It’s Week 7, folks! Time to set those fantasy lineups! Start ‘Em, Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups in a given week for fantasy football leagues. Each week, I'll examine the tight ends who could exceed or fail to meet expectations based on their weekly opponent … like Trey McBride and Brock Bowers in Week 6!
For your final lineup decisions, check out my fantasy player rankings. I update them daily! Also, make sure you subscribe to the Fantasy Dirt Podcast with Lindsay Rhodes and me, as we break down all things fantasy football five days a week!
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Fabs’ Top 10 Tight Ends Fantasy Football Week 7
1. Brock Bowers at Rams
2. Travis Kelce vs. 49ers
3. Trey McBride vs. Chargers (Mon.)
4. Sam LaPorta at Vikings
5. George Kittle vs. Chiefs
6. Evan Engram vs. Patriots (London)
7. Mark Andrews at Buccaneers (Mon.)
8. Kyle Pitts vs. Seahawks
9. Dalton Kincaid vs. Titans
10. David Njoku vs. Bengals
Complete Week 7 tight end rankings
Byes: Bears, Cowboys
Fantasy Football Week 7 Start ‘Em: Tight Ends
Start of the Week
Brock Bowers at Rams (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Bowers is basically a must-start at what is a brutal position, so take this as more of a validation than a recommendation. He’s been targeted 22 times in his last two games, during which time he’s scored a combined 39.8 points. The rookie should continue to smash against the Rams, who have allowed three touchdowns and the second-most points per game to tight ends this season.
Start ‘Em
Kyle Pitts vs. Seahawks (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Pitts drives me nuts. He’ll go a few weeks with awful stat lines (like Weeks 2-4), then he’ll pop out of nowhere like he did in Week 5. The good news is that he’s scored double digits in two straight weeks, and an upcoming game against the Seahawks is favorable. Their defense has allowed nine-plus points to four tight ends, including two (George Kittle, Hunter Henry) who beat them for 18-plus points.
Cade Otton vs. Ravens (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Otton isn’t putting up great numbers, but he has scored nine-plus points in three of his last four games. During that time, he’s seen a combined 27 targets in what has become an explosive Buccaneers offense. This week he faces the Ravens, who have surrendered 72.7 receiving yards and the fifth-most points per game to tight ends this season. That makes Otton a nice fantasy streamer.
Zach Ertz vs. Panthers (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Ertz can be tough to trust, as he’s scored fewer than eight points in two of his last three games. However, he’s seeing enough of a target share in the Commanders' offense to be a viable matchup-based starter. That’s the case this week, as Ertz faces a Panthers defense given up at least 8.7 fantasy points to four tight ends. That includes allowing 10 PPR points to Pitts in their last contest.
TEs With Good Matchups
- David Njoku vs. Bengals (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
- Dalton Schultz at Packers (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
- Tyler Conklin at Steelers (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC)
Fantasy Football Week 7 Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends
Sit of the Week
Tucker Kraft vs. Texans (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Kraft is tough to sit in such a thin position, but I would temper expectations this week when he faces the Texans at Lambeau Field. Their defense has allowed just one tight end to beat them for more than 7.2 points, including Dalton Kincaid and Cole Kmet, and only two teams have allowed fewer points per game to tight ends. The position has averaged just 21.5 receiving yards against them, too.
Sit ‘Em
Dalton Kincaid vs. Titans (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Kincaid is tough to sit, especially after he had 11.1 fantasy points in last week’s win over the Jets. Still, you might want to temper your expectations when he faces the Titans. While their defense hasn’t faced any elite tight ends, it has held Kraft and Kmet to fewer than five fantasy points this season. What’s more, just one tight end has scored more than 10.9 points against them since 2023.
Pat Freiermuth vs. Jets (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Freiermuth had been a startable fantasy asset, but he took a step back last week with just two catches and 3.6 points. I’d keep him on the fantasy sidelines this week too, as the veteran faces a Jets defense that’s allowed just 31.8 receiving yards and the seventh-fewest fantasy points to tight ends. In fact, just one player at the position has beaten them for more than 8.2 points this season.
TEs With Bad Matchups
- Noah Fant at Falcons (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
- Mike Gesicki at Browns (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
- Chigoziem Okonkwo at Bills (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tight End Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks For Fantasy Football Week 7.
