In this piece, I highlight tight ends who 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.
As news breaks throughout the week and we adjust our projections (powered by Sean Koerner), player ratings in our Player Models will change. For updates, visit the models directly.
And don’t forget about the tools that FantasyLabs has to offer, like our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
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.
- Travis Kelce
- T.J. Hockenson
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
Travis Kelce ($8,000 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel): Kansas City Chiefs (-10) vs. Seattle Seahawks (49.5 total)
Travis Kelce had a couple of pedestrian performances and then turned around to catch 10 of 10 targets for 105 yards against Houston. Kelce is unmatched at the tight end position and is lapping every other tight end in the field.
He has eight games of 20+ DraftKings points on the year, including two of 30+, showing a ceiling that is unmatched. Kansas City is trying to keep pace in the race for the one seed in the AFC, so there’s no reason for them to ease up on Kelce’s workload.
Kelce has the ability to absolutely blow the position out of the water on any given week, which is so valuable. He has 100-yard and two-touchdown upside, which frankly is nonexistent for the most part among other tight ends.
He gets a great matchup this week also, as the Seahawks have allowed the second-most DraftKings points to opposing tight ends on the year.
He’s the top tight end in our Tournament Model.
T.J. Hockenson ($4,900 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel): Minnesota Vikings (-4) vs. New York Giants (48.5 total)
T.J. Hockenson has handled a steady workload since joining Minnesota. He’s been between six and 10 targets each week, averaging 8.14 per game over the past seven games. He hasn’t posted any ceiling performances but has had a high floor and has only found the end zone once.
He’s averaging 8.6 yards per catch and 5.9 yards per target since joining Minnesota. This is a step down from his days in Detroit, where he was averaging 15.2 yards per catch and 9.2 yards per target. His volume has increased, now at 8.14 targets per game compared to 6.1 before.
The matchup is solid, as the Giants have allowed a 73.9% catch rate to opposing tight ends and 8.3 yards per target. This game is also being played indoors, which is a big plus this weekend, with many of the games being impacted by weather,
Hockenson leads the position in Points/Salary and is second in Projected Plus/Minus.
He is also the top tight end in our Cash Game Model, as well as Sean Koerner and Chris Raybon’s Pro Models.
Other Notable NFL DFS Tight End Picks
Dalton Schultz ($4,200 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel): Dallas Cowboys (-4.5) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (47.5 total)
Dalton Schultz has finally returned to a full-time player but didn’t do much with it last week. In a game with 74 combined points, he caught two of four targets for merely 15 yards. This offense spreads it around, and there really isn’t much we can do about it. We just have to hope we get Schultz on a “boom” week.
The matchup isn’t anything to write home about, as the Eagles are top 10 in yards per target at 6.1, and touchdown rate allowed at 3.3% to opposing tight ends. However, this game boasts one of the highest totals on the slate and the Cowboys are home favorites.
Noah Fant ($3,400 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel): Seattle Seahawks (+10) at Kansas City Chiefs (49.5 total)
Noah Fant turned in a solid game last week against San Francisco, catching five of six targets for 32 yards and a touchdown. Fant’s route numbers haven’t been anything spectacular, running a route on 50%, 42%, and 47% of dropbacks the past three weeks.
The reason for optimism is a potential influx of targets, with Tyler Lockett set to miss. Fant has run 41 pass routes with Lockett off the field, seeing a target on 24.4% of those routes, averaging 3.51 yards per route run. Surely most of these routes are from heavier sets where Fant is more of a priority to get the ball to, but it is still notable. The Chiefs have allowed a 7.7% touchdown rate to tight ends, giving Fant a decent chance to find the end zone.
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