Mike Gesicki struggled last week, but he has a get-right game against the Jets.
Start ‘Em, Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups based on a PPR scoring system in fantasy football. This column will not cover the elite players in the NFL like Patrick Mahomes, Christian McCaffrey, Davante Adams or Travis Kelce. Instead, I'll look at the players you have the most questions about to help you set the most effective starting lineup possible. For all of your final fantasy lineup decisions, be sure to check out my weekly player rankings which will be updated daily throughout the 2021 NFL season.
Byes: Broncos, Rams
Week 11 Start ‘Em: Tight Ends
Start of the Week
Mike Gesicki at Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Gesicki gave fantasy fans a big, fat nothing a week ago, but an upcoming matchup against the Jets makes it tough to sit him. While their defense has been tough on tight ends on paper, it hasn’t faced many top-notch players at the position. What’s more, the Men in Green have allowed an average of 43.8 points and 472.5 yards of offense in their last four games. That’s not a misprint.
Week 11 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | KICKERS | DEFENSES
Start ‘Em
Dan Arnold vs. 49ers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Arnold has been one of the hottest tight ends in fantasy football, scoring 10 or more fantasy points in four of his last five games. He’s also seen 24 combined targets in the last three weeks, which is tied with Travis Kelce for the league lead at the position. So while an upcoming matchup against the 49ers is bad on paper, the level of volume Arnold is seeing at a thin position is hard to ignore.
Pat Freiermuth at Chargers (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Freiermuth scored just 6.1 fantasy points against the Lions, but that had much to do with the fact that Ben Roethlisberger was on the reserve-COVID-19 list. He did see nine targets in the game, and he’s now seen 29 in his last four games. The Chargers have also allowed the fifth-most points per game to tight ends this season, so start Freiermuth if Big Ben is able to return.
Dawson Knox vs. Colts (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Knox saw just one target in his return to action last week, but he just missed scoring a touchdown in the game. I like him as a potential streamer this week, as he faces a Colts defense that’s generous to enemy tight ends. In fact, their defense has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to the position and a total of five tight ends have scored 10 or more points since Week 5.
More Starts
- Hunter Henry at Falcons (Thurs. 8:20 p.m. ET, NFL)
- C.J. Uzomah at Raiders (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS)
- Adam Trautman at Eagles (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
DFS Bargains
- C.J. Uzomah at Raiders ($3,500)
- Cole Kmet vs. Ravens ($3,400)
- Adam Trautman at Eagles ($3,300)
Week 11 Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends
Sit of the Week
Gerald Everett vs. Cardinals (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Everett came out of nowhere to produce a top-10 fantasy performance among tight ends last week, scoring 14.3 points in a loss to the Packers. His eight targets were more than he had seen in his previous two games combined, however, an upcoming matchup against the Cardinals makes him a fade. Their defense has allowed just one touchdown to a opposing tight ends in 2021.
Sit ‘Em
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Evan Engram at Buccaneers (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Engram has been solid in recent weeks, scoring 10-plus fantasy points in each of his last three games. So, while he can be used as a starter for those in need, a matchup against the Buccaneers isn’t as good as it looks. In fact, just one tight end has scored more than 8.3 fantasy points against them in their last five games. I’d consider Engram a high-end No. 2 tight end.
Jared Cook vs. Steelers (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Cook, listed as a sit ‘em last week, put up his worst stat line of the season with just two points. He continues to split the snaps at tight end with Donald Parham Jr. (and to a lesser degree, Stephen Anderson), and his opportunities have suffered as a result. With just seven combined catches for 83 yards in his last three games combined, Cook is better left on the bench or the waiver wire.
Austin Hooper vs. Lions (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Hooper scored a touchdown last week and produced a season-high 12.5 fantasy points in a loss to the Patriots. I wouldn’t chase the points though, as he hadn’t scored more than 6.6 points in his previous six contests. The matchup against the Lions isn’t favorable based on his position either, as tight ends have scored just twice and averaged 10.5 points against them in 2021.
More Sits
- Logan Thomas at Panthers (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
- Tyler Conklin vs. Packers (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
- David Njoku vs. Lions (1 p.m. ET, Fox
DFS Fades
- Dalton Schultz at Chiefs ($4,600)
- Logan Thomas at Panthers ($3,900)
- Tyler Conklin vs. Packers ($3,900)
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. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business!