Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Fantasy Football Tight Ends Week 14: Revenge Game for T.J. Hockenson
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 Josh Allen, Austin Ekeler or Tyreek Hill. Instead, I'll look at the players you have questions about who could exceed or fail to meet expectations at each position. For all of your final fantasy lineup decisions, be sure to check out my weekly player rankings which will be updated daily throughout the 2022 NFL season.
Fabs Top 10 tight ends
1. Travis Kelce at Broncos
2. Mark Andrews at Steelers
3. T.J. Hockenson at Lions
4. Pat Freiermuth vs. Ravens|
5. Dalton Schultz vs. Texans
6. George Kittle vs. Buccaneers
7. Greg Dulcich at Chiefs
8. David Njoku at Bengals
9. Gerald Everett vs. Dolphins
10. Foster Moreau at Rams (TNF)
Byes: Bears, Colts, Commanders, Falcons, Packers, Saints
Week 14 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | KICKERS & TEAM DEFENSES
Week 14 Start ‘Em: Tight Ends
Start of the Week
T.J. Hockenson at Lions (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Hockenson has produced fewer than nine fantasy points in two of his last three games, but he’s still a must start in a revenge game against the team that traded him, the Lions. Their defense has given up nine or more fantasy points to nine tight ends, and the position has scored nine touchdowns and averages the fifth-most points against Detroit this season.
SI Sportsbook Player Prop: Hockenson over 48.5 receiving yards (-125)
Start ‘Em
Gerald Everett vs. Dolphins (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Everett is coming off a solid game, scoring 13 fantasy points in a loss to the Raiders. With six teams on a bye and at a thin position, he’ll be a top-10 option against the Dolphins. Their defense has given up 10-plus fantasy points to eight tight ends this season, including two who have gone over 20 points. This should be a high-scoring game at SoFi, too.
Greg Dulcich vs. Chiefs (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Dulcich has been inconsistent in the stat sheets, scoring seven or fewer points three times before busting out for 14.5 points in last week’s loss to the Ravens. Kansas City has actually been tough on tight ends, but with six teams off and injuries abounding, he’s still a viable fantasy starter based on his volume of target potential in a likely negative game script.
SI Sportsbook Player Prop: Dulcich over 39.5 receiving yards (-125)
Hunter Henry at Cardinals (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Henry has disappointed fantasy fans this season, failing to score double digits in all but two of his 12 games this season. Still, he’s a worthwhile flier in a matchup against the Cardinals. Their defense has allowed 10-plus fantasy points to 10 tight ends, including five who’ve posted at least 17 points. Henry is on the waiver wire in some fantasy leagues.
More Starts
• George Kittle vs. Buccaneers (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox)
• David Njoku at Bengals (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
DFS Bargains
• Greg Dulcich vs. Chiefs ($3,400)
• Evan Engram at Titans ($3,300)
• Chigoziem Okonkwo vs. Jaguars ($2,700)
Week 14 Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends
Sit of the Week
Dawson Knox vs. Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Call this a “rage” sit ‘em, but Knox put up a goose egg last week when a lot of fantasy managers were leaning on him as a starter. He’s now failed to score more than 10 points in three of his last five games, including a Week 9 matchup against the Jets when he was held to a meager 5.5 points. At best, Knox will be a high risk, touchdown-dependent fantasy starter.
SI Sportsbook Player Prop: Knox under 27.5 receiving yards (-120)
Sit ‘Em
Noah Fant vs. Panthers (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Fant posted a surprising 14.2 points in last week’s win over the Rams, so he’ll be a starter for plenty of fantasy managers this week. I’d temper expectations, though, as a matchup against the Panthers isn’t at all favorable. Their defense has allowed just three touchdowns to tight ends, and Fant hasn’t scored more than 7.9 points in a game where he hasn’t hit paydirt.
Tyler Conklin at Bills (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Conklin was a popular starter last week in a revenge game against the Vikings, but he scored just 2.9 fantasy points. Next up is a huge matchup against the Bills, who have surrendered just 9.4 points per game to enemy tight ends. What’s more, their defense hasn’t given up a single score to the position. Conklin also had just 1.7 points against them in Week 9.
SI Sportsbook Player Prop: Conklin under 25.5 receiving yards (-125)
Mike Gesicki at Chargers (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Telling folks to sit Gesicki these days is like telling people to breathe, but the options are thin at the position this week! He’s barely a part of the Dolphins offense, and his red-zone usage has been few and far between. So, while a matchup against the Chargers could produce a lot of points (real and fantasy), Gesicki is more name and less production this season.
More Sits
• Daniel Bellinger vs. Eagles (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Austin Hooper vs. Jaguars (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
DFS Fades
• Dawson Knox vs. Jets ($3,800)
• Daniel Bellinger vs. Eagles ($3,300)
• Noah Fant vs. Panthers ($3,100)
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 to help you win a fantasy championship!
