Streaming Tight Ends
The first round of the playoffs is in the books, and we had some guys show up at the position. We had six different guys tally multiple scores. I say multiple scores because this wasn’t just two touchdowns; Kyle Pitts found the end zone on three separate occasions in the first game of the week. Pitts didn’t just give us the best tight end finish of the season, but the best outing a tight end has had this century. Trey McBride had a comparable day with 12 catches, 134 yards, and two scores. He looks to be a part of many championships this year. The Dolphins looked inept on Monday night. Tua played so poorly that he was benched, but through all that, Darren Waller crushed with a TE3 finish with 66 yards and two TDs. Dallas Goedert, Dawson Knox, and Colby Parkinson were our other guys in the double scorers category. Dalton Schultz took advantage of a bad matchup and broke his two-game skid with a top-seven finish. Rookie Gunnar Helm continues to show flashes, giving us nuggets to set aside for the 2026 season prep. Travis Kelce had a decent day as he watched his playoff hopes and Quarterback leave for the year. We have to wonder if this could be the final three games for Kelce. Brock Bowers was a massive hit to rosters last week as the Raiders could not even amass 100 yards.
Tight Ends I’m Starting
I so badly want to open this section with Darren Waller. That has been the plan for weeks; this would be his game, the one that would feel safer than any other on the slate. And then the benching of Tua Tagovailoa has put me in a tailspin. He still plays the Bengals, which is hands down the best matchup, but the variables in this game are immense. Kyle Pitts has another bottom-tier team he can take advantage of, but the possibility of Drake London returning could lower his ceiling. Travis Kelce looks to be in a new situation without Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew under center. Rashee Rice is in concussion protocol, which would leave Kelce as the easy dump-off play for Minshew.
Oronde Gadsden finds himself in an interesting situation this week, playing the Dallas Cowboys. He hasn’t been good as of late, but if QJ misses again this week, there could be enough to go around. Juwan Johnson burned us last week. To anyone who played him, I hope you made it through. Devaughn Vele has already been declared out for this game, leaving Johnson as second in the pecking order in what should be a pass-happy environment this week. Call me crazy, but I’m looking at Isaiah Likely‘s direction this week. Now, to stress: we are deeper in my rankings of tight ends, but this list is about players I really like, regardless of where they fall. The Ravens game will require more than 8 completions from Lamar Jackson this week, and the Patriots do not give up yards easily on the ground. Harold Fannin Jr. has the worst matchup when it comes to points allowed to the position with the Bills. But how can you walk away from the number one target for a team, even if the offense is questionable at best? He draws the Bills, but he’s been a massive part of the offense and is now missing David Njoku and RB Dylan Sampson. Finally, Colston Loveland is the last to hit this list. Without Rome Odunze and Luther Burden, the target consolidation hits a level where Loveland is a borderline must-start in this divisional bout between the Bears and Packers.
Tight Ends I’m Fading
Now, the stinkers. The guys I don’t want to play. The ones that could leave me uneasy in my starting roster in the playoffs. At the top is Brock Bowers: hands down, a fantastic talent. For the most part, people say great players will overcome bad quarterback play, but as we are seeing with Justin Jefferson, that isn’t a set-in-stone theory. The Raiders couldn’t even muster 100 total yards, and now they face a game against the number-one Texans defense. Bowers is a hard player to sit, but if you are comfortable with the rest of your lineup, I’d look for points at the position elsewhere. On the other side of the ball, Dalton Schultz may not have as many opportunities in this game, while the Raiders are not a plus matchup for tight ends. Jake Ferguson plays the Chargers this week, and while I hope it is a high-scoring affair, there’s also a chance we see both offenses struggle, as many of the Chargers’ games have gone lately. Brenton Strange has been a savior for people looking for a late-season pivot with multiple top-end finishes. The Jaguars play the Broncos, a team that can be stingy with points. Jaxson Dart and the Giants should struggle with the Minnesota defense this week. Dart may be able to overcome this, but without a fluke play or a touchdown, Theo Johnson could leave you with few points for your team.
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by Henning von Jagow/Action Plus / Icon Sportswire