You have lineup questions, we have lineup answers -- at least we hope so. Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is here to help fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. And you know what is a good move? Starting Jahmyr Gibbs. But that's too obvious, so you won't see such simple analysis here. Instead, we're exploring more debatable situations. And if you can't find a player you are looking for, please check out the latest NFL Fantasy lineup rankings.
NOTE: Unless otherwise indicated, all stats come from NFL Pro, Next Gen Stats or NFL Research.
Start 'Em
What do Strange and Stranger Things have in common? Both put up numbers over the weekend. The Jaguars tight end has topped 13 fantasy points in both games since returning from a hip injury that had sidelined him since Week 5, finishing as a top-seven TE in Weeks 12 and 13. He has clear chemistry with Trevor Lawrence and has scored fewer than 9.9 fantasy points in just two of his seven games, showing he has a safe floor. He brings upside this week against the Colts, who have allowed the second-most yards and fifth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends this season.
Don’t look now, but it seems we have a strong connection brewing between Pitts and Kirk Cousins. After being the top target in Cousin’s first start, Pitts went off last week with a team-high eight targets. Obviously, Pitts is more appealing if Drake London remains out (he has a chance to play Sunday), but either way, I expect the tight end to be heavily targeted again. Not only are the Falcons likely to be chasing points against the Seahawks' third-ranked scoring offense, but Seattle has allowed the third-most yards to tight ends. That jumps to second-most since Week 9. It has been a problem area for Mike Macdonald's unit all season. Pitts is in play this week.
This is much more appealing if Kincaid (hamstring) is able to suit up. If he does, he is a must-play option. If he sits, Knox would be in play as a streaming option. Why? Because the Bengals have allowed the most catches, yards, touchdowns and fantasy points to tight ends. They are by far the best matchup for tight ends right now. With Joe Burrow back on the field, this has the potential to be a higher-scoring game, as well. It's worth taking a shot on this matchup.
Waller returned last week and led the Dolphins with 47 receiving yards. He just missed scoring a touchdown and is a clear red-zone target. That'll come in handy this week, as the Jets have allowed the third-most touchdowns to tight ends. If you are streaming tight ends, 10 fantasy points is what you're looking for. A touchdown goes a long way to hitting that mark. Plus, Waller has a fantastic fantasy playoff schedule, so he is an option beyond just this week.
OTHER START OPTIONS: Texans' Dalton Schultz (at Chiefs); Saints' Juwan Johnson (at Buccaneers); Browns' Harold Fannin Jr. (vs. Titans).
Sit 'Em
Since Week 7, Goedert has averaged 3.8 targets, 2.7 catches and 27 receiving yards per game. He didn't have 50 yards in any of those contests and topped 30 just once. He has scored fewer than five fantasy points in three straight games. Due to the lack of volume, he is extremely touchdown-dependent. The Chargers rank in the bottom seven in yards allowed to tight ends this season. Since Week 9, they have allowed just two touchdowns to the position. Forget the big name; there are better streaming options out there.
Since sustaining a knee injury that forced him to exit in Week 10, Gadsden has scored fewer than five fantasy points in his last two games. Perhaps there is no connection, but it does worry me that his snaps dropped to 70 percent last week -- the fewest he has played in a healthy game since Week 5. He also saw just two targets in Week 13. Now he faces an Eagles defense that has allowed the second-fewest yards, just three touchdowns to tight ends and the fourth-fewest fantasy PPG to the position. Go in another direction this week.
Last week, Cole Kmet played more snaps than Loveland. Kmet also led the Bears in receiving yards and scored the only receiving TD against the Eagles. While Loveland has taken over as the Bears TE1, Kmet's presence has capped the rookie's fantasy upside. Loveland has topped 50 receiving yards just twice this season and scored only three TDs. His numbers are heavily inflated by one huge performance (six catches, 118 yards, two TDs vs. Bengals in Week 9). There is a lot of long-term upside, but he has a tough matchup this week against the Packers, who have allowed the second-fewest yards and no TDs to tight ends since Week 9. I would look to get away.
It has been evident for much of the season that Harold Fannin Jr. is the top option in the Cleveland passing attack. Not sure many expected things to get this bad for Njoku, though. He has six targets in his last four games, with no more than two in any game. He has 11 total receiving yards in his last three games. There is absolutely no way you can trust him in fantasy, yet he remains on more rosters than several tight ends listed above.
