Week 7 start 'em and sit 'em recommendations for the tight end position from senior fantasy football expert Michael Fabiano.
Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is the ultimate weekly look at the NFL matchups and how they'll affect your fantasy football team. Fantasy superstars such as Patrick Mahomes and Alvin Kamara will not be featured in this column. All player matchups are based on a PPR scoring system.
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Week 7 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em
QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | KICKERS | TEAM DEFENSES
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Week 7 Start ‘Em: Tight Ends
Byes: Colts, Dolphins, Ravens, Vikings
Start of the Week
T.J. Hockenson at Falcons
I rolled with Hockenson as my top tight end start last week, and he found the end zone in a win over the Jaguars. I’d roll with him once again, as the Iowa product faces another good matchup in Atlanta. The Falcons have allowed a league-high seven touchdowns, and the second-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season. Their defense has allowed five tight ends to produce at least 11.5 points, including three who scored more than 21 points in their five contests.
Start ‘Em
Hunter Henry vs. Jaguars
Henry has avoided injuries to this point and has become a reliable target in the pass attack for rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. That’s a good reason why he’s targeting tight ends nearly eight times per game. Henry, who ranks fifth at the position in targets per game, is in a good spot to post a nice line when the Jaguars visit Hollywood. Their defense has struggled against tight ends, allowing an average of more than 15 points per game. Coming off a bye, Henry is a solid choice.
Austin Hooper at Bengals
After a slow start, Hooper has re-emerged into a reliable option for fantasy fans. Over the last three weeks, he’s sixth in points among tight ends and ranks third behind George Kittle and Travis Kelce in targets at that time. That increased volume, plus a positive matchup against the Bengals, makes him an attractive choice. Cincinnati has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to tight ends, and five different players at the position have scored at least 9.9 points in 2020.
Dalton Schultz at Football Team
Schultz has emerged as a viable fantasy starter in the absence of Blake Jarwin, as he’s tied for fifth among tight ends in targets since Week 2. He’s in a good spot to produce this week too, as Schultz goes up against a Washington defense that’s surrendered five touchdowns and the sixth-most points to tight ends. The Football Team has also allowed four tight ends to score at least 10.8 fantasy points against them, including Gerald Everett (13 points) in Week 5.
More Starts
- Rob Gronkowski at Raiders (SNF)
- Robert Tonyan at Texans
- Jimmy Graham at Rams (MNF)
DFS Bargains
- Hunter Henry vs. Jaguars (DraftKings: $4,500)
- Austin Hooper at Bengals (DraftKings: $4,000)
- Logan Thomas vs. Cowboys (DraftKings: $3,500)
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Week 7 Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends
Sit of the Week
Tyler Higbee vs. Bears
Higbee led the Rams in receiving last week, but it wasn’t much (56 yards) as Jared Goff failed to throw for even 200 yards. He’s also sharing more of the workload with Gerald Everett, who has more targets than Higbee during the last two weeks. Couple that with a matchup against the Bears, and Higbee and Everett are both better left to the sidelines in Week 7. Their defense has allowed an average of 48 yards per game to the position, and only two tight ends have hit double-digit points.
Sit ‘Em
Jared Cook vs. Panthers
Cook is difficult to sit during the bye weeks, but I’d temper expectations for his fantasy prospects against the Panthers. Their defense has been tough on pass catchers, including tight ends, allowing just two touchdowns and 10.5 fantasy points per game. In fact, this unit has held Jimmy Graham, Hayden Hurst, and Rob Gronkowski all under nine fantasy points this season. Drew Brees also ranks just 27th among qualified quarterbacks in targeting tight ends, so Cook is a risk this week.
Greg Olsen vs. Cardinals
Olsen might be in play as a fantasy bye-week replacement this week, but I’d look elsewhere for alternatives. The Cardinals defense was an absolute joke against the tight end position last year, but their defense has been much more formidable in 2020. In fact, only one player at the position (Jesse James) has scored more than 10 fantasy points against them. What’s more, Arizona has held both George Kittle and T.J. Hockenson to modest totals. Keep Olsen on the sidelines.
Chris Herndon vs. Bills
Herndon was supposed to be on the sleeper radar in fantasy leagues this season, but he's been in a statistical hibernation instead. Herndon wasn't targeted once in last week's loss to the Dolphins. What's more, he’s running a modest 20.2 routes per game while 55 percent of his snaps have resulted in a running play. So while the Bills have allowed the third-most fantasy points to tight ends in 2020, Herndon still isn’t worth a roll of the dice in this potential AFC East blowout.
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More Sits
- Evan Engram at Eagles (TNF)
- Eric Ebron at Titans
- Darren Fells vs. Packers
DFS Fades
- Jonnu Smith vs. Steelers (DraftKings: $4,700)
- Hayden Hurst vs. Lions (DraftKings: $4,400)
- Jared Cook vs. Panthers (DraftKings: $4,300)
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for the latest news and analysis!
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