Tight End Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks For Fantasy Football Week 4

Michael Fabiano | Sep 27, 2024

Start Em, Sit Em Tight Ends: Week 4 /

It’s Week 4, folks! It’s 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 tight ends who could exceed or fail to meet expectations based on their weekly opponent … like Brenton Strange in Week 3!

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!

All Positions: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | K & D/STs

Fabs’ Top 10 Tight ends

1. Sam LaPorta vs. Seahawks (Mon.)
2. Travis Kelce at Chargers
3. Dallas Goedert at Buccaneers
4. Jake Ferguson at Giants (Thurs.)
5. George Kittle vs. Patriots
6. Brock Bowers vs. Browns
7. Dalton Kincaid at Ravens
8. Kyle Pitts vs. Saints
9. Cole Kmet vs. Rams
10. Mark Andrews vs. Bills

Complete Week 4 tight end rankings

Week 4 Start ‘Em: Tight ends

Start of the Week

Dallas Goedert at Buccaneers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Goedert, listed as a start ‘em last week, went off for 170 yards and 27 fantasy points in a win over the Saints. He saw 11 targets, and that sort of volume could continue with A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith both injured. The Buccaneers have also allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to tight ends dating back to last season, so Goedert should be considered a must-start option this week.

Start ‘Em

Dalton Kincaid at Ravens (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Kincaid finally put up a nice stat line last week, as he scored a touchdown and 13.1 fantasy points against the Jaguars. While I’d like to see him play more snaps, tight end is a thin position, and Kincaid has a favorable matchup against the Ravens this week. Their defense has allowed the second-most PPR points to tight ends, so Kincaid will easily be a top-10 option for fantasy fans.

Kyle Pitts vs. Saints (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Pitts has averaged just 8.2 fantasy points this season, but that’s actually not bad at what is a terrible tight end position. He also just missed scoring a touchdown against the Chiefs, so that average could have been a bit better. I’m starting him against the Saints, who just gave up a massive stat line to Goedert and have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to tight ends since last season.

Cole Kmet vs. Rams (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Kmet scored just 8.1 fantasy points in his first two games and was being dropped in some leagues. Then came last week, when he exploded for 10 catches on 11 targets for 97 yards, a touchdown and 25.7 points. Kmet also played 72 snaps, and he’s seen his snaps grow in each week of the season. Start him against the Rams, who have allowed the third-most points to tight ends in their last 20 games.

TEs With Good Matchups

• Tyler Conklin vs. Broncos (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Brock Bowers vs. Browns (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Pat Freiermuth at Colts (1 p.m. ET, CBS)

Week 4 Sit ‘Em: Tight ends

Sep 15, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) runs the ball against the Seattle Seahawks in the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Sit of the Week

Hunter Henry at 49ers (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox): Henry’s stock was on the rise after he scored 18.9 fantasy points in Week 2, but he failed to build on that with a 2.9-point stinker this past week. He’s now scored fewer than four points in two of three games, and he’s lost some snaps to Austin Hooper. I’d keep him on the bench against the 49ers, who have given up the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends since last season.

Sit ‘Em

Dalton Schultz vs. Jaguars (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Schultz is seeing a full complement of snaps in the Houston offense, but he’s barely seen any targets from C.J. Stroud. In fact, he’s seen just 11 opportunities as a receiver in his first three games and is averaging a meager 3.9 fantasy points. He’s a risky play in most leagues against the Jaguars, who have allowed single-digit points to all but six tight ends since the start of last season.  

Jonnu Smith vs. Titans (Mon. 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): Smith has a revenge game against the Titans, but I’m avoiding all Dolphins pass catchers where possible. The quarterback situation is a disaster, which was obvious in Seattle last week, as Smith scored just 3.8 points. Tennessee has been tough on tight ends too, as their defense has allowed just one player at the position to beat them for more than 10.9 points since last season.

Mike Gesicki at Panthers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Gesicki came back to earth on Monday night, scoring just 8.7 points after beating the Chiefs for 16.1 in the previous week. He also saw fewer targets, which was expected with the return of Tee Higgins. Next up is a matchup against a Panthers defense that held Brock Bowers to just 7.1 fantasy points, so Gesicki is no lock to re-emerge into a fantasy starter. Unless you’re desperate, I’d sit him.

TEs With Bad Matchups

• Colby Parkinson at Bears (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Juwan Johnson at Falcons (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Noah Fant at Lions (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+)