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Week 12 Fantasy Football Tight End Preview

Top Fantasy TEs for Week 12

Let's dig into the reasons you should -- or shouldn't -- play these TEs in Week 12 ...

Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers

Travis Kelce, Chiefs

Kelce's Week 11 dud snapped a streak for three straight games with 20+ PPR points. He remains an obvious TE1 in a great scoring matchup with Carolina. The Chiefs are implied for a strong 26.75 points.

Ja’Tavion Sanders, Panthers

Sanders has popped this season with lines of 5-49, 6-61, and 4-87. He also scored his first career TD in his last game (Week 10) vs. the Giants. Each of those lines came with Tommy Tremble sidelined, though. Tremble is off the injury report and on track to play, adding a layer of uncertainty to the rookie's outlook.

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears

T.J. Hockenson, Vikings

Hockenson hasn’t performed since coming back from his injury, but fellow TE Josh Oliver is hurt and may give Hockenson even more snaps this week. It is hard to trust him until you see it, especially with the Bears allowing only one TE TD this year. High-end TE2.

Cole Kmet, Bears

Kmet has been volatile but caught three passes for 42 yards last week. With so many options on the Bears, it is hard to trust him, especially against a Vikings team that is top-12 against opposing fantasy TEs. 

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans

Dalton Schultz, Texans

Schultz is averaging just 31 yards per game and is still looking for his first TD of the season. He's a weak fantasy bet against Tennessee's 11th-ranked TE defense. The Titans have allowed just two TE TDs this season.

Chig Okonkwo, Titans

Okonkwo has reached 20 receiving yards just twice all season. You're in trouble if you're starting him this week against Houston's seventh-ranked TE defense.

Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts

Sam LaPorta, Lions

LaPorta has returned to full practices this week after missing last Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury. Before leaving Week 10 early with that injury, LaPorta had played each of the Lions’ first 39 snaps. That put him on pace for a season-high snap share and would have marked the first time all year he topped 80% playing time in two straight games. LaPorta has seen 6 targets in two of his past three games and might be in for improved usage the rest of the way. The Colts matchup – third-friendliest to TE scoring – makes it easier to chase that possibility this week.

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

Hunter Henry, Patriots

Henry enters the weekend sixth among TEs in receiving yards. He’s finished as a top-10 TE in four of Drake Maye’s five full starts. The Pats are implied for only 19.25 points at Miami, but Henry’s volume continues to supply top-10 appeal.

Jonnu Smith, Dolphins

Smith went off for 6-101-2 in Sunday’s win over Vegas. Before that one, he hit 11 PPR points in three of his past five outings. He’s a TE1 option in his current role.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants

Cade Otton, Buccaneers

Otton has been a monster with Evans and Chris Godwin injured. He has been a TE1 in the games without them. His targets may go down, but Mayfield will still need the reliable option. The Giants are middle of the pack against TEs, but it is a potential top-five TE this week. 

Theo Johnson, Giants

Johnson has looked great as a rookie, but he has been a clear fifth or sixth option on the field. He is a TE2 who has flashed, but will need Tommy DeVito to prefer those TE passes to be relevant.  

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders

Zach Ertz, Commanders

Ertz has caught 4+ passes in five of the past six games. He has also seen 7+ targets in three of the past four. There’s some downside risk on the passing volume this week, with Dallas so collectively weak at this point that Washington arrives as a 10.5-point favorite. But the Commanders also carry the week’s second-highest Vegas team total. So there’s scoring upside for everyone.

Luke Schoonmaker, Cowboys

Schoonmaker comes off a 10-target, 6-catch game against Houston to likely lead Dallas TE usage with Jake Ferguson out (concussion). That did mark his second 6-catch game this season. But Schoonmaker has also averaged just 0.8 receptions across his 27 career games to date. Throw in a wildly unpredictable Cooper Rush at QB, and Schoonmaker looks much more like an “if you need him” fantasy candidate than a player to chase.

Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders

Brock Bowers, Raiders

Bowers' first game under OC Scott Turner brought season highs in route rate (88%), target share (37%), and first-read target share (52%). "Brock Bowers is a tremendous talent," HC Antonio Pierce said on Monday "His numbers are on a historic rate and we want to continue that. Give the ball to your best players, keep feeding them until the defense figures out how to stop it." Bowers posted an 8-97-1 line vs. the Broncos back in Week 5.

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers

George Kittle, 49ers

Kittle missed Week 11 with a hamstring, but he's on track to return against Green Bay. Provided Brock Purdy (shoulder) plays, Kittle can be trusted as a high-end TE1. If Purdy sits, the TE will project as more of a low-end TE1.

Tucker Kraft, Packers

Kraft was held without a catch in Week 11. And he's topped a 14% target share only twice all season. He remains best served as a TE2.

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks

Trey McBride, Cardinals

McBride is the TE3 in points per game and has not caught a TD this season. The Cardinals have used McBride uniquely, even giving him carries (one of which he scored on), so the TDs will eventually come through the air. Top five option this week in a bottom half team against TEs int he Seahawks.

A.J. Barner, Seahawks

Noah Fant is likely out again, so Barner will step in as the starter. He has flashed, but the two-way TE can’t compete for targets with the Seahawks WRs. He is a low-end TE2 this week.

Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams

Dallas Goedert, Eagles

Even if DeVonta Smith plays through the hamstring injury that cost him most of the team’s practice time this week, Goedert will gain upside from the WR being less than full strength. The TE’s 5 catches last week tied for the team lead. The Rams arrive as the 10th most friendly scoring matchup for the position.

Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers

Mark Andrews, Ravens

Andrews owns five TDs over his past six outings. But over that stretch, he's topped 45 yards only twice. With Isiah Likely healthy, Andrews’ projected role makes him a dicey TE1.

Isaiah Likely, Ravens

Likely tallied 75 yards last week -- his highest total since the opener. Still, his route rate was an underwhelming 53% in his first game off a hamstring injury. The young TE remains a shaky fantasy option.

Will Dissly, Chargers

Dissly is on an unlikely heater with 4+ catches in five of his past six games. He remains a TE1 candidate with the Chargers expected to lean pass against Baltimore.

Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.