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 Justin Jefferson. 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
Week 7 was a down week for Goedert, but we know he has a high fantasy ceiling. He had 20 targets combined in the two games prior and scored five touchdowns in Weeks 3-6. In Philly's previous meeting with the Giants in Week 6, Goedert posted nine catches, 110 yards and a touchdown. He remains a start this week.
There is having a great game, and then there is scoring the most fantasy points by a tight end in any game this season. The latter is what Gadsden did last week. He scored 29.4 fantasy points to oddly tie Trey McBride (who also posted that many points Sunday) for the highest-scoring TE performance of the '25 campaign. Gadsden caught seven of nine targets for 164 yards -- the most receiving yards in a game by a rookie tight end since Mark Bavaro in 1985 -- and a touchdown. He's not just a flash in the pan. Gadsden has 17 targets in the last two contests and he's had at least seven in three of his five games played. The Vikings are a tough matchup, but his usage shouldn't be ignored at the thinnest position in fantasy.
The Bills greatly missed Kincaid (oblique) in their last game. Even after sitting out in Week 6, Kincaid leads the Bills in receiving yards and touchdowns. He has a 24 percent target rate, tied with Khalil Shakir for highest on the team. Kincaid has topped 14 fantasy points in three games and posted at least seven points in the other two. That's a safe floor and upside. Plus, the Panthers have allowed the fourth-most yards and sixth-most fantasy PPG to tight ends his season.
The Browns only threw the ball 18 times in a rainy win over Miami. A team-high five of those passes went to Fannin, who now leads the team in catches and receiving yards. There is clear chemistry between the tight end and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. The Browns will likely need to throw the rock more this week against the Patriots, who have allowed the eighth-most yards to tight ends this season. Fannin should see more volume, especially if David Njoku sits again. Either way, the rookie is in play with so many teams out this week.
I know I said I was no longer a Pitts guy last week on NFL Fantasy Live. Here I am, though, suggesting to start him for a second straight week. Against the 49ers, Pitts saw 10 targets, tied for the most of the team, and turned those into seven catches for 62 yards. He could build on that outing against Miami, which has allowed the fifth-most yards to tight ends. The Dolphins also have struggled against the slot, and Pitts leads Atlanta in snaps from that alignment.
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Otton has seen more usage of late with so many injuries to the Bucs offense. He has scored double-digit fantasy points in each of his last three games and averaged 66 yards per game in that span. With Mike Evans exiting with a broken clavicle against the Lions, Otton saw a season-high nine targets last week. And Todd Bowles announced on Wednesday that Chris Godwin Jr. will miss another game, which is a boon to Otton.
The last couple of weeks were disappointing for Taylor, but this week's matchup against the Bengals keeps him in play. Cincinnati has allowed the most yards, the most TDs (by far) and the most fantasy PPG to tight ends. With Taylor having a 21 percent target rate since Week 3, the volume in this matchup is too good to pass up for those in need of a tight end.
Sit 'Em
Marcus Mariota is in line to start Monday night with Jayden Daniels injuring his hamstring last week. That's a bad development for Ertz, who has averaged 6.5 fantasy PPG with Mariota this season and 11.8 with Daniels. Not to mention, Ertz has a tough matchup this week. The Chiefs have allowed the third-fewest fantasy PPG to tight ends in 2025, and they've yielded the fifth-fewest yards and just one TD to the position. Get away this week.
The Browns aren't necessarily a matchup to avoid for tight ends. However, Henry's volume has been drying up. He has just 14 targets since Week 4, with five or fewer in each game. He has posted fewer than 50 receiving yards in each of those games and averaged just 7.9 fantasy PPG in that span. Given the lack of steady volume, managers should get away from Henry if there is another option.
I like Johnson as an option to use down the road, as he has a 23 percent first-read share with QB Jaxson Dart, per Fantasy Points Data. I don't love him this week, though, after the Eagles held him to just 4.7 fantasy points in Week 6 (two catches, 27 yards). They have given up the third-fewest yards and fourth-fewest fantasy PPG to tight ends. Plus, his touchdown last week bounced off another receiver who deflected it. I wouldn't bank on that happening again.
My “Call You Shot” on NFL Fantasy Live last week was that three Steelers tight ends would catch a touchdown. And it happened! That is awesome for me, but awful for the fantasy value of Pittsburgh's tight ends. They go four deep at the position and are not afraid to involve all four. While Smith is the best of those options, the distribution makes it far too difficult to trust any of the tight ends for fantasy football purposes. Even in a good matchup on paper, I would avoid starting Smith.
