We’re barely five weeks into the 2025 NFL season, and the fantasy tight end landscape has already been thrown into chaos. The reigning top TEs are nowhere near what the consensus expected, leading almost all fantasy managers to make tough lineup decisions at the position. Here are my TE start/sit Week 5 fantasy football picks!
Check out my full Week 5 start/sit article with picks at each position here!
Start ‘Em: Zach Ertz (Commanders) at Chargers
From a brief sample size, an extremely complex trend has developed…
Zach Ertz with Jayden Daniels = fantasy viable.
Zach Ertz without Jayden Daniels = not fantasy viable.
With his superstar signal caller under center, Ertz opened the 2025 campaign with a pair of double-digit point outings thanks to two touchdowns. Unfortunately, when Daniels went down with a sprained left knee, so did Ertz’s fantasy production. The 24-year-old has caught just five balls for 59 yards across two contests with Marcus Mariota starting.
Now, with Daniels back in the fold, it’s time to re-insert Ertz into your starting lineup, even against a tough Chargers defense.
Sit ‘Em: David Njoku (Browns) vs. Vikings — London
I wanted as many shares of Njoku as possible heading into the 2025 season considering his prior rapport with Joe Flacco. As it turns out, Flacco may not be good at football anymore, and Njoku has possibly been surpassed by Harold Fannin Jr. as the top tight end in Cleveland.
The second part of that statement is still murky, but it doesn’t look good for Njoku. The veteran has failed to hit double-digit fantasy points through four weeks. Unless he finds the end zone, that won’t change in London against the Vikings. With Dillon Gabriel now under center, Brian Flores is going to send the heat every single snap. I don’t anticipate a productive day for the Browns’ offense.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL WEEK 5 START/SIT PICKS AT EACH POSITION!
Start ‘Em: Dalton Kincaid (Bills) vs. Patriots
Dalton Kincaid touchdowns in 2023 and 2024: Four total.
Dalton Kincaid touchdowns through four weeks in 2025: Three.
I’m not sure what finally clicked for the former first-round tight end, but now the man simply cannot stay out of the end zone. The 25-year-old doesn’t see a massive snap share and he’s not a target hog, although he did see six looks in both Week 2 and 3. That said, none of it matters in fantasy football at tight end if you play in a high-powered offense and score touchdowns at this high a clip.
Kincaid should keep the positive momentum rolling against a Patriots defense that has allowed north of 15 fantasy points per game to the position.
Looking for more TE start/sit Week 5 picks? Stay tuned for more fantasy lineup advice articles later this week! New tight end start/sit picks drop weekly!
Sit ‘Em: Mark Andrews (Ravens) at Texans
Mark Andrews followed up two nonexistent performances to open the season with a monstrous Week 3 outing, in which he scored a pair of touchdowns. He then put up a decent showing against the Chiefs, in which he racked up seven catches. However, there are some concerns about his outlook heading into Week 5.
The first problem? Andrews simply doesn’t have the burst anymore. At 30 years old, he has lost the elite athleticism that once made him a top-three tight end in the league. That was made evident by the whopping 30 yards he accrued on his seven receptions in Kansas City.
The second problem? Lamar Jackson is set to miss this week’s game. The superstar was forced to exit last Sunday’s loss with a hamstring injury, and he just hasn’t looked quite right throughout the entire season. Assuming Jackson misses time, it’s hard to rely on Cooper Rush to deliver, and even if he does suit up, he won’t be the same dynamic quarterback.
The third and final problem? The Texans’ defense is no joke. Houston allows the seventh-fewest passing yards per game and sixth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends. There are too many signs pointing down for the veteran this weekend, pivot to a different option at TE.
Those are my TE Week 5 start/sit picks! Stay tuned for more fantasy advice throughout the week.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
