Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9

We have reached Week 8 of the NFL season, making it time for your weekly Top 12 for tight ends. The most important things for TEs are targets and TDs, so these are the two parameters I will look at the most, together with the matchup. Here are your Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9.

1. Travis Kelce, KC vs. Packers

Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9
Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9, 1. Travis Kelce

Kelce had a rough go of it in Week 8, which seems like an effect of the struggles Patrick Mahomes have had. Kelce is still the TE1 on the season though (both in total points and points per game), and as such still maintains his position as the number one tight end for Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9.

2. Darren Waller, LV vs. Giants

Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9
Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9, 2. Darren Waller

Waller is the second most targeted tight end on a per-game basis behind Kelce. That’s why he remains the TE2 right now, despite “only” being the TE8 on the season (he missed a game with injury and had his bye week already).

Waller is still one of the most talented and most targeted players at the tight end position so he is a lock for your lineup.

3. Mark Andrews, BAL vs. Vikings

Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9
Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9, 3. Mark Andrews

Andrews started the season quiet but has since then turned in some of the monster performances we know he is capable of. That means he is highly ranked again this week despite a tough match-up against the Vikings.

4. Kyle Pitts, ATL vs. Saints

Start or Sit These Players on Sunday to Win Week 12 Fantasy
Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9, 4. Kyle Pitts

In Week 8, it appeared that Pitts suffered a bit, like the rest of the ATL offense, from a lack of Calvin Ridley’s presence. It allowed the Panthers to focus a lot more on Pitts, which meant he had a dud game.

The Saints is another below-average match-up but a player as talented as Pitts can’t be kept down for long.

5. Mike Gesicki, MIA vs. Texans

Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9
Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9, 5. Mike Gesicki

Gesicki has slowly but surely crept his way up the target leaders board for tight ends, putting him as the third most targeted tight end right now.

That makes him an auto-start for your lineup. This week he has an extremely good match-up against the Texans, so expect big things from Big Mike.

6. Dallas Goedert, PHI vs. Chargers

Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9
Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9, 6. Dallas Goedert

Goedert has seen a few more targets per game now that Zach Ertz is gone, which is obviously a good sign for his fantasy value.

He is the TE6 this week in a very good match-up versus the Chargers, who give up the eighth-most points to opposing tight ends.

7. George Kittle, SF vs. Cardinals

Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9
Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9, 7. George Kittle

It seems like Kittle is finally back after missing several games due to injury. He is facing a tough task against the Cardinals who are the second-best team at defending opposing tight ends.

However, Kittle still finds himself as the TE7 in the Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9, due to his talent and the number of targets he could end up seeing with Deebo Samuel likely missing the game this week. The 49ers need Kittle to have a big game.

8.
Dalton Schultz, DAL vs. Broncos

Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9
Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9, 8. Dalton Schultz

Even with Cooper Rush replacing Dak Prescott at QB for the Cowboys in Week 8, Schultz saw just around his average number of targets (7 in the game, 6.3 per game on the season).

In Week 9, Dak appears to be ready to go, which should give this offense a lot more upside in the scoring department. Schultz could very well benefit from that and get a score.

9. Hunter Henry, NE vs. Panthers

Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9
Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9, 9. Hunter Henry

This is where it begins to get a lot dicier at tight end. Henry is the number eight TE for the Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9, and he is very touchdown-dependent to give a proper return for your fantasy lineup.

10. Zach Ertz, ARI vs. 49ers

Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9
Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9, 10. Zach Ertz

The Cardinals offense could look entirely different from what we are used to in this Week 9 game. Kyler Murray, Deandre Hopkins, and AJ Green all look like they could miss the game. But for fantasy, this could swing either way for Ertz.

It could benefit him greatly, getting a lot more targets, or the offense could just end up being bad and not doing much of anything. Ertz is a bit of a dart throw, but there is potential for tremendous upside.

11. Tyler Higbee, LAR vs. Titans

Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9
Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9, 11. Tyler Higbee

Higbee has been your steady-Eddy for most of the season. He’s unlikely to give you a great performance, but he won’t give you a complete dud either for the tight end position. He is the epitome of a low-end TE1.

12. Jared Cook, LAC vs. Eagles

Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9
Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9, 12. Jared Cook

Rounding out this week’s top 12 is Jared Cook. Cook has been as swingy as it comes at the tight end position. He needs to find the endzone and to do that, he needs Justin Herbert to get back to his high level of play from the beginning of the season.

Thank you for reading Top 12 Tight End Plays for Week 9

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