.jpg)
Many people probably expect to see Martellus Bennett listed below, but since I didn’t recommend him, I thought I should discuss him here. First of all, if you want to play Martellus Bennett for DFS, don’t let me stop you. Assuming Rob Gronkowski is out, Bennett is a top-three fantasy tight end at a discount price. By all means, go ahead and play him, but for the most part, I won’t.
Predicting DFS ownership is tricky, and I might change my mind based on our Ownership Forecaster, but I think Bennett’s ownership could approach 50 percent. There are enough options I really like, including one at almost the exact same price, that I am willing to fade Bennett. Bennett will probably be good, and probably get in the end zone, but isn’t there a chance the Patriots score five touchdowns and four of them go to LeGarrette Blount? I just don’t think Bennett is a sure thing, and there are two sure things who cost more who I think I would be willing to pay up for.
Before we get to the options I like, I think I should point out this could be a good week to flex a tight end. I don’t have a ton of options listed, but I love the guys who made the cut, especially when you compare them to similarly-priced running backs and wide receivers.
| Opp Pts | Opp | Opp Ov | Opp Pa | ||||||||||||||||||||
| PLAYER | Tm | H/A | Opp | G | Snaps | Tgts | Tgt% | Tgt/G | Rec | Rec/G | Catch% | ReYds | ReTD | YPC | Allow | Def Rk | Def Rk | Yds/G | O/U | $Line | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Rob Gronkowski | NE | A | SF | 7 | 345 | 36 | 12.8% | 5.1 | 25 | 3.6 | 69.4% | 540 | 3 | 21.6 | 9.5 | 17 | 25 | 249.2 | 51 | 550 | 8400 | 7100 | 5700 |
| Jordan Reed | WAS | H | GB | 7 | 409 | 63 | 18.1% | 9.0 | 44 | 6.3 | 69.8% | 456 | 3 | 10.4 | 12.0 | 18 | 12 | 253.8 | 50.5 | -145 | 6900 | 5900 | 4700 |
| Delanie Walker | TEN | A | IND | 9 | 425 | 62 | 19.7% | 6.9 | 42 | 4.7 | 67.7% | 571 | 5 | 13.6 | 12.9 | 30 | 31 | 287.9 | 53 | -150 | 6400 | 5700 | 4900 |
| Jimmy Graham | SEA | H | PHI | 9 | 440 | 58 | 19.2% | 6.4 | 42 | 4.7 | 72.4% | 593 | 3 | 14.1 | 5.3 | 1 | 1 | 222.4 | 44 | -280 | 6500 | 5600 | 4850 |
| Tyler Eifert | CIN | H | BUF | 3 | 121 | 19 | 6.2% | 6.3 | 13 | 4.3 | 68.4% | 207 | 1 | 15.9 | 9.3 | 23 | 23 | 242.2 | 47.5 | -140 | 6300 | 5400 | 4900 |
| Travis Kelce | KC | H | TB | 9 | 519 | 58 | 18.1% | 6.4 | 42 | 4.7 | 72.4% | 466 | 3 | 11.1 | 9.4 | 15 | 14 | 267.7 | 44.5 | -330 | 6100 | 4700 | 4500 |
| Eric Ebron | DET | H | JAC | 6 | 343 | 43 | 13.8% | 7.2 | 32 | 5.3 | 74.4% | 381 | 1 | 11.9 | 8.4 | 13 | 17 | 203.7 | 47 | -270 | 5400 | 4100 | 4200 |
| Kyle Rudolph | MIN | H | ARI | 9 | 556 | 65 | 20.7% | 7.2 | 37 | 4.1 | 56.9% | 392 | 5 | 10.6 | 3.9 | 3 | 4 | 195.2 | 40.5 | -110 | 4900 | 3900 | 4600 |
| Cameron Brate | TB | A | KC | 9 | 428 | 49 | 14.2% | 5.4 | 35 | 3.9 | 71.4% | 375 | 5 | 10.7 | 6.5 | 8 | 9 | 244.4 | 44.5 | -330 | 5600 | 3800 | 4350 |
| Zach Miller | CHI | A | NYG | 9 | 482 | 61 | 19.4% | 6.8 | 44 | 4.9 | 72.1% | 425 | 3 | 9.7 | 9.9 | 9 | 8 | 267.2 | 45 | -330 | 5500 | 3800 | 4000 |
| Martellus Bennett | NE | A | SF | 9 | 459 | 47 | 16.7% | 5.2 | 38 | 4.2 | 80.9% | 504 | 4 | 13.3 | 9.5 | 17 | 25 | 249.2 | 51 | 550 | 5200 | 3700 | 4650 |
| Dennis Pitta | BAL | A | DAL | 9 | 499 | 66 | 17.6% | 7.3 | 46 | 5.1 | 69.7% | 375 | 0 | 8.2 | 11.1 | 25 | 19 | 263.1 | 45 | -330 | 4800 | 3600 | 4300 |
| Julius Thomas | JAC | A | DET | 8 | 399 | 46 | 12.2% | 5.8 | 27 | 3.4 | 58.7% | 269 | 4 | 10.0 | 15.2 | 32 | 32 | 259.3 | 47 | -270 | 5900 | 3500 | 4000 |
| Jesse James | PIT | A | CLE | 9 | 444 | 39 | 10.7% | 4.3 | 28 | 3.1 | 71.8% | 231 | 3 | 8.3 | 16.4 | 31 | 30 | 275.4 | 48 | 280 | 4800 | 3400 | 4300 |
| Jason Witten | DAL | H | BAL | 9 | 622 | 63 | 22.5% | 7.0 | 44 | 4.9 | 69.8% | 483 | 2 | 11.0 | 6.4 | 6 | 2 | 210.2 | 45 | -330 | 5500 | 3300 | 4350 |
| C.J. Fiedorowicz | HOU | A | OAK | 9 | 391 | 43 | 13.4% | 4.8 | 29 | 3.2 | 67.4% | 305 | 3 | 10.5 | 11.0 | 24 | 28 | 283.2 | 46 | -250 | 5100 | 3300 | 3900 |
| Jack Doyle | IND | H | TEN | 9 | 436 | 45 | 13.3% | 5.0 | 36 | 4.0 | 80.0% | 379 | 4 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 26 | 27 | 267.7 | 53 | -150 | 5000 | 3300 | 4100 |
| Zach Ertz | PHI | A | SEA | 7 | 388 | 35 | 11.3% | 5.0 | 29 | 4.1 | 82.9% | 302 | 0 | 10.4 | 7.0 | 7 | 5 | 241.7 | 44 | -280 | 4700 | 3200 | 4100 |
| Gary Barnidge | CLE | H | PIT | 10 | 609 | 54 | 15.3% | 5.4 | 37 | 3.7 | 68.5% | 434 | 0 | 11.7 | 10.2 | 21 | 20 | 278.1 | 48 | 280 | 4700 | 3100 | 4000 |
| Lance Kendricks | LA | H | MIA | 9 | 524 | 54 | 17.4% | 6.0 | 33 | 3.7 | 61.1% | 331 | 1 | 10.0 | 9.8 | 4 | 7 | 235.6 | 40 | 105 | 4900 | 3000 | 3600 |
| Dwayne Allen | IND | H | TEN | 7 | 330 | 29 | 8.6% | 4.1 | 19 | 2.7 | 65.5% | 207 | 2 | 10.9 | 11.5 | 26 | 27 | 267.7 | 53 | -150 | 5300 | 2900 | 3800 |
| Vernon Davis | WAS | H | GB | 9 | 329 | 29 | 8.3% | 3.2 | 26 | 2.9 | 89.7% | 382 | 2 | 14.7 | 12.0 | 18 | 12 | 253.8 | 50.5 | -145 | 4500 | 2800 | 4200 |
| Vance McDonald | SF | H | NE | 7 | 269 | 27 | 9.7% | 3.9 | 15 | 2.1 | 55.6% | 276 | 3 | 18.4 | 6.5 | 27 | 18 | 260.4 | 51 | 550 | 4700 | 2700 | 4100 |
| Richard Rodgers | GB | A | WAS | 9 | 386 | 34 | 9.2% | 3.8 | 19 | 2.1 | 55.9% | 175 | 1 | 9.2 | 10.7 | 14 | 21 | 250.2 | 50.5 | -145 | 4600 | 2700 | 3900 |
| Will Tye | NYG | H | CHI | 9 | 333 | 40 | 11.4% | 4.4 | 27 | 3.0 | 67.5% | 235 | 0 | 8.7 | 8.4 | 16 | 16 | 242.8 | 45 | -330 | 4500 | 2700 | 3500 |
| Charles Clay | BUF | A | CIN | 9 | 510 | 46 | 17.8% | 5.1 | 29 | 3.2 | 63.0% | 283 | 0 | 9.8 | 13.5 | 20 | 22 | 258.7 | 47.5 | -140 | 4800 | 2600 | 3900 |
| Garrett Celek | SF | H | NE | 9 | 287 | 29 | 10.4% | 3.2 | 16 | 1.8 | 55.2% | 215 | 0 | 13.4 | 6.5 | 27 | 18 | 260.4 | 51 | 550 | 4500 | 2600 | 3000 |
| Dominique Jones | MIA | A | LA | 5 | 72 | 9 | 3.5% | 1.8 | 6 | 1.2 | 66.7% | 54 | 1 | 9.0 | 7.7 | 12 | 10 | 223.9 | 40 | 105 | 4800 | 2500 | 3700 |
| Clive Walford | OAK | H | HOU | 8 | 381 | 30 | 8.6% | 3.8 | 21 | 2.6 | 70.0% | 199 | 1 | 9.5 | 7.5 | 11 | 13 | 196.8 | 46 | -250 | 4500 | 2500 | 3700 |
| Jared Cook | GB | A | WAS | 3 | 93 | 11 | 3.0% | 3.7 | 6 | 2.0 | 54.5% | 53 | 0 | 8.8 | 10.7 | 14 | 21 | 250.2 | 50.5 | -145 | 4500 | 2500 | 3700 |
| Ladarius Green | PIT | A | CLE | 1 | 12 | 4 | 1.1% | 4.0 | 3 | 3.0 | 75.0% | 30 | 0 | 10.0 | 16.4 | 31 | 30 | 275.4 | 48 | 280 | 4500 | 2500 | 3500 |
Premium Options
.jpg)
Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans
Only four teams have allowed more fantasy points to opposing tight ends than the Colts, and they are the 30th ranked defense against the pass. Walker caught seven passes for 84 yards and a touchdown against the Colts in Week 7, and I don’t see any reason to expect a steep decline in that production.
Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins
Jordan Reed has two more receptions than Delanie Walker despite playing in two fewer games. Reed is actually cheaper than Walker on FantasyAces, and that could be a great value against a Green Bay team that allowed Walker to catch nine passes for 124 yards and a touchdown last week.
Value Options
Zach Miller, Chicago Bears
Last season Jay Cutler leaned heavily on his tight ends when Alshon Jeffrey was out, and with all due respect to Cameron Meredith, I expect Zach Miller to lead the Bears in targets and receptions. The Giants have allowed 28 receptions to tight ends over the last four weeks. Miller is an excellent option if you don’t want to play Martellus Bennett.
Bargain Options
Ladarius Green, Pittsburgh Steelers
Green was solid in his Pittsburgh debut last week, and at the very least, I think we can all agree he shouldn’t cost significantly less than Jesse James. The Browns are 31st in the NFL against the pass, and even if Green is fourth on the Steelers in targets again this week, that should be good enough to outperform his price.