Tyler Warren And 3 Other Tight End Must-Starts in Fantasy Football Week 1
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The tight end position tends to be more bullet proof than any other. What this means is, depth is not as commonly found at tight end, thus making most tight ends auto-starts regardless of their matchup. However, that is not to say we should not research into those matchups. Start/Sit is a team wide decision made across your roster, and it is vital to know how each player will do, including the tight end. These are your four must-starts at tight end in week one.
TJ Hockenson
This week one matchup plays to the favor of TJ Hockenson in multiple ways. JJ McCarthy is making his NFL debut, and Kevin O'Connell is not going to ask him to play hero ball. Expect a ton of short passes, favoring TJ Hockenson. From TJ Edwards to Kevin Byard, none of these Bears defenders rate highly in coverage at all. This is a well below-average defense against the tight end. Hockenson had 12 catches in two games versus Chicago last season for 166 yards.
Tyler Warren
The Dolphins are facing a new look Colts offense which makes it very difficult to gameplan. Shane Steichen is among to most creative play-callers in the NFL. With the depth of weapons he has to target, they will surely get creative and expose a mid-tier Dolphins defense. As far as Tyler Warren goes, Daniel Jones is likely not to be asked to do much. Tyler Warren should have hefty screen and short-pass opportunity. I expect a high target rate in a pass-friendly game script that should have the game close, or losing for the Colts.
George Kittle
In one game versus the Mike Macdonald Seahawks unit, George Kittle had 5 catches and 2 touchdowns. I expect him to have another nice game. The 49ers are fielding a unit with a lack of pass-catchers. This immediately makes George Kittle a highly-targeted item. Even in a mid-tier defensive matchup, he is an auto-start. Rarely, if at all, should Kittle be sat.
Seattle plays a lot of zone coverage. This will let Kittle exploit this defense as he excels at doing. Kittle was the best tight end in receiving grade in 2024, per PFF.
David Njoku
Good luck if you are trusting the Bengals defense this year. The team brought in Al Golden from Notre Dame with hopes of improvement, but all reports suggest that the process has not been immediate. Golden may end up being good, but his experience does not blow me away. Golden was a linebackers coach on the Lions and Bengals, neither of which were all-world. He was the Miami (FL) head coach for five years before his firing.
David Njoku had 18 catches across both his games against the Bengals last year. Oren Burks is the only highly rated coverage defender on the Bengals, and this team rated very low in man coverage rate in 2024. Of course, this may adjust with Al Golden, but they still lack to defenders to make a statement. Njoku should have another nice game with Joe Flacco keeping it quick and easy.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.