This week feels like a turning point. Up until now, most of my tight end picks each week were based on talent and opportunity rather than matchups. This week, however, I am placing more value on the matchups. There are two reasons for this shift. The first reason is the prices finally match the value for the majority of tight ends. Guys like Gary Barnidge and Richard Rodgers are finally priced correctly, and unlike last week, there aren’t any minimally priced players thrust into starting roles this week.
The other reason I’m putting more stock in matchups this week is I feel like we finally have a pretty decent grasp of which defenses are good, which ones aren’t, and which ones cannot defend tight ends. There is still some noise in the numbers, but I feel pretty confident choosing tight ends going against teams like the Saints or Giants. You should, too.
| FanDuel | Draft Kings | Fantasy Feud | |||||||||||
| Player | Tm | Opp | HorA | Tar/G | Rec/G | Yds/G | TD/G | $ | PTS/G | $ | PTS/G | $ | PTS/G |
| Rob Gronkowski | NE | IND | away | 8.3 | 5 | 93.8 | 1 | 8200 | 16.72 | 7600 | 21.88 | 142800 | 16.72 |
| Greg Olsen | CAR | SEA | away | 8.5 | 4.3 | 60.8 | 0.5 | 6300 | 9.72 | 5500 | 14.08 | 96500 | 9.72 |
| Travis Kelce | KC | MIN | away | 6.8 | 4.8 | 65.6 | 0.4 | 6200 | 10.96 | 5000 | 14.56 | 105200 | 10.96 |
| Antonio Gates | SD | GB | away | 11 | 9 | 92 | 2 | 5500 | 5.14 | 4600 | 30.2 | 123100 | 5.14 |
| Tyler Eifert | CIN | BUF | away | 7.2 | 4.8 | 62.4 | 1 | 6000 | 14.64 | 4900 | 17.64 | 100300 | 14.64 |
| Charles Clay | BUF | CIN | home | 6.4 | 4.4 | 52.4 | 0.4 | 5700 | 9.44 | 4300 | 12.64 | 94100 | 9.44 |
| Martellus Bennett | CHI | DET | away | 8.4 | 5.6 | 46.6 | 0.4 | 5800 | 9.46 | 4800 | 12.66 | 109800 | 9.46 |
| Jimmy Graham | SEA | CAR | home | 5.6 | 4.2 | 40.8 | 0.4 | 6300 | 8.58 | 5400 | 10.68 | 88600 | 8.58 |
| Kyle Rudolph | MIN | KC | home | 5.8 | 3.5 | 26 | 0.3 | 5000 | 5.02 | 3000 | 7.6 | 63600 | 5.02 |
| Derek Carrier | WAS | NYJ | away | 1.6 | 1.2 | 10.6 | 0.2 | 4900 | 2.86 | 2500 | 2.9 | 68000 | 2.86 |
| Julius Thomas | JAC | HOU | home | 2 | 2 | 20 | 5200 | 0.6 | 4000 | 4 | 74000 | 0.6 | |
| Gary Barnidge | CLE | DEN | home | 6.4 | 4.8 | 74.8 | 0.6 | 5700 | 13.48 | 4400 | 17.08 | 91700 | 13.48 |
| Delanie Walker | TEN | MIA | home | 6.3 | 4.7 | 49 | 0.3 | 5400 | 7.6 | 3600 | 11.57 | 67800 | 7.6 |
| Jordan Cameron | MIA | TEN | away | 7 | 3 | 42.5 | 5400 | 5.18 | 3000 | 7.25 | 61100 | 5.18 | |
| Dwayne Allen | IND | NE | home | 2.3 | 1.3 | 12.7 | 0.3 | 5000 | 2.36 | 2900 | 4.6 | 45400 | 2.36 |
| Owen Daniels | DEN | CLE | away | 5.2 | 2.4 | 12.2 | 0.4 | 4900 | 4.82 | 2700 | 6.02 | 48400 | 4.82 |
| Coby Fleener | IND | NE | home | 4.4 | 3.2 | 29.6 | 0.2 | 5100 | 5.76 | 3000 | 7.76 | 58100 | 5.76 |
| Zach Ertz | PHI | NYG | home | 5.4 | 3 | 32.8 | 5000 | 4.78 | 2900 | 6.28 | 51900 | 4.78 | |
| Richard Rodgers | GB | SD | home | 5 | 3.8 | 31 | 0.4 | 5100 | 7.62 | 3100 | 9.92 | 69800 | 7.62 |
| Larry Donnell | NYG | PHI | away | 6 | 4.2 | 30.8 | 0.4 | 5300 | 7.58 | 2800 | 9.68 | 65600 | 7.58 |
| Heath Miller | PIT | ARI | home | 4.2 | 3.2 | 32.6 | 0.2 | 5500 | 6.06 | 3100 | 8.06 | 65200 | 6.06 |
| Jacob Tamme | ATL | NO | away | 5 | 4 | 49.5 | 5100 | 5.56 | 2500 | 8.95 | 53600 | 5.56 | |
| Ladarius Green | SD | GB | away | 5.8 | 4.8 | 56 | 0.5 | 5100 | 8.78 | 3200 | 13.35 | 64300 | 8.78 |
| Tim Wright | DET | CHI | home | 1.8 | 1 | 9.5 | |||||||
| Benjamin Watson | NO | ATL | home | 4.2 | 3 | 27.8 | 0.2 | 4900 | 5.08 | 2500 | 6.78 | 43800 | 5.08 |
| Vernon Davis | SF | BAL | home | 5 | 2.7 | 36.3 | 4900 | 2.98 | 3000 | 6.3 | 38000 | 2.98 | |
| Jeff Cumberland | NYJ | WAS | home | 1.3 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 4600 | 0.4 | 2500 | 1 | 30000 | 0.4 | |
Premium Options
He hasn’t scored since Week 2, and it would be pretty shocking if that continues. I expect the Patriots to run up the score against the Colts, and Gronk should get at least one touchdown.
Value Options
Antonio GatesGates made his season debut last week and picked up right where he left off last season, with nine receptions on 11 targets for 92 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers. Gates is a top-five fantasy tight end this week, and he isn’t priced like it on FanDuel or DraftKings.
If you don’t want to pay up for Antonio Gates and don’t trust the bargain options, Ertz is your man. He is coming off a season-high five receptions for 60 yards in Week 5, and we know he is going to score his first touchdown of the season sooner or later. More importantly, the Giants have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season. This could be the week Ertz’s fantasy production finally matches his talent.
Bargain Options
Jacob TammeOnly the Steelers and Raiders have allowed more fantasy points to opposing tight ends than the Saints, and Pittsburgh’s numbers are skewed by Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Gates. Tamme is averaging four receptions per game on five targets, and he could be even more heavily involved in the passing game if Julio Jones and Leonard Hankerson are limited.
Derek Carrier
The bad news is, we now know Carrier will not be a direct replacement for Jordan Reed. Reed still leads the Redskins in receiving yards and is second on the team in receptions and targets despite sitting out Week 5 with a concussion. Carrier, on the other hand, caught just two passes on three targets for 27 yards last week, but he did find the end zone. He has a pretty decent chance at another touchdown this week, and that makes him a nice GPP option.