Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Fantasy Football Week 7: Tight Ends - Sleepers, Fades, Matchups, DFS Bargains
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: Bills, Chargers, Cowboys, Jaguars, Steelers, Vikings
Week 7 PPR Rankings: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | FLEX | KICKERS | TEAM DEFENSES (DST)
Week 7 Start ‘Em: Tight Ends
Start of the Week
Dallas Goedert a Raiders (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox): Goedert is on the reserve/COVID-19 list, so keep tabs on his status all week. Assuming he’s available, he’ll be a must-start for fantasy fans with Zach Ertz no longer stealing snaps and targets in the offense. The Raiders have also allowed four touchdowns and the sixth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends, so Goedert has a nice matchup and a bigger piece of the targets.
Week 7 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em
• QUARTERBACKS
• RUNNING BACKS
• WIDE RECEIVERS
• TIGHT ENDS
• KICKERS
• TEAM DEFENSES
Start ‘Em
Mike Gesicki vs. Falcons (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Gesicki continues to be a target monster in the Dolphins offense, posting no fewer than six and as many as 12 targets in each of the last five games. That trend should continue against the Falcons, as the Dolphins are dealing with injuries at wide receiver, and Tua Tagovailoa has faith in Gesicki based on last week's target share. At a thin position, Gesicki remains a top-10 tight end.
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Hunter Henry vs. Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Henry has been on a hot streak, scoring a touchdown in three straight games and averaging 14.4 points. This week’s matchup against the Jets isn’t great on paper, but Henry will be tough to fade with six teams on a bye at a thin position. In their last game, The Men in Green did allow 38.9 fantasy points to Kyle Pitts and Hayden Hurst, so their defense isn’t impenetrable to tight ends.
Zach Ertz vs. Texans (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): Ertz has new “fantasy” life after a trade that sent him to the Cardinals, and he’ll be a startable asset this week versus Houston. Their defense has struggled against tight ends, allowing five touchdowns and the third-most points per game. What's more, seven tight ends have scored at least nine points against them, including four who have finished with double digit points.
More Starts
- Tyler Higbee vs. Lions (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox)
- Ricky Seals-Jones at Packers (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
- O.J. Howard vs. Bears (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
DFS Bargains
- Ricky Seals-Jones at Packers ($3,700)
- Cole Kmet at Buccaneers ($3,000)
- C.J. Uzomah at Ravens ($3,000)
Week 7 Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends
Sit of the Week
Evan Engram vs. Panthers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Engram continues to falter in the stat sheets, failing to score more than 9.5 fantasy points in his four games this season. That’s been a disappointment, as the Giants have had several injuries to their wide receivers. Engram also has a bad matchup next on the schedule, as the Panthers have allowed just one tight end to finish with more than 10.1 fantasy points in 2021.
Sit ‘Em
Jonnu Smith vs. Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Smith continues to disappoint in fantasy land, scoring fewer than seven fantasy points in all but two of his first six games as a member of the Patriots. He’s seen just four combined targets in his last two games, and New England has used Hunter Henry more often in the passing game. In fact, just 45 percent of Smith's snaps have resulted in a passing play this season. Keep him on the sidelines.
© Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Robert Tonyan vs. Football Team (1 p.m. ET, Fox): This is your weekly reminder that Tonyan simply can’t be trusted in fantasy leagues right now. He’s been held to three or fewer fantasy points in all but one game, and the touchdown-dependent tight end hasn’t scored since Week 2. He also has just three red-zone targets, so Aaron Rodgers hasn’t even looked to him deep in enemy territory. In shallow formats, he's droppable.
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Mo Alie-Cox at 49ers (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Alie-Cox was listed as a DFS bargain last week, and he made good with a touchdown and 9.8 fantasy points. He’s now scored at least eight points in three straight contests, but he isn’t seeing a glut of targets despite the success. He’s a fade for me this week as a streamer, as the 49ers have allowed just one tight end to score more than 4.4 fantasy points against them so far in 2021.
More Sits
- Gerald Everett vs. Saints (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
- Cameron Brate vs. Bears (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
- Jack Doyle at 49ers (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC)
DFS Fades
- Evan Engram vs. Panthers ($3,600)
- Robert Tonyan vs. Football Team ($3,500)
- Jonnu Smith vs. Jets ($2,800)
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!
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