Tight End Start 'Em, Sit 'Em For Fantasy Football Week 12

Michael Fabiano | Nov 21, 2025

Week 12 Start Em, Sit Em Tight Ends / Sports Illustrated

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, Bijan Robinson or Ja’Marr Chase. Instead, I'll look at the players 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 2025 NFL season.

Fab's Top 10 Fantasy Tight End Rankings Week 12

1. Trey McBride vs. Jaguars
2. Brock Bowers vs. Browns
3. George Kittle vs. Panthers (Mon.)
4. Tyler Warren at Chiefs
5. Travis Kelce vs. Colts
6. Jake Ferguson vs. Eagles
7. Mark Andrews vs. Jets
8. Dallas Goedert at Cowboys
9. Cade Otton at Rams
10. Hunter Henry at Bengals

Complete Week 12 tight end rankings

Byes: Broncos, Chargers, Commanders, Dolphins

All Positions: QBs | RBs | WRs | Ks & DEFs

Week 12 Start ‘Em: Tight Ends

Start of the Week

Dallas Goedert at Cowboys (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Goedert has posted a few stinkers in a row, scoring just 12.7 fantasy points in his last two games combined. Still, I’m starting him in a plus matchup against the Cowboys. Their defense is one of the worst in the NFL, and it’s given up 12-plus points to four tight ends since Week 5. Goedert also beat Dallas for seven catches, 44 yards and 11.4 points back in Week 1.

Start ‘Em

Hunter Henry at Bengals (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Henry isn’t putting up huge numbers, as he has scored 7.7 or more points in three of his last four games. He’s well worth a stream in a matchup against the Bengals, who have been crushed by tight ends this season. No team has allowed more points to the position, as nine have gone for double digits, including three tight ends who have scored more than 20 points.

Cade Otton at Rams (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Otton posted a stinker last week, scoring just 4.8 fantasy points in a loss to the Bills. I’m going to keep him in starting lineups, though, as he’s facing a good matchup against the Rams. Last week, their pass defense allowed 10 catches and 17.1 points to AJ Barner. In all, Los Angeles has surrendered nine-plus points to seven tight ends in 2025, including five since Week 5.

Juwan Johnson vs. Falcons (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Johnson had been pretty consistent for fantasy fans before the Saints’ bye week, scoring 10-plus points in each of his last four games, including a 19.2-point performance against Carolina in Week 10. The matchup isn’t favorable, as the Falcons have allowed just one tight end to beat them for double digits, but Johnson is too hot to sit at a thin position.

More Starts

• Mark Andrews vs. Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Kyle Pitts Sr. at Saints (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox)
• AJ Barner at Titans (1 p.m. ET, Fox)

Week 12 Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends

Sit of the Week

T.J. Hockenson at Packers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Hockenson actually has a decent matchup on paper, but how can you trust him as a fantasy starter? He has been held to single digits in six of his last seven games, and he’s averaging around four targets in games started by J.J. McCarthy. So, regardless of the matchup (this week it’s Green Bay), it’s difficult to start Hockenson with any sort of confidence right now.

Sit ‘Em

Theo Johnson at Lions (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Johnson had his first bad game in the last three weeks against the Packers, scoring just 6.6 points. He also had just four targets in his first game with Jameis Winston, which is a bit worrisome. The Penn State product also has a tough matchup in Detroit against a Lions defense that’s allowed just 11.1 points per game to tight ends since Week 8. Consider him a risk this week.

David Njoku at Raiders (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Njoku has been tough to trust this season, averaging just 8.5 fantasy points per game. He’s also been held to single digits six of his nine games, including a 1.7-point stinker last week. He’s in a committee of sorts with Harold Fannin Jr. too, and the Raiders defense has allowed just four enemy tight ends to score more than 8.4 fantasy points against them this season.

Luke Musgrave vs. Vikings (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Musgrave has a plus matchup against the Vikings this week, so why is he a sit ’em? Well, John FitzPatrick and Josh Whyle both played more snaps last week, and Musgrave saw just two targets and was held to a meager 0.90 fantasy points. So, not only should you keep Musgrave on the fantasy pine, you might also want to just cut him from your fantasy roster.  

More Sits

• Dawson Knox at Texans (Thurs. 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
• Colston Loveland vs. Steelers (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Pat Freiermuth at Bears (1 p.m. ET, CBS)