Week 11 marks the first time in a few weeks that our fantasy TE rankings aren’t affected much by byes. We lose a few matchup-based streamers, but no one is out who will send fantasy football owners scrambling to the waiver wire in search of a streamer. That said, tough matchups for a few every-week starters will still cause some owners to seek out a sleeper in a better situation.
Let’s start with who’s missing. Mike Gesicki, Noah Fant and Will Dissly, Cade Otton, and Evan Engram are all taking a week of mandatory PTO. Engram will likely be missed the most, but as we said before, none of these guys are “must-starts.” Darren Waller (hamstring) has also mercifully been placed on the IR, so we don’t have to worry about him again until Week 14 at the earliest.
We’ll keep our eye on Zach Ertz (knee), Mark Andrews (shoulder, knee), and David Njoku (ankle). The latter two missed their last games, but we’re expecting both to suit up. Andrews (vs. Panthers in Week 11) and Njoku (@ Bills) both have tough matchups, but it’s tough to imagine sitting either if they’re healthy.
We’re not quite as optimistic about T.J. Hockenson (vs. Cowboys), Pat Freiermuth (vs. Bengals), Kyle Pitts (vs. Bears), and Tyler Higbee (@ Saints). Hockenson and Freiermuth will probably remain in most lineups because of their target floor, and Pitts is always a candidate for a big game because of his athleticism and target share, but Higbee simply hasn’t shown a high-enough floor over the past month to trust him against the league’s best TE defense. The same goes for Dawson Knox (vs. Browns), Juwan Johnson (vs. Rams), and Hayden Hurst (@ Steelers), all of whom entered Week 10 in the top-eight in fewest fantasy points per game (FPPG) allowed to TEs.
If you have any of those TEs and are looking for a higher-upside option, there aren’t many worthwhile options on the waiver wire. Cole Kmet (@ Falcons) and Robert Tonyan (vs. Titans) are by far your best options (unless Greg Dulcich is still available in your leagues), and you could also take a chance with Tyler Conklin (@ Patriots). Kmet, Tonyan, and Conklin are all facing defenses that entered Week 10 in the top nine in most FPPG allowed to TEs. In really deep leagues, you could also try Tanner Hudson (vs. Lions), who has the best matchup of the guys we just mentioned, but you’ll have to watch to see if Daniel Bellinger (eye) is expected to return.
Dalton Schultz (@ Vikings) is another potential sleeper who might be available in a cheap trade. He’s been much better this year with Dak Prescott under center (24 catches, 29 targets, 239 yards in four games) and could be poised for a big stretch run. The same goes for the widely available Foster Moreau (@ Broncos), though we’re not quite as high on his matchup this week.
Overall, our TE rankings look deep this week, but a lack of favorable matchups for key players will still cause some tough start ’em, sit ’em decisions. Tampa, Seattle, and Miami were three of the most generous defenses to TEs, so you’ll be forced to dig deep if you want to maximize upside, at least in standard leagues. Depending on your matchup projection, you might be better off just playing someone like Freiermuth or Pitts who gets “safe” targets, but if you think you need to go for big points, playing the matchups isn’t a terrible idea.
We’ll be updating these standard TE rankings as needed throughout the week, so check back for the latest changes and analysis.
Week 11 fantasy TE rankings for standard leagues
Rankings based on standard, non-PPR scoring
Hits: 0
