Week 2 TE Start, Sit Fantasy Strategy: Who To Target At TE

Mark Andrews came out to the hottest start among tight ends with his two touchdowns and 58 yards. Surprisingly or not, Dallas Goedert highly outperformed Zach Ertz with 101 yards and a touchdown. Noah Fant also rose to high expectations and finished as the number three tight end on the week with a touchdown of his own paired with 81 yards. These three are all top tight end targets each and every week. Where picking a tight end gets tricky is towards the middle section of tight ends where streaming is sometimes the best option. As we move into week 2, there may be some questions around who to pick up if your draft pick does not look like it is panning out. By using week 1 totals as well as looking at the pending matchup for week 2, I will give you some options to look at as well as some to avoid. These are the starts and sits for tight ends in week 2.

Start ‘Em

Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans

Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

After watching the beginning of the Titans game on Monday night, I thought Jonnu Smith looked great. The Titans were utilizing him across the field and it was very successful. Other than his touchdown in the fourth quarter, he faded out after a solid first half. We can see how the success of the Titans revolves around Smith which makes us think that the Titans will continue to use him moving forward. This matchup gives good reason into starting him for week 2 as the Jaguars are falling apart in the back half of their defense. As Smith is proficient in yards after the catch, there should be a ton of room for some catch and run opportunities for Smith to shine.

Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team

Opponent: Arizona Cardinals

Usually, I am one to stay far away from Washington, but after week 1, I would consider Logan Thomas. Thomas was targeted eight times, catching just four of them, but the targets are a good sign of usage. His touchdown was a good sign as well as it proved the Washington Football team can score. The Cardinals were the worst team in the league at covering tight ends last season. They were the team to target with selecting tight ends. George Kittle gained 44 yards against them before exiting with an injury just before the end of the first half. That is not great numbers once again which makes the Cardinals a great matchup for Thomas this week.

O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Opponent: Carolina Panthers

O.J. Howard had a decent first week after picking up a touchdown to go along with 36 yards on four receptions. Tom Brady had some early struggles starting for his new team, but Howard was relatively unaffected. So what do we expect moving forward? Well, Tampa Bay is stacked with elite receivers with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Last week, Evans played a very little role with his injury. Godwin is now going through concussion protocol and could see limited action from him. Nonetheless, there will be missing targets which have to go to someone else. Howard is the likely boost in action here. As Tom Brady adjusts to his new team, we could see Howard become an even more lethal player in that offense.

Sit ‘Em

Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts

Opponent: Minnesota Vikings

Jack Doyle did not have the best nor the worst start in week 1 with three receptions for 49 yards. The Colts have an abundance of targets for Philip Rivers to throw to which diminishes Doyle’s value. Moving forward, there is not a very good case to make for why we would see more action. The Vikings will not help the situation in week 2 as they have been known for being a pain for opposing tight ends. Those two factors lead me away from Doyle this week. His neck injury from training camp is continuing to bother also which does not help the case to play him either. Nonetheless, there are several better options out there this week with more favorable matchups.

Jordan Akins, Houston Texans

Opponent: Baltimore Ravens

Jordan Akins’s name appeared among the top last week as he was among the list of tight ends with a touchdown. The downside to him is how active he is in the Texan’s offense. He is highly dependant on touchdowns to the point where he is almost unplayable ever. You have to guess when he will score to start him. The Ravens could be your best bet this week as a matchup, but even then it is still very risky. They gave up a ton of points to David Njoku last week, but the Texans are not the Browns and choose to not use their tight ends as much. Due to his lack of usage, Akins can be considered someone to avoid because your tight end spot cannot live on the chance of touchdowns alone.

Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins

Opponent: Buffalo Bills

Mike Gesicki was on my sit list last week and he showed that he deserved that spot. He did get 5 targets but only caught three of them for 30 yards. Fitzpatrick did not get off to a hot start against the Patriots and the Bills will not be any easier of an opponent this week. No Dolphins’ player made it passed 50 yards receiving which is not a good sign for anyone there. The Bills held Chris Herndon to 37 yards which is not much of an improvement from Gesicki’s week 1. With the Dolphins struggling and with them facing another tough divisional challenge, it would not be smart to start Gesicki this week. At least one of the tight ends at the top of this article should be available for you.