With Week 6 of the NFL season kicking off on Thursday night, it is good time to start looking at your fantasy football lineup. In Week 5, we saw tight ends Mark Andrews, Hunter Henry, and Dalton Schultz all have great performances. However, we also saw some under-the-radar guys make some plays and put themselves in the convo to be either starting or picked up off the waiver wire.
Below we’ll be taking a look at a couple of tight ends that you should in Week 2 and others that you might want to stay from.
Tight End Starts
Mike Gesicki, Dolphins vs. Jaguars
Earlier this season, I listed Gesicki as one of the tight ends you need to fade due to his slow start. However, over the last few weeks, we’ve seen business pick up for the former Penn State tight end, who has a favorable matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday morning.
In his last three games, the Dolphins starting tight end has 19 receptions (25 targets) for 186 yards and a touchdown. If you break those stats down to per a game basis, he’s averaging 8.3 targets and 6.3 receptions per game, which is what you love to see. The 6-foot-6 Gesicki only scored 4.30 fantasy points in last week’s game against the Bucs, but could find his way into the end zone against the Jags. Jacksonville’s defense has allowed four touchdowns and 10.6 fantasy points per game this season.
Noah Fant, Broncos vs. Raiders
Another tight end that is worth a start in fantasy football this week is Noah Fant. Fant had a down week against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5. The 23-year-old had three receptions (four targets) for 20 yards, but scored 2.00 fantasy points. The young tight end will now get ready to face a Las Vegas Raiders’ defense that has struggled against other tight ends this season.
The Raiders’ defense has allowed the seventh-most targets (41) and 9.3 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends this season. Fant has yet to score a touchdown in four games against the Broncos. But he had seven targets (13 receptions) for 66 yards in two games last season.
Tight End Sits
T.J. Hockenson, Lions vs. Bengals
It’s tough to put Hockenson in the sit list for Week 6, but he has struggled as of late for the Lions. The dynamic tight end is coming off a two-catch, 22-yard performance against the Minnesota Vikings last week. The former Iowa standout has not scored a touchdown since Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers.
In his last three games, the 24-year-old Hockenson is averaging 2.46 fantasy points, which is a far cry from how he started out the season. With Quintez Cephus being injured and Tyrell Williams still out, it would seem like Hockenson would be due for a breakout. However, the Bengals’ defense has done a phenomenal job this season covering the tight. They’ve only allowed 16 receptions, one touchdown, and 4.3 fantasy points per game this season to tight ends.
Robert Tonyan, Packers vs. Bears
Staying with NFC North tight ends, Robert Tonyan of Green Bay has been a non-factor this season after scoring 11 touchdowns in 2020. This season, Tonyan only has nine receptions (17 targets) for 82 yards and a touchdown. His lone touchdown of the season came in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions.
In his last three games, Tonyan has played in over 60% of offensive snaps, but recorded four receptions (10 targets) for 22 yards. He will now face a Bears’ defense that has allowed one touchdown and 4.8 fantasy points per game to tight ends this season.