Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Fantasy Football Week 14: Tight Ends - Sleepers, Fades, Matchups, DFS Bargains

After a Monday night clunker, look for Dawson Knox to bounce back in Week 14.

Author:
Michael Fabiano
Updated:
Dec 10, 2021
Original:
Dec 8, 2021

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: Colts, Dolphins, Eagles, Patriots

Week 14 Start ‘Em: Tight Ends

Start of the Week

Dawson Knox at Buccaneers (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): Knox put up a stinker this past Monday, dropping multiple passes and scoring just 3.4 points. The good news is that he was targeted seven times, including twice in the red zone. He also has a matchup against the Buccaneers next, which makes him a viable No. 1 tight end. Their defense has allowed 10-plus fantasy points to seven different players at the position in 2021.

Start ‘Em

Noah Fant vs. Lions (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox): Fantasy fans are looking for dart throws at tight end, and I have a few for you starting with Fant. He’s failed to score double digits in four of his last five contests, and Albert Okwuegbunam is cutting into his targets. On the bright side, the Lions have allowed 7.5 catches and the seventh-most points per game to tight ends in the last four weeks. That makes Fant worth a roll of the dice.

Cole Kmet at Packers (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Kmet has scored 14-plus fantasy points in two of his last four games, and he’s eighth in targets at the position over the last five weeks. With four teams on a bye at a thin position, Kmet is worth starting against the Packers for managers in need. Their defense has allowed 11-plus fantasy points to the position six times, including four tight ends who have had 17-plus points against them.

Evan Engram at Chargers (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox): The tight end position is thin, which makes Engram worth a look when the matchup is right. That’s the case this week, as the Giants face the Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Their defense has surrendered a total of 10 touchdowns and the sixth-most points per game to tight ends. This is a dart throw to be sure, but fantasy fans who are desperate could do worse than Engram this week.

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More Starts

Rob Gronkowski vs. Bills (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
Austin Hooper vs. Ravens (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
Ricky Seals-Jones vs. Cowboys (1 p.m. ET, Fox)

DFS Bargains

Evan Engram at Chargers ($3,500)
Gerald Everett at Texans ($3,500)
Austin Hooper vs. Ravens ($3,400)

Week 14 Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends

Sit of the Week

Kyle Pitts at Panthers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Most fantasy fans are forced to start Pitts at what is a poor position, but his numbers have been brutal. He’s failed to score double digits in five of his last six games, including a Week 8 matchup against this weekend’s opponent, the Panthers, where he scored 3.3 points. Maybe putting the reverse jinx on Pitts as the Sit of the Week will help the superstitious, but he’s been a disappointment.

Atlanta Falcons Kyle Pitts — Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports

Sit ‘Em

Zach Ertz vs. Rams (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Ertz is coming off a two-point stink bomb in Chicago, and he’s now failed to score more than 8.6 fantasy points in four of his last five games. That trend is likely to continue with DeAndre Hopkins back and the Cardinals wideouts all in the mix, and a matchup against the Rams is not favorable. In fact, their defense has given up the fifth-fewest points to tight ends since Week 10.

Tyler Higbee at Cardinals (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Higbee has seen at least five targets in four straight games, during which time he’s averaged 8.1 fantasy points. He could struggle to reach that mark this week, however, as the Cardinals have allowed two touchdowns and the third-fewest points per game to tight ends. Furthermore, the birds held Ertz to just 7.6 fantasy points in their first meeting of the season (Week 4).

Jared Cook vs. Giants (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox): Cook saw just four targets in last week’s win over the Bengals, and he’s had no more than three catches in each of his last four games. He’s also scored more than 5.9 fantasy points in just one of those games, and that came on what might be considered a lucky touchdown catch. The Giants have allowed just four touchdowns to tight ends this season, so keep Cook on the bench.

More Sits

C.J. Uzomah vs. 49ers (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
James O’Shaugnessy at Titans (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
Foster Moreau at Chiefs (1 p.m. ET, CBS)

DFS Fades

Kyle Pitts at Panthers ($5,500)
Dalton Schultz at Football Team ($5,400)
Jared Cook vs. Giants ($3,200)

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!