3) Brock Bowers vs. Jaguars
Bowers and the Raiders were also off last week, in a stroke of NFL scheduling genius that had the top two tight ends drafted in fantasy with scheduled byes on National Tight End Day. Regarding Bowers, the off week was a welcome sight since he missed the previous three games due to a knee injury sustained on opening weekend. Bowers tried to muscle through the injury for three games, but it was clear he wasn’t nearly as explosive as during his rookie season. He has been practicing in full all week, and barring any setbacks, he will take the field at home this weekend against a Jaguars defense ranked 27th in the league against the pass. If Geno Smith can stay upright and get the ball downfield, look for both Bowers and Jakobi Meyers to be heavily involved in the Raiders’ passing attack. Bowers should start to produce big games weekly and work his way back to the top of this list as the season goes on.
For more help with your fantasy football lineups, check out our Week 9 Buy/Sell/Hold!
4) Tucker Kraft vs Panthers
Kraft was on this list last week because of his role in the passing game in the red zone this season. Last week, he exploded for 143 receiving yards and 2 scores, dominating every zone on the field. Jordan Love looked his way 9 times during the game, and it was good to see that Christian Watson’s return had little to no impact on Kraft’s involvement in the offense. The Packers‘ receiving group may get even more crowded with Jayden Reed working his way back from the IR, but that won’t happen this week. Kraft will remain Love’s primary red zone target and should have plenty of opportunities to score, as Green Bay might rely more on its passing game with Josh Jacobs recovering from a calf injury.
5) George Kittle vs. Giants
He’s just so much fun, isn’t he? This guy loves to play football and really enjoys being a tight end. It was no surprise that he was able to bounce back from a goose egg in week 7 to catch 4 passes for 43 yards and a score on a “holiday’ he helped create back in 2018. This week, he faces a Giants team that struggles to cover the tight end, ranking #31 DVOA against the position and #24 overall in the league against the pass. San Francisco might get Brock Purdy back under center, but it’s more likely we’ll see Mac Jones for at least another week. It probably won’t matter who plays, as the 49ers will be looking for revenge after last week’s embarrassing loss in Houston. I expect San Francisco to heavily rely on Christian McCaffrey but also to use Kittle in the passing game, much like Philadelphia did with Dallas Goedert near the goal line. I see Kittle getting into the end zone again this week; he’s a must-start.
