Start Em, Sit Em Tight Ends for Fantasy Football Week 8

It’s week 8, people! Time to set up those fantasy lineups! Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em is the ultimate look at a week’s best and worst matchups in fantasy football leagues. Each week I examine the tight ends who may or may not exceed expectations based on their weekly opponent…like Brock Bowers and Dalton Kincaid in Week 7!

For your final lineup decisions, check out my fantasy player rankings. I update them daily! Also, be sure to subscribe to the Fantasy Dirt Podcast with Lindsay Rhodes and I where we break down all things fantasy football five days a week!

All positions: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | K & DSTs

1. Brock Bowers vs. Chiefs
2. Travis Kelce at Raiders
3. George Kittle vs. Cowboys
4. Trey McBride at Dolphins
5. Mark Andrews at Browns
6. Jake Ferguson at 49ers
7. David Njoku vs. Ravens
8. Evan Engram vs. Packers
9. Kyle Pitts at Buccaneers
10. Tucker Kraft at Jaguars

Complete the Week 8 Tight End Rankings (coming soon!)

beginning of the week

David Njoku vs. Ravens (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Njoku played against the Bengals last week and caught 10 passes on 14 scores for 76 yards, 1 TD and 23.6 points. After Amari Cooper’s trade, he is now the Browns’ best option on offense, and a matchup against the Ravens practically makes him a must-start. Their defense has allowed five tight ends to outscore them by at least 9.7 points, including three who scored more than 15 points.

Start them

Evan Engram vs. Packers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Engram has been targeted 15 times in two games since returning from a hamstring injury, scoring a total of 26.7 points. He’s having a nice matchup this week as well, as the Packers have allowed two tight ends to beat them and score more than 12 points in two of their last three games. Overall, opposing players at this position have averaged nearly 13 points per game against Green Bay’s defense.

Tucker Kraft at the Jaguars (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Kraft was only targeted four times last week, but he managed one touchdown and 12.3 fantasy points. Next up is a plus game in Jacksonville against a defense that has allowed four different tight ends to beat them and score more than 11 points. That includes Cole Kmet and Hunter Henry, who each scored more than 17 points against them in their last two games. Consider Kraft a solid top-12 option.

Kyle Pitts on Buccaneers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Pitts had a solid performance over the last three weeks, scoring 10 or more points in every game during that time. He’s also seen a total of 22 looks from Kirk Cousins, so the two have definitely developed a good rapport. Pitts should continue to put up good numbers against the Buccaneers, who allowed three tight ends to beat them and score over 13 points. That includes Pitts, who had 15.8 points against them in Week 5.

TEs with good matchups

Seat of the week

Hunter Henry vs. Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Henry has been on fire the last two weekends, scoring a combined 30.2 fantasy points. That’s made him a hot addition on the waiver line at a weak position, but it doesn’t make Henry a mandatory starter. In fact, I would avoid him in a bad matchup against the Jets this week. Their defense has only allowed a single tight end to score more than 7.1 points, including Henry scoring just 2.9 points in Week 3.

Set them

Sam LaPorta vs. Titans (1 p.m. ET, Fox): It’s difficult to cast LaPorta at a weak position, but he hasn’t lived up to expectations this season. In fact, he has failed to score in double figures in all but one game, and in that competition he only had a single goal! Next up is a game against the Titans, who have not allowed any opposing tight end to score more than 8.2 points this season. So if you’re starting this week with LaPorta, I would temper your expectations.

Pat Freiermuth vs. Giants (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Freiermuth had been an imaginative starting player, but he has taken a step back in the last two weeks with a total of just 10.7 points. I would keep him on the fantasy side this week as well, as the veteran faces a Giants defense that is allowing just 35.1 receiving yards and the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. Only one tight end beat them by more than 10.2 points.

Dalton Schultz vs. Colts (1 p.m. ET, CBS): This week’s matchup against the Colts is a good one as their defense has allowed the second-most points per game to tight ends. The problem is that Schultz hasn’t been able to take advantage of good matchups this season and hasn’t scored more than 7.4 points in any game. The Texans’ passing game has also been poor since the loss of Nico Collins due to injury, so Schultz remains a sit ’em.

TEs with bad matchups