Week 3 Recap
Last week, we told you that Travis Kelce‘s Week 2 output wasn’t a mirage, despite a clear tendency of Patrick Mahomes to spread the ball around more than usual so far this season. We were correct: Kelce found paydirt yet again and finished as the TE8 on the week; those who started him didn’t regret it.
Our Mark Andrews call didn’t work out nearly as well. In all fairness, Andrews missed at least 1.5 quarters of football with a hand injury before returning. Still, he managed to finish second on the team in targets, one off the team lead. A Ravens tight end did indeed catch a touchdown, but it was rookie Matt Hibner who had his number called. Process > results. Sigh.
We were off by a week or two in predicting a resurgence for Colston Loveland, but we advised sitting him last week against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that ranked second in the league in points allowed to the tight end position. Loveland was one yard away from scoring his first touchdown of the season. Incredibly, that one yard was the difference between a Top 12 finish and his end result as the TE28. It was also the difference between us going 1-2 on the week and our actual 2-1 finish. Phew!
Our deep dives of the week were nowhere near as enthralling. Oronde Gadsden II and T.J. Hockenson. Gadsden was a particularly spectacular failure. His 57 percent snap share was tops among all Chargers tight ends, but he failed to haul in a single one of his three measly targets. Hockenson wasn’t much better: 2 receptions for 11 yards. Let’s see if we can fare a bit better in Week 4!
Week 4 Tight Ends
We’re giving Loveland the nod this week. As mentioned above, he was oh-so-close to finding paydirt in Week 3. We think he finally crosses the stripe this week. The New York Jets have been tough on opposing tight ends so far this season. However, the recent success of Kalif Raymond and Luther Burden on short and intermediate routes should help spring Loveland for a big play or two, provided Case Keenum can put forth even a fraction of his stunning performance on Monday Night Football.
The Detroit Lions have allowed more points to opposing tight ends than any other team in football by a country mile. Enter the Carolina Panthers. Since taking on a larger role in the offense, Darren Waller has been the TE8 in fantasy over the past two weeks, yet he’s still viewed as an afterthought in most circles. We’re confidently starting him in Week 4.
Meanwhile, Dalton Schultz caught a lot of steam in recent weeks. Expectations have been high for the Houston Texans tight end with Nico Collins on the shelf. We’re stepping off this ride in Week 4. According to FantasyPros, Schultz carries an Expert Consensus Ranking of TE13, putting him in the conversation as a viable streaming option for many in 12-team leagues. We, as dutiful contrarians, have him slotted as the TE21, so he’s a clear “sit” for us this week.
It’s now time to gear up for our deep dives of the week. Brenton Strange has been the TE34 over the past two weeks but should fare much better in a plus matchup against Cincinnati. The Bengals are statistically a bottom-10 defense against tight ends so far this season. That game has the highest over/under of any on the NFL slate in Week 4, so expect plenty of scoring opportunities.
Finally, y’all remember Kyle Pitts? He’s the TE63 so far this season, and no…that’s not a typo. Expect him to play a larger role in the game plan on Monday night. The New Orleans Saints defense ranks in the bottom four in points allowed to fantasy tight ends. Dare we start Pitts in the Year of Our Lord 2026? We do. We do indeed. –Drew DeLuca