In Week 9, bye weeks return, making streaming the tight end position extremely tough. This week, there are four players in the dart throw category instead of the normal two. However, some players are beginning to work their way up the rankings, such as Dalton Kincaid and Taysom Hill. Find out where those players rank as well as which streaming options are worth starting in this week’s edition of tight end rankings.
Read More: Running Back Rankings | Wide Receiver Rankings
Week 9 Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings
Week Winners:
- Travis Kelce
- Mark Andrews
- T.J. Hockensen
Travis Kelce had his worst game since Week 4 and still finished with 11.8 points. The overall TE1 finished as a top-three tight end in each of the three weeks before Week 8, and will likely be relied upon for another big game against the high-scoring Miami Dolphins. While Mark Andrews’ yardage total may not jump off the page like Kelce’s, he is the TE2 in points per game due to his six touchdowns, which is third in the NFL and leads all tight ends. Andrews is Lamar Jackson’s favorite red zone target and will look to score yet another touchdown in week nine.
Averaging over 17 points per game since Justin Jefferson’s injury, T.J. Hockensen was primed to become the clear number two in the tight end rankings. However, while Minnesota did bring in Josh Dobbs, Kirk Cousins’ injury forced Hockensen to be downgraded. He’s still Minnesota’s top option in the receiving game though, making him an elite TE1.
Solid Starters
- Dalton Kincaid
- Dallas Goedert
- Dalton Schultz
- Jake Ferguson
- Trey McBride
Bills rookie Dalton Kincaid has broken out over the last two weeks, scoring 15.5 and 17.5 points respectively. Now, he gets a matchup against a Cincinnati defense that allows the most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Since Week 1, Dallas Goedert has been one of the most consistent tight ends in the league. He has a high floor and has scored over 18 points twice this year. Dalton Schultz had a quiet Week 8 but was on a tear in his previous three games. He’s likely to bounce back in week nine for his fourth double-digit performance in his last five games.
Dallas tight end Jake Ferguson continues to make the most out of limited opportunities. While he has only had more than three catches in a game twice this season, he ranks twelfth among this week’s active tight ends in points per game due to a 75.8% catch rate. Trey McBride was last week’s TE1 as he caught ten passes for 95 yards and a touchdown against a Baltimore defense that has stifled opposing tight ends. However, he now plays the Cleveland Browns, who allow just 4.8 points per game to tight ends, the lowest number in the league.
Every target from Trey McBride’s breakout game. pic.twitter.com/z17ujt4uSC
— Ryan Mohler (@MohlerFootball) October 30, 2023
Back-end TE1s:
- Logan Thomas
- Cole Kmet
- Kyle Pitts
- Taysom Hill
Week 8 saw Logan Thomas score double-digits for the third time this season, and aside from a 1.2 performance in Week 6, Thomas has scored at least 7.3 points in every game he has played. While his ceiling may not be the highest, he has one of the safest floors in the league. Cole Kmet returned to fantasy relevance in Tyson Bagent’s third game, as the undrafted rookie finally looked Kmet’s way. Kmet caught ten passes, but may not repeat that performance against a Saints team allowing the tenth-fewest points to tight ends.
Kyle Pitts appeared to be finally turning his talent into production but has now had two mediocre weeks in a row. He has just 66 percent route participation since week five, only two percent higher than teammate Jonnu Smith. It’s hard to put Taysom Hill any higher in the tight end rankings due to his zero-point floor, but the do-it-all threat has now scored at least 12.3 points in three straight games.
Streaming Options:
- Luke Musgrave
- David Njoku
- Jonnu Smith
- Gerald Everett
Luke Musgrave has seen strong route participation in games he has been healthy in, but he’s currently dealing with an ankle injury. Despite that, he may still have a strong performance against a Rams defense allowing the fifth-most points per game to tight ends. David Njoku’s floor has been decent all year, but he showed a ceiling in Week 8, catching a touchdown and scoring 17.7 points. However, the Cardinals are allowing the second-fewest points to tight ends making it unlikely that Njoku will repeat this performance in week nine.
Jonnu Smith’s yardage total has decreased every week since his 95-yeard performance in Week 4. Atlanta’s run-heavy offense can’t support all three of Drake London, Pitts, and Smith, and it’s becoming clear which player is the odd man out. Gerald Everett has only had more than 30 receiving yards once this season. He has caught two touchdowns, however, and in an electric passing offense, the touchdown equity is always there.
Dart Throws:
- Hunter Henry
- Tyler Higbee
- Michael Mayer
- Cade Otton
Hunter Henry had a great start to the season but hasn’t broken double digits since Week 2. Tyler Higbee is in a similar boat, but with Matthew Stafford now injured, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are the only members of the Rams passing attack that should be started. Michael Mayer looked like he was breaking out, but the Las Vegas offense has been dysfunctional over the last two weeks. Cade Otton has virtually no ceiling, but has had a few decent games and is unlikely to score zero, which is better than many other tight end options, allowing him to snag the final spot in the tight end rankings.
Main Photo: Matt Katozian – USA Today Sports
