Tight end non-PPR rankings for Week 5 fantasy football

Final injury report

The NFL wrapped up practices on Friday most of the schedule, which brings the final injury report. The teams still completing practices over the weekend are the Broncos, Patriots, Saints, Chargers, Titans, and Bills. Saints-Chargers is a go for Monday Night Football. Broncos-Patriots is scheduled for Monday and Bills-Titans is scheduled for Tuesday so long as there are no more positive Covid-19 tests. We’ll add those six teams’ players as their final injury reports arrive.

Out: TE Marcus Baugh (not injury related), TE Durham Smythe (knee)
Doubtful:
Questionable: TE Darrell Daniels (thigh), TE Mark Andrews (thigh), TE Nick Boyle (thigh), TE Jordan Akins (ankle, concussion)

Removed from final injury report: TE Tyler Eifert (neck), TE Darren Waller (knee), TE Will Dissly (Achilles)

Wednesday injury report

The NFL returned to practice on Wednesday to get Week 5 going, and the day closed with the first injury report of the week. Noah Fant injured his ankle on Sunday and remains sidelined for the time being. Meanwhile, Jordan Akins is in the concussion protocol and if he is a DNP on Thursday, it does not bode well for his chances of playing this weekend against the Patriots.

DNP: Noah Fant (ankle), Jordan Akins (ankle, concussion),
Limited: Darren Waller (knee), Will Dissly (Achilles)
Full: N/A

Another week, another boom or bust play at the tight end position. The most exciting performances of the week both came in primetime, as stud George Kittle exploded for 183 yards and a touchdown and Packers TE Robert Tonyan reeled in three scores himself. Kittle looks to have recovered well.

Injury news

The biggest injury of the week was the loss of Noah Fant to an ankle injury on Thursday Night Football. He was carted off with an ankle injury, which was luckily diagnosed as a sprain with more severe injury avoided. He’s likely to be out this week against the Patriots.

Bucs TE O.J. Howard suffered a season-ending achilles injury. Tom Brady has displayed some rapport with the young tight end, so there is a chance that his absence we’ll see an increased target share for Rob Gronkowski and Cameron Brate.

Bye weeks

The Green Bay Packers have finally gifted us with a valuable fantasy tight end. It’s just not Jace Sternberger, as many thought heading into 2020. Robert Tonyan ranks as the TE2 so far on the season after wrangling in five of six red zone targets in the last three weeks. He’s been a favorite of Rodgers, particularly in the absence of Davante Adams, but with a catch rate of 92.9% and high touchdown rate, he’s bound to see some regression.

Second-year TE TJ Hockenson of the Detroit Lions has had a decent start to the 2020 season, despite a disappointing Week 4 outing with just nine receiving yards and a score. He’ll look to bounce back in Week 6 against the Jacksonville defense, who have allowed the fourth-most receiving yards to the tight end position to start the season.

Streaming options

Tyler Higbee, Rams

Higbee entered the 2020 season as a consensus top-eight tight end and hasn’t delivered the goods just yet. He has yet to exceed five targets on a game, and though his snap counts have been encouraging, he’s spent a great deal of those snaps as a run-blocker. I’d prefer to see him running routes. Washington’s defense hasn’t been the pushover we’ve seen in years prior, but they have allowed 5 touchdowns to the tight end so far, tied for the second-most of any NFL defense. Higbee’s touchdown upside makes him a vialble TE1 play in Week 5.

Ian Thomas, Panthers

You either have a solid starting tight end, or you’re hoping for a touchdown. Ian Thomas could be one of your best chances at the latter in Week 5. The Panthers will face the Falcons this week, who have allowed an opposing tight end at least 60 yards and a score in three of their four games so far. Thomas hasn’t been much involved to start the season, but he did see five targets in Week 4, bringing one of those in for a touchdown.