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Week 17 Tight End Preview: Can We Count On Taysom Hill?
Top Fantasy TEs for Week 17
Let's break down the key usage notes and matchups that are driving our Week 17 TE Rankings.
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1. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
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McBride was stymied by Atlanta in Week 16, leading to a mere 4 catches for 27 yards. The good news? He still saw a 31% target share on a 91% route rate. He's in an excellent bounce-back spot against the Bengals' league-worst TE defense.
2. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
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Kittle suffered an ankle sprain on Monday but could still go this week. He has racked up 8+ targets in three of his last four games. He went 7-115-1 last week in Brock Purdy’s 5-TD performance. This would be a great spot for Kittle if he plays. If not, TE Jake Tonges should be considered as a pick-up. When Kittle missed time earlier this season, Tonges averaged 6.2 targets, 4.4 catches, and 41.8 yards per game. If Tonges finds the end zone, he can be a top-12 TE this week.
3. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
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WR Drake London's return didn't slow down Pitts last weekend. He hauled in 7 of 9 targets for 57 yards and a score, finishing as a top-6 PPR TE for the fourth straight week. He's an easy start for Monday night's game vs. the Rams' 17th-ranked WR defense.
4. Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns
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Fannin has been the favorite target for Shedeur Sanders. He went 4-34-1 last week on 6 targets and also had a rushing TD. Fannin has proven to be the Browns’ best offensive weapon, and they are using him as such with his 30.7% target share. The Steelers have been weak against TEs, as well. Fannin went 7-81-0 on 10 targets in Week 6 against the Steelers. This could be a smash spot for the rookie.
5. Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
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We got a ceiling game from Johnson last week: eight catches for 89 yards. But he's been a steady floor play for a while now, catching 4+ balls in six straight games and eight of his last nine. Johnson gets a plus matchup on Sunday against the Titans, who rank 25th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs on the season.
6. Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
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Loveland only went 3-30-0 last week on 4 targets, but he ran a ton of routes. The Bears just didn’t hit much in the passing game until late. Even if Luther Burden is back, Loveland should remain on the field and running routes for most dropbacks. He has enormous upside as a top-10 TE this week.
7. Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
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Strange ranks a solid 12th among TEs in target share since his Week 12 return from IR. That, plus Trevor Lawrence's strong play throughout the second half of the season and a Colts D that's been eighth-friendliest to TE scoring, makes Strange a fairly comfy Week 17 play.
8. Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
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Schultz comes off two straight games with 5+ catches and a TD to face a Chargers D that presents as a negative TE matchup by the adjusted fantasy points allowed. But L.A. ranks just 29th in TE-coverage DVOA and has played WRs tougher than TEs.
9. Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
The positive: Warren ranks 10th among TEs in target share over Philip Rivers' two games. The negative: He has totaled a mere 6 catches and 49 yards among those 15 targets.
10. Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
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Henry has tallied 4+ catches in four of his past five games, a span that began with a solid 4-45 line in his first meeting with the Jets.
11. Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys
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Played Thursday.
12. Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams
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Parkinson disappointed as a popular Week 16 spot start. His role didn't really change without WR Davante Adams. But he still ran a route on 71% of the Rams' pass plays drew four targets. Parkinson has seen 4+ targets in five straight games now and still has elevated TD upside with Adams out. Atlanta still ranks third in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs on the season but is down to 14th over the last five weeks.
13. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
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Buffalo remains the toughest defense on TE scoring, according to our adjusted fantasy points allowed. That adds downside risk to Goedert, who has caught three passes or fewer in four of his past six games.
14. A.J. Barner, Seattle Seahawks
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Carolina is league average, allowing 13.2 PPR points per game to TEs. Barner has been steady, if unspectacular. He's caught 3+ balls in Seattle's last four games, highlighted by a 4-49-1 outing against the Rams last week. The Panthers have tightened up recently, so Barner is more of a modest TE2 with a relatively safe floor.
15. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
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Played Thursday.
16. Theo Johnson, New York Giants
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Before last week's dud, Johnson had been a reliable source of targets and catches. He'd caught 3 balls in 7 of his last 8, with one pop game with 7 grabs before his 0-for-2 week on Sunday. Johnson should shake that off quickly, but the Raiders have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to TEs, so the upside is limited. View Johnson as a fairly safe, mid-range TE2 with modest fantasy appeal.
17. Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
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Hill set season highs last week with 34 offensive snaps, 19 pass routes, 12 carries, and 6 targets. Was it a result of the Saints missing RBs Devin Neal and Alvin Kamara and WR Devaughn Vele? Or was it because it was likely Hill's final home game? Impossible to know for sure. Hill's floor is still scary-low. But there's also a chance he's featured again with Neal, Kamara, and Vele out. Hill gets a tough rushing matchup, though, against a Titans defense that's allowed just 3.3 yards per carry to RBs over the last five weeks. Hill is worth a shot if you're hurting at TE in non- and half-PPR leagues. We'd try not to use him in full PPR.
18. Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
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Gesicki enters with TDs in two of his past three games. With the Bengals implied for a slate-high 30.5 points, the veteran makes for a decent streaming option in deeper formats.
19. Oronde Gadsden II, Los Angeles Chargers
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Gadsden rebounded the wrong way from a solid Week 15 outing at Kansas City to his third one-catch game among the past four at Dallas. Expect more volume issues for the Chargers' passing game this week, with downside risk on Gadsden's playing time in case L.A. needs more blocking help against the Houston pass rush.
20. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
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Despite making his way off the final injury report ahead of last week's visit to Cleveland, Kincaid drew a season-low one target while playing just 19 snaps. That ranked a distant third among Buffalo TEs. This week adds a Philly defense that's been second-toughest on TE scoring for the season, so there's little reason to believe in a Kincaid rebound.
21. Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins
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Waller drew just a 10% target share in QB Quinn Ewers' starting debut. Despite a positive matchup vs. Tampa Bay, the veteran TE isn’t a recommended fantasy starter.
22. Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders
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Brock Bowers was placed on season-ending IR, so desperate fantasy managers looking for a replacement can consider Mayer, who should play nearly full-time in a positive matchup with the Giants. When Bowers missed Weeks 5-8, Mayer, who was also dealing with injuries, made two starts, posting an 84% rotue rate and averaging 9.0 PPR points per game. He's not Bowers, but Mayer should see a handful of targets and could post top-20 numbers in a positive matchup.
23. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
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Andrews has gone ice cold, totaling five catches on 11 targets for 48 scoreless yards over his last three games. Now he gets the Packers' 11th-ranked TE defense with Tyler Huntley likely at the controls. Andrews should be on fantasy benches this week.
24. Elijah Higgins, Arizona Cardinals
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Higgins went off for a surprising 7-91 line in a Week 16 loss to Atlanta. Prior to that one, Higgins hadn't cleared 3 catches or 45 yards all season. He's ultimately not someone we'd rely on with a fantasy championship at stake.
25. Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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A now-healthy Bucs' WR corps has limited Otton to 2, 4, and 2 targets over his past three games. Look elsewhere for TE help in your fantasy championship.
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