Week 5!

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 I as we break down all things fantasy football five days a week!

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Fabs’ Top 10 Fantasy Football Tight Ends

1. Trey McBride at Packers
2. Sam LaPorta at Cowboys
3. Brock Bowers vs. Steelers
4. Jake Ferguson vs. Lions
5. George Kittle at Seahawks (Thurs.)
6. Tucker Kraft vs. Cardinals
7. Dallas Goedert vs. Browns
8. Dalton Kincaid at Jets (Mon.)
9. Kyle Pitts at Panthers
10. Pat Freiermuth at Raiders

Complete Week 6 tight end rankings

Byes: Chiefs, Dolphins, Rams, Vikings

Week 6 Start ‘Em: Fantasy Football Tight Ends

Start of the Week

Trey McBride at Packers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): McBride returned to action last week and put up a good line, catching six passes and scoring 11.3 points. While he’s been inconsistent … he’s been held to single digits in two of four games … McBride is still one of fantasy’s most valuable tight ends. I’d start him against the Packers, who allowed 12.2 points to Colby Parkinson last week, in a game that has opened with a total of almost 50.

Start ‘Em

Brock Bowers vs. Steelers (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Bowers is basically a must-start at what is a brutal position, so take this as more of a validation than a recommendation. While he’s been held to single digits in two of his last three games, Bowers has also put up 18-plus points in two of his last four. He’s also facing a Steelers defense that has given up double-digit fantasy points to Jake Ferguson and Kyle Pitts this season.

Kyle Pitts at Panthers (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Pitts drives me nuts. He’ll go a few weeks with awful stat lines (like Weeks 2-4), then he’ll pop out of nowhere like he did in Week 5. So, I’d take this with a grain of salt. Pitts has a nice matchup against the Panthers, who have given up the sixth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends this season. He’s also put up an average of 10.7 PPR points in his last three meetings with this NFC South foe.

Tucker Kraft vs. Cardinals (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Kraft, listed as a start ‘em last week, had a huge game with 88 yards, two touchdowns and 24.8 fantasy points. He has now scored more than 42 combined points in the last two weeks, and I’ll continue to chase the points against Arizona. Their defense has been mostly tough on opposing tight ends, but it did allow 20.4 points to George Kittle last week. Kraft remains a viable No. 1 option.

TEs With Good Matchups

• Jake Ferguson vs. Lions (4:25 pm. ET, Fox)
• Dalton Schultz at Patriots (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Cade Otton at Saints (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
  

Week 6 Sit ‘Em: Fantasy Football Tight Ends

Oct 6, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) catches a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Sit of the Week

Mark Andrews vs. Commanders (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Andrews has been unbelievably bad this season, scoring fewer than four points in three of his five games, including two where he has been held to zero. He did score a season-high 9.5 points last week, but he still ceded snaps to Isaiah Likely and even backup Charlier Kolar. He’ll be a gamble against the Commanders, who have allowed double digits to just one tight end this season.

Sit ‘Em

Dalton Kincaid at Jets (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Kincaid is a tough player to sit at an awful position … but take a look at his numbers. Through five weeks, he’s been held to single digits four times and is averaging 7.5 points. That’s not good. Even last week with Khalil Shakir out, he was held to just 5.4 points. Kincaid also has a bad matchup this week, facing a Jets defense that’s allowed the third-fewest points to tight ends.

Zach Ertz at Ravens (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Ertz has been a desperation starter for managers at a bad position, but I’d still pass on him against the Ravens. The veteran has failed to score more than 8.8 points in all but one game, and he’s averaging a modest 7.7 points per game overall. Baltimore has given up good stat lines to Bowers and Ferguson, but it’s also held both Kincaid and Travis Kelce to modest stat lines this season as well.

Hunter Henry vs. Texans (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Henry’s stats have fallen off a cliff lately, as he’s scored single digits in three straight games and four of his five games this season. If that weren’t enough to sit him, also consider a matchup against the Texans. Their defense has allowed just one touchdown to a tight end this season, and the position has averaged a mere 5.3 points per game against them. Put Henry on the bench … or the waiver wire.

TEs With Bad Matchups

• Cole Kmet vs. Jaguars (London, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network)
• David Njoku at Eagles (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
• MIke Gesicki at Giants (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC)