Getty Dalton Schultz #86 of the Dallas Cowboys.
Welcome to Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Tight Ends edition for Week 5 of the NFL season. This edition features a top-level talent looking to bounce back after a down week. Plus, a budding playmaker in Dallas who could see a dip in volume.
* Reminder: Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em is intended to present you with the non-obvious choices for your fantasy lineup. We dig deep into player matchups, scoring trends, and other factors to best help you with your fantasy decisions. Superstars such as Travis Kelce will not be found in this column. If you’re looking for players of such caliber check out our weekly fantasy football tight end rankings.
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TE: Start ‘Em
Start of the Week: Hunter Henry at NO
Henry saw a season-low in targets, receptions and yards last week. This week, however, is shaping up to be a far more welcoming sight for fantasy owners. No defense allows more points to opposing TEs than the Saints. New Orleans ranks within the bottom three in receptions, yards and touchdowns allowed to the position.
Mo Alie-Cox at CLE
While the recent volume wasn’t there for Alie-Cox in Week 4, he still managed to salvage his production by scoring a touchdown on his lone reception of the day. Expect a bounce-back game for the big-bodied tight end against the Browns. Cleveland allows the fourth-most points to the position, as well as surrendering at least one touchdown to the position in all but one game this year.
Evan Engram at DAL
Engram is by far one of the more aggravating pass-catchers in fantasy. Despite loads of talent, he’s hit double-digit points just once this year. On the bright side, he has seen seven-plus targets on three occasions this season. He could finally repay owners for sticking it out with him this Sunday vs. Dallas. The Cowboys allow the third-most total yards in football, including 12 receiving touchdowns, second-most in football.
Sleeper: Trey Burton at CLE
Burton made his season debut in Week 4 and while his statistical output left much to be desired, his usage adds high intrigue. Burton’s five targets against the Bears tied for the second-most on the team. In a TE oriented offense, Burton could be quite the flyer against a Cleveland defense that has allowed four touchdowns to the position over the first four weeks.
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TE: Sit ‘Em
Sit of the Week: Austin Hooper vs. IND
Hopefully, you rolled the dice on our sleeper selection from last week because Hooper will find it tough to replicate his 14.4 point output against Indy. Hooper collected five receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown in Week 4. The Colts, on the other hand, have allowed eight receptions, 62 yards and zero touchdowns to the position all season long.
Hayden Hurst vs. CAR
Hurst has seen five-plus targets in all but one game this year. Unfortunately, he’s been able to crack double-digits just once with that usage. Hurst’s quarterback, Matt Ryan, has also only tossed one touchdown over his past two games. Opposing TEs have scored just one combined touchdown against the Panthers this season, while all have failed to top 50 receiving yards.
Kyle Rudolph at SEA
Rudolph has fallen out of fantasy relevancy this season. However, a matchup against the league’s worst pass defense may pique some’s interest. With that said, essentially none of that yardage has come from the tight end position. Opposing TEs average just 33.75 yards per game against the Seahawks this year, none of which have found the endzone.
Buyers Beware: Dalton Schultz vs. NYG
Schultz has blossomed into a bonafide fantasy option in recent weeks. The Dallas TE is the third-highest scoring player at his position since Week 2. Schultz’s meteoric rise has much to do with the absurd amount of passes Dak Prescott has had to attempt in order to keep the Cowboys in their games. Chances are Prescott won’t need to push for 60 attempts against the Giants, as he has the past two weeks. Furthermore, the Giants are surprisingly stout against tight ends, allowing zero touchdowns and holding all but one opponent at the position below 24 yards.