Fantasy Football Player Notes
Week 13 Half PPR Rankings
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1.
Travis Kelce
KC (vs . DEN)
This is absolutely ridiculous. Kelce has finished worse than the TE8 on the week just twice this season. Take a second and re-read that sentence and then you'll have an even greater appreciation for Kelce and what he does on the football field. Regardless of how tough the matchup, there's no way we can view Kelce as anything less than the TE1 every single week in fantasy.
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2.
Mark Andrews
BAL (at PIT)
Andrews has become a Kelce-esque workhorse for the Ravens. He was targeted 10 times last week against the Browns, finishing with 4-65-1. Andrews is second among tight ends in targets (89), receptions (60) and receiving yards (761), trailing Travis Kelce in all three categories. Andrews is the TE2 this week behind only - you guessed it - Kelce.
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3.
George Kittle
SF (at SEA)
Kittle had one catch for 13 yards against the Vikings in Week 12, and he hasn't topped 50 yards in any of his last three games. But with Deebo Samuel out with a groin injury, Kittle could play a major role in the San Francisco passing game this weekend. He's generally been productive this year, with 35-425-3 receiving in eight games. Kittle is the TE3. He's a DraftKings steal at $5,900.
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4.
Rob Gronkowski
TB (at ATL)
Gronk has now played two games since returning to action and he has certainly made his presence known. He has seen 18 targets over the past two weeks and he's reeled in 13 of those for 194 yards. At this point, as long as Gronk is healthy and playing, he belongs in starting lineups as a top-5 option. The chemistry with Brady is still there and the target share in this offense is simply too much to play many other options over him in our lineups. Against the Falcons defense this week, Gronk can be played with complete confidence.
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5.
T.J. Hockenson
DET (vs . MIN)
At the beginning of the 2021 NFL season, fantasy managers were jumping up and down with excitement due to what Hockenson was doing on the football field. He started off the year with back-to-back top-5 fantasy finishes and appeared to be well on his way to helping people win fantasy championships. Unfortunately, since that point, Hockenson has only finished inside the top-5 again on the week just once! Additionally, he has also finished outside the top-12 TEs in six other games so far this season. With the team performing so poorly around him and the QB play being less than ideal, Hockenson has struggled to produce the types of numbers that we saw at the beginning of the season. With that being said, he's still absolutely worth playing every single week at the TE position due to his talent and his role in this offense. He only saw a 12% target share in Week 12 against the Bears, but he was able to cash in and find the end zone for the first time since week two. We shouldn't be expecting Hockenson to start finding the end zone regularly again, which means that he doesn't necessarily have top-5 upside every single week, but he's absolutely worth plugging into your lineup as a low-end TE1 in this matchup against the Vikings.
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6.
Kyle Pitts
ATL (vs . TB)
Did you know that Pitts has just one Red Zone target since Atlanta came out of their bye week in Week 6? He finished as the TE2 in Week 7 after posting 163 receiving yards against Miami, but he hasn't reeled in more than four receptions in any game since that point. He also has found the end zone just once on the entire year up to this point and his fantasy finishes are dropping quickly as a result. He hasn't finished inside the top-10 TEs over the course of the last five games and there are reasons to be pessimistic that he will do it at any point in the foreseeable future. With no other vertical receiving threats in this offense, Pitts is the center of attention for opposing defenses and they're making life incredibly difficult for him. The future is still very bright for Pitts down the road, but we need to downgrade him from a redraft perspective in the meantime. Pitts can be viewed as a low-end TE1/high-end TE2 for this matchup against Tampa Bay.
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7.
Dalton Schultz
DAL (at NO)
Fantasy managers were starting to panic a little bit on Schultz from Weeks 8-10 where he had two fantasy finishes outside the top-35 at the position. However, he's turned things around in the past two weeks and has come through in the advantageous situation with Cooper and Lamb both missing time. Schultz has seen a 16.9% target share over the past two weeks combined, but we have to assume that that will drop down if Cooper and Lamb both return to the active lineup this week. It's a tougher matchup for opposing TEs regardless with the Saints allowing just 5.2 fantasy points per game to the position too, so we need to at least exercise caution with Schultz in Week 13. He's still worth playing if all three WRs are active, but we need to downgrade him to more of a low-end TE1. If Cooper misses this week, we can at least feel comfortable starting Schultz as a mid-range/low-end TE1. We'll continue to update with more information as it becomes available.
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8.
Dawson Knox
BUF (vs . NE)
Knox feasted on Thanksgiving night, scoring a pair of touchdowns. (He had a third nullified by a penalty for an ineligible man downfield.) In the three games since he returned from a broken hand, Knox has 10-129-2 on 14 targets. He's the TE8 against a Patriots defense that's yielding 4.7 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends.
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9.
Dallas Goedert
PHI (at NYJ)
Expectations for Goedert were sky high when Zach Ertz was traded away - and there were a couple of weeks where it looked like he was going to finally turn into a reliable TE1 - but it hasn't clicked here in recent weeks. Goedert finished as the TE12 in Week 11 against New Orleans, but otherwise he has finished as the TE23, the TE25, and the TE54 three of the past four weeks. With Hurts being a volatile passer for this offense, Goedert's a difficult player to try and project week in and week out. We should still be considering Goedert for fantasy - especially in this matchup against the Jets - but we need to realize that he's not turning into the reliable fantasy threat that we thought he would when Ertz was shipped off.
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10.
Mike Gesicki
MIA (vs . NYG)
From Weeks 3-8, Gesicki had just one game where he finished worse than the TE10 in Half PPR scoring formats. He was playing lights out football and was steadily rising further and further up rest-of-season rankings. Since Week 8 though, Gesicki has yet to crack the top-12 again and he even has a 0-0-0 performance sprinkled in there in a game where he saw 7 targets. He's now watching as guys like Durham Smythe finish with more receiving yards on his own team and we now have to be very concerned about Gesicki's outlook moving forward. He can be viewed as a low-end TE1/high-end TE2 this week, but we need to recognize that he's starting to bring a lower floor than we once thought.
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11.
Pat Freiermuth
PIT (vs . BAL)
Last Sunday, Freiermuth scored a garbage-time touchdown with under 3 minutes left in the Steelers' 41-10 loss to the Bengals, but a garbage-time touchdown is a touchdown just the same. It gave the rookie from Penn State his fifth TD in his last five games. Freiermuth has had at least four receptions in each of his last six games. He's a low-end TE1 against a Baltimore defense that's giving up 9.5 fantasy points per game to tight ends.
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12.
Zach Ertz
ARI (at CHI)
In the Cardinals' last game, a 23-13 win over the Seahawks in Week 11, Ertz had his most productive outing since joining the team in Week 7, with 8-88-2 on nine targets. In five games with Arizona, Ertz has averaged 4.4 catches and 53.8 receiving yards per game. He's a low-end TE1 or high-end TE2 this week against the Bears.
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13.
Logan Thomas
WAS (at LV)
In his first game back from a hamstring injury that had kept him out of action since Week 4, Thomas had 3-31-0 on six targets against Seattle. He appeared to have a game-clinching 3-yard TD catch late in the fourth quarter, but the officials ruled it an incompletion. It was encouraging to see Thomas get a healthy 17% target share in his first game back. He's a high-end TE1 this week in a favorable matchup against the Raiders.
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14.
Noah Fant
DEN (at KC)
Earlier on this season, Fant was seeing north of 7 or 8 targets regularly with so many proven receiving options out of the lineup. However, he has now seen just 14 targets over his last three games and has less than 15 receiving yards in two of those performances. There's the possibility that the Broncos need Fant more in this outing against their division rival, but fantasy managers have to ask themselves what the upside is to playing him at this point? There's enough going against him to downgrade him to a mid-range TE2 for Week 13.
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15.
Tyler Higbee
LAR (vs . JAC)
With just one catch for three yards last week against the Packers, Higbee fell to TE21 in fantasy points per game among tight ends who've played at least five games. In 2020, Higbee averaged 11.8 yards per catch and 8.7 yards per target, and his average depth of target was 8.0 yards. In 2021, he's averaging 8.9 yards per catch and 6.2 yards per target, and his aDOT is 5.3 yards. Higbee is just a midrange TE2 this week vs. the Jaguars.
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16.
Foster Moreau
LV (vs . WAS)
Waller missed practice Wednesday with a knee injury, leaving his status for this weekend up in the air. He's obviously a must-start if he's able to suit up. If not, Moreau becomes an attractive streaming option at TE, considering that the Raiders don't have an abundance of pass-catching options. Moreau would become an especially compelling option on DraftKings, where he's priced at only $2,700.
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17.
Hunter Henry
NE (at BUF)
Henry had quite a run from Week 4 to Week 10, scoring seven touchdowns in seven games, but it appears the thrill ride is over. Over his last two games, Henry has 4-41-0 on eight targets. There's still TD potential here, but Henry is averaging 2.9 catches and 32.8 yards per game, so if you don't get a touchdown, you probably aren't getting much. Henry is a midrange TE2 in a tough matchup against the Bills.
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18.
Tyler Conklin
MIN (at DET)
Conklin had begun to enter into the weekly redraft conversation and he did have some upside there for a few weeks, but that seems to have come crashing down around him. Conklin has yet to haul in more than three receptions in any of the past three weeks and he ran just 21 routes this past week, according to PFF. There's the possibility that Conklin sees an uptick in work with Dalvin Cook now out, but the majority of those targets should stay with Mattison out of the backfield. Conklin is nothing more than a touchdown-or-bust option at this point. The matchup is favorable against Detroit, but we shouldn't be expecting crazy production.
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19.
Cole Kmet
CHI (vs . ARI)
Kmet saw a season-high 11 targets in the Bears' Thanksgiving Day win over the Lions and finished with 8-65-0. That was with Andy Dalton at quarterback for the Bears. Dalton had also targeted Kmet seven times in Week 1, resulting in a 5-42-0 stat line for the second-year tight end. Kmet ran routes on 86% of Dalton's dropbacks in Week 12. It's encouraging usage, but two reasons to flash the caution light for Week 13: (1) Kmet still hasn't scored a touchdown all season, and (2) he's about to face a Cardinals defense that's giving up 4.5 fantasy points per game to tight ends, the second-lowest total in the league.
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20.
Gerald Everett
SEA (vs . SF)
Since Russell Wilson's return from a finger injury in Week 10, Everett has more targets (21) than D.K. Metcalf (20) and Tyler Lockett (18). Everett has 16-137-1 over those three games, making him the TE7 in fantasy points per game over that stretch. He had only topped 40 yards once in his previous six games, so it's smart to be wary of Everett's mini-breakout. He's the TE20 this week against a 49ers defense that's allowing a league-low 3.7 fantasy points per game to tight ends.
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21.
C.J. Uzomah
CIN (vs . LAC)
After scoring five touchdowns over a four-game stretch from Week 4 to Week 7, Uzomah has gone four games without a TD. He's also totaled just 18 receiving yards over his last two games. He's a midrange TE2 this week, bolstered slightly by a matchup against a Chargers defense that's giving up 10.4 fantasy points per game to tight ends.
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22.
Jared Cook
LAC (at CIN)
In 11 games this season, Cook has finished with between 25 and 29 yards on seven different occasions. He's only topped 50 yards twice. Cook is the TE18 in fantasy points per game, and he's the TE22 in this week's rankings.
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23.
Jack Doyle
IND (at HOU)
Fantasy managers had been looking at Mo Alie-Cox as the Colts TE to roster earlier on in the year, but Doyle has recently emerged as a viable streaming option. He now has 17 targets over his last three games and he's running a route on 84.6% of his snaps during that time frame. The Texans have gotten gashed by opposing TEs this year and they're allowing 9.3 fantasy points per game to the position on average. If you're in need of a streaming option for Week 13, Doyle should be considered as a mid-range TE2.
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24.
Evan Engram
NYG (at MIA)
With the move away from Jason Garrett heading into Week 12, there was some optimism that Engram would finally be utilized properly in this offense and that we could see a bit of a resurgence from him. Unfortunately, that didn't exactly happen. While Engram saw six targets - he now has 11 over the course of his last two games - he finished with just three receptions for 37 yards and ended the week as the TE22. There are better investments you can make at the TE position in fantasy this year and Engram can be dropped to your league's waiver wire if he hasn't been already.
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25.
James O'Shaughnessy
JAC (at LAR)
With Dan Arnold out for the season with a fractured scapula, O'Shaughnessy is now the Jaguars' top pass-catching tight end. O'Shaughnessy's high-ankle sprain was one of the motivating factors behind the Arnold trade. It's worth monitoring O'Shaughnessy's usage, but he hasn't been fantasy-relevant in any of his six previous NFL seasons.
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26.
Ryan Griffin
NYJ (vs . PHI)
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27.
Jonnu Smith
NE (at BUF)
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28.
Brevin Jordan
HOU (vs . IND)
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29.
Albert Okwuegbunam
DEN (at KC)
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30.
Donald Parham Jr.
LAC (at CIN)
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31.
Mo Alie-Cox
IND (at HOU)
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32.
Cameron Brate
TB (at ATL)
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33.
Juwan Johnson
NO (vs . DAL)
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34.
Darren Waller
LV (vs . WAS)
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35.
John Bates
WAS (at LV)
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36.
Durham Smythe
MIA (vs . NYG)
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37.
Will Dissly
SEA (vs . SF)
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38.
Pharaoh Brown
HOU (vs . IND)
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39.
Nick Vannett
NO (vs . DAL)
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40.
Jimmy Graham
CHI (vs . ARI)
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41.
O.J. Howard
TB (at ATL)
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42.
Zach Gentry
PIT (vs . BAL)
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43.
Kylen Granson
IND (at HOU)
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44.
Stephen Anderson
LAC (at CIN)
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45.
Chris Manhertz
JAC (at LAR)
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46.
Noah Gray
KC (vs . DEN)
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47.
Chris Myarick
NYG (at MIA)
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48.
Kyle Rudolph
NYG (at MIA)
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49.
Garrett Griffin
NO (vs . DAL)
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50.
Chris Herndon IV
MIN (at DET)
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51.
Jesse James
CHI (vs . ARI)
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52.
Ross Dwelley
SF (at SEA)
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53.
Sean McKeon
DAL (at NO)
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54.
Brock Wright
DET (vs . MIN)
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55.
Daniel Helm
LV (vs . WAS)
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56.
Blake Bell
KC (vs . DEN)
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57.
Lee Smith
ATL (vs . TB)
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58.
Drew Sample
CIN (vs . LAC)
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59.
Tommy Sweeney
BUF (vs . NE)
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60.
Charlie Woerner
SF (at SEA)
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61.
Adam Shaheen
MIA (vs . NYG)
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62.
Nick Boyle
BAL (at PIT)
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63.
Tre' McKitty
LAC (at CIN)
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64.
Jack Stoll
PHI (at NYJ)
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65.
Antony Auclair
HOU (vs . IND)
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66.
Parker Hesse
ATL (vs . TB)
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67.
Luke Farrell
JAC (at LAR)
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68.
Eric Saubert
DEN (at KC)
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69.
Darrell Daniels
ARI (at CHI)
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70.
Tyree Jackson
PHI (at NYJ)
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71.
Ricky Seals-Jones
WAS (at LV)
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72.
Hunter Long
MIA (vs . NYG)
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73.
Colby Parkinson
SEA (vs . SF)
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74.
Luke Stocker
MIN (at DET)
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75.
Eric Tomlinson
BAL (at PIT)
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76.
Josh Oliver
BAL (at PIT)
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77.
Trevon Wesco
NYJ (vs . PHI)
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78.
Kendall Blanton
LAR (vs . JAC)
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79.
Jeremy Sprinkle
DAL (at NO)
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80.
Jordan Akins
HOU (vs . IND)
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81.
Kenny Yeboah
NYJ (vs . PHI)
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82.
Blake Jarwin
DAL (at NO)
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83.
Demetrius Harris
ARI (at CHI)
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84.
Kaden Smith
NYG (at MIA)
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85.
Jacob Hollister
JAC (at LAR)
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86.
Andrew Beck
DEN (at KC)
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87.
Cethan Carter
MIA (vs . NYG)
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88.
J.P. Holtz
CHI (vs . ARI)
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89.
Mitchell Wilcox
CIN (vs . LAC)
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90.
Brad Cottam
KC (vs . DEN)
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91.
Richard Rodgers
PHI (at NYJ)
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92.
Kevin Rader
PIT (vs . BAL)
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93.
Darren Fells
TB (at ATL)
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94.
Brycen Hopkins
LAR (vs . JAC)
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95.
Matt LaCosse
NE (at BUF)
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96.
Dan Brown
NYJ (vs . PHI)
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97.
Mason Schreck
CIN (vs . LAC)
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