Fantasy Football Redraft

Print

Week 15 Fantasy Football Tight End Preview

Top Fantasy TEs for Week 15

Let's dig into the reasons you should -- or shouldn't -- play these TEs in Week 15 ...

Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers

Jake Ferguson, Cowboys

Ferguson returned from a concussion to post a solid 21% target share on Monday night. He draws a Panthers pass defense that's allowed the most fantasy points per game to enemy TEs.

Ja'Tavion Sanders, Panthers

Sanders saw just a 3% target share in his Week 14 return from a neck injury. That followed games of 8% and 10% target shares. With Tommy Tremble healthy, you're best off looking elsewhere for a TE.

Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns

Travis Kelce, Chiefs

Kelce has lost some tread to TE Noah Gray and hasn’t been a TE1 in the last four games. If the Chiefs' offense can get going, though, Kelce still has heavy PPR potential, making him a top-five option this week.

Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans

Jonnu Smith, Dolphins

Smith’s fantasy production returned to earth last week, but he still managed 3-44-1 vs. the Jets. The game did snap a streak of three straight games with at least a 21% target share. (He managed just a 9% share.) Now he gets a Texans pass D that’s tied for the fewest catches allowed to TEs (47).

Dalton Schultz, Texans

Prior to a Week 14 bye, Schultz tallied top-14 fantasy finishes in three of his past four. It’s a noticeable improvement from where he slotted earlier in the season. He’s a viable deep-league option, particularly with Houston implied for 25 points.

Washington Commanders at New Orleans Saints

Zach Ertz, Commanders

Ertz has seen 6+ targets in four straight games and scored in each of his past three. The injury to WR Noah Brown – likely to end his season – leaves more target share available. And there’s nothing worrisome about the New Orleans matchup.

Juwan Johnson, Saints

Johnson’s role looks good in the wake of Taysom Hill’s injury. He has seen 5+ targets and caught 4+ passes in two straight games – the first time that’s happened since last December. But Derek Carr’s hand injury adds the challenge of QB Jake Haener making his first NFL start. We’ll see what that means both for Johnson’s opportunity and efficiency. A game in which the Saints are likely to trail could boost the passing volume, at least.

Baltimore Ravens at New York Giants

Mark Andrews, Ravens

Andrews has bounced back after a rough start, but he still is splitting time with Isaiah Likely. Lamar Jackson is looking Andrews’ way in the red zone. The Giants are bottom five in the league in yards per target to TEs, so Andrews is a mid TE1 this week.

Isaiah Likely, Ravens

Likely hasn’t posted more than two catches in a win outside of the Ravens overtime game against the Bengals. He has been utilized less and less, so he is more of a TE2 in hopes of a TD.

Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans

Mike Gesicki, Bengals

Last week marked the first time this year that Gesicki caught more than one pass in a Bengals win that included WR Tee Higgins. He’s simply a poor volume bet if Cincinnati’s WRs are healthy and they’re leading. Both of those should be true this week at Tennessee.

New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals

Trey McBride, Cardinals

McBride showed up on the Week 15 injury report with a knee, but he’s expected to play vs. New England. While he remains without a receiving TD, McBride's tallied 10+ PPR points in nine straight.

Hunter Henry, Patriots

Boosted by issues at WR, Henry’s on pace for a career-high in targets. The former Charger has reached 8 targets in five of his past seven matchups. He’s a fringe TE1 against Arizona.

Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions

Sam LaPorta, Lions

LaPorta has seen 6+ targets in four straight appearances. This week’s target count could hinge on how much of a challenge the Bills pose. If Buffalo jumps out to a lead, then Detroit could be pushed into passing more than it generally plans to. If the Lions take early control, then we could see less passing volume vs. the past two games. LaPorta’s ultimately at least a solid option in one of the league’s top offenses and the game with the week’s highest total-points projection (by 6 points).

Dalton Kincaid, Bills

Kincaid’s poised to return from a three-game knee injury. But he has reached 50 receiving yards just twice in 10 games this year and topped 4 receptions only twice – and not since the WR Amari Cooper trade. He’s no more than an OK PPR play in a crowded offense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Chargers

Cade Otton, Buccaneers

Otton has averaged 4.7 targets, 2.7 catches, and 40 yards with WR Mike Evans back over the last three weeks. Next up is a Chargers defense sitting fourth in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs. Otton is an unexciting fantasy play this week.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles

Pat Freiermuth, Steelers

Freiermuth only had three targets last week but caught them all for 48 yards and a TD. With George Pickens likely out again, Freiermuth could be the top receiving threat for the team. The Eagles are top five against TEs though, so Freiermuth ends up as a low end TE2.

Grant Calcaterra, Eagles

Calcaterra filled in for Dallas Goedert and did score a TD last week, though he only had three catches for 16 yards. He is clearly behind the WRs as an option, but the Steelers can be had a bit with the TE. Calcaterra is a TD dependent high-end TE3 this week.

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks

Tucker Kraft, Packers

Kraft’s production has ticked up in recent weeks; he’s tallied 9 catches, 119 yards, and 1 TD over the past two weeks. Still, the second-year TE will retain a low floor as long as Green Bay continues its run-heavy ways.

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings

T.J. Hockenson, Vikings

Hockenson’s playing time has stayed north of 60% each of the past three weeks after falling short of 50% in each of his first three appearances this year. He has exceeded 6 targets just twice in those six games but sits a solid 13th among TEs in expected PPR points per game since his return. Two of the guys ahead of him on that list are now out for the season. Don’t expect a repeat of Hockenson’s 7-114 receiving line in the first Chicago meeting. But he’s a solid TE1 for PPR.

Cole Kmet, Bears

Kmet has seen his five largest snap shares of the season over the past five weeks. So the coaching changes have at least been good for his time on field. But just one of those games has included more than 3 receptions.

Atlanta Falcons at Las Vegas Raiders

Brock Bowers, Raiders

Bowers watched TE Michael Mayer have the big Week 14, but nothing changed with the rookie's playing time (88% route rate). He's a good bet to bounce back on Monday night against a struggling Falcons pass defense that was just obliterated by QB Sam Darnold and the Vikings.

Kyle Pitts, Falcons

Pitts has topped one catch and 14 yards just once over his last five games, averaging only 3.6 targets per game. Despite a plus matchup vs. the Raiders' 27th-ranked TE defense on Monday night, Pitts would be a shaky fantasy start.

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.