In this piece, I highlight tight ends that stand out in our large suite of analytical fantasy tools, most specifically, our FantasyLabs Player Models. While the models are built for DFS contests, this is an all-purpose fantasy article with actionable information for all formats.
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Top NFL DFS Tight End Picks in the FantasyLabs Models
On DraftKings, there are two tight ends near the top of the individual Sean Koerner, Chris Raybon, Cash Game, and Tournament Player Models.
- George Kittle
- Trey McBride
We’ll discuss why these two are popping in our models, as well as take a look at some other tight ends.
Top Model NFL DFS Tight End Picks
George Kittle ($5,800 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel): San Francisco 49ers (-12.5) at Arizona Cardinals (48 total)
George Kittle found the end zone last week against Seattle, hauling in a 44-yard touchdown. He totaled three catches for 76 yards on five targets, with 16.6 DraftKings points.
Christian McCaffrey stole the show the first time the 49ers and Cardinals played, so there wasn’t much volume for Kittle. He caught just one ball for nine yards. We’ve targeted tight ends in years past against Arizona, but they’ve been solid this year. The Cardinals have allowed the 10th-fewest DraftKings points to tight ends.
Few tight ends possess the ceiling that Kittle does, as Travis Kelce is the only player with a higher ceiling projection. Kelce is fifth in the position in Projected Plus/Minus and fourth in Points/Salary.
He’s the top option in our Tournament Model and Chris Raybon’s Pro Model.
Trey McBride ($5,20 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel): Arizona Cardinals (+12.5) vs. San Francisco 49ers (48 total)
Trey McBride‘s role has been elite in this offense, and DraftKings is finally pricing him appropriately. He caught eight balls for 89 yards and a touchdown before the bye against Pittsburgh. He’s now seen more than seven targets in all four games with Kyler Murray under center, averaging 8.5 per game.
This is a volume play, as San Francisco has allowed the fewest yards per target to opposing tight ends at 5.3. Arizona is nearly a two-touchdown underdog, so there could be a lot of passing volume for this offense.
McBride’s run started even before Murray entered the lineup, averaging the second-most targets and receptions per game since Week 8.
McBride is the top option in our Cash Game Model and Sean Koerner’s Pro Model. He is third in Projected Plus/Minus and Points/Salary at the position.
Don’t forget to check out our SImLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineup using the power of simulation:
Other Notable NFL DFS Tight End Picks
Tucker Kraft ($3,000 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel): Green Bay Packers (-3.5) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (42.5 total)
Green Bay has leaned on Tucker Kraft with Luke Musgrave out, and he hasn’t disappointed. He caught four balls for 64 yards last week, and he’s gotten better and better with more reps. He saw six targets in Week 13 against Kansas City and caught two balls for 15 yards and a touchdown on Thanksgiving against Detroit.
He’s second in Projected Plus/Minus and Points/Salary at the position. Tampa Bay has allowed the sixth-most receptions per game to tight ends, setting up Kraft for success on Sunday at a cheap price.
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My Favorite NFL DFS Tight End Leverage Pick(s)
Tyler Conklin ($3,100 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel): New York Jets (+8.5) at Miami Dolphins (36.5 total)
Hitching your wagon to anyone on a Zach Wilson-led offense is scary, but I consider myself a risk-taker. Conklin played well with Wilson under center last week, catching four of six targets for 57 yards. He also saw nine targets two weeks ago against Atlanta, although that was with Tim Boyle under center.
New York continues to work Jeremy Ruckert in, which hurts Conklin a little bit. However, Conklin doesn’t need much to pay off his tag, and I’m not that interested in eating chalk at the tight end position this week. He is low-owned with sneaky target upside on an offense that will likely be trailing.
