Tight end is one of the most difficult positions to nail down each week. It’s a position where you can spend all the way up, pay all the way down, or look somewhere in between. Tight ends derive a bunch of their value from scoring touchdowns, which can be difficult to predict on a week-to-week basis.
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 as the projections 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 300 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Finally, make sure to check out all the projections available for purchase (Chris Raybon’s come included with a FantasyLabs subscription) within the FantasyLabs Models. Subscribers now have the option to purchase Derek Carty’s THE BLITZ from our Marketplace. Projections from One Week Season and Establish the Run are available if you’re a subscriber to those specific sites (our optimizer is a separate add-on feature).
You can also combine them to create your own aggregate projections:
Top NFL DFS Cash Game Options
Dallas Goedert ($5,100 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel)
Goedert was basically invisible for the first two weeks of the season. He managed just a 14% target share, and he accounted for just 9% of the team’s air yards. Even without A.J. Brown in Week 2, Goedert still finished with just 6.8 DraftKings points.
However, DeVonta Smith also went down with an injury in Week 3, and that seemed to finally remind Jalen Hurts that Goedert is on his team. He finished with an elite 31% target share in that outing, which he turned into 10 catches for 170 yards. Even without the benefit of a touchdown, Goedert still finished as the top-scoring TE on the main slate.
If Goedert can approach a 30% target share again this week, it’s hard to argue against him being the top tight-end target. No tight end has a target share above 25% for the year, so that puts him in elite territory.
His matchup vs. the Buccaneers is also solid. Tampa Bay is in the middle of the pack in terms of passing defense this season, but they were shredded through the air in 2023. Overall, Goedert’s Opponent Plus/Minus of +0.7 is the third-best mark on the slate.
Finally, Goedert is priced at a massive discount on DraftKings. He’s -$2,400 cheaper than he is on FanDuel, resulting in a 99% Bargain Rating. That makes him really tough to avoid for cash games.
Tommy Tremble ($2,700 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel)
If you’re not going with Goedert, your best course of action is probably to pay all the way down at the position. Punting TE is very common for DFS cash games, especially with how unproductive the top players have been at the position so far this season.
Tremble stands out as the top option if you’re going that route. He hasn’t been super productive this season, catching just six passes for 52 yards, but he’s only played in two games. One of those was with Bryce Young at quarterback, so it’s hard to penalize him too much for that outing.
Tremble could be a bit busier in Week 4 following the injury to Adam Thielen. He’s posted a 13% target share for the year, so his absence is going to open up some additional opportunities for the rest of the roster.
Tremble also saw a nice spike in routes in Week 3, getting in the pattern on 77% of the team’s dropbacks. That was the second-best mark on the team, trailing only Diontae Johnson.
The entire Panthers’ offense is poised for success vs. the Bengals. They’ve been a disaster defensively this season, ranking in the bottom five in EPA against the run and the pass. This game has the second-highest total on the slate at 47.5 points, so it’s a good game environment for Tremble to find the end zone.
Try out our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
Top NFL DFS Tournament Options
Mike Gesicki ($3,500 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel)
On the other side of that matchup, Gesicki warrants some attention for the Bengals. He was overlooked during his tenure in Miami, but Gesicki has always been a freak of nature. He ranks in the 96th percentile or better in virtually every athletic metric, with Player Profiler listing his closest comp as Vernon Davis.
Gesicki has gotten a chance to be a bigger part of the offense in Cincinnati, and he’s taken full advantage. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in back-to-back games, and he still managed five targets last week despite Tee Higgins returning to the lineup.
The Bengals are listed as 4.5-point favorites vs. the Panthers, and their 26.0-point implied team total is the second-highest on the main slate. Historically, TEs with comparable salaries and implied team totals have averaged a Plus/Minus of +1.85 on DraftKings (per the Trends tool).
Gesicki’s ceiling might not be quite as high as he showed in Week 2, but he remains a solid choice at just $3,500.
Dalton Schultz ($4,100 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel)
Schultz is another player who could see a slight uptick in opportunities in Week 4. He’s been the Texans’ No. 4 option in the passing game through the first three weeks, posting a paltry 11% target share. However, Tank Dell is not expected to suit up vs. the Jaguars. That opens the door for Schultz to move up in the pecking order.
Schultz has proven that he can produce when given the opportunity. He had a 17% target share with the Texans last season, and he averaged 10.0 PPR points per game.
The Jaguars aren’t a great matchup on paper, but they have not looked like the same team as last season through the first three weeks. They were absolutely obliterated by the Bills in Week 3, with Dalton Kincaid managing to score his first touchdown of the year.
Schultz stands out as one of the strongest options at the position on FanDuel, where he leads all TEs in projected Plus/Minus.
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Contrarian NFL DFS Tournament Options With Upside
Travis Kelce ($5,800 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel)
The metrics for Kelce look downright bad through the first three weeks. His target share is down to just 15%, and he’s managed just eight catches for 69 yards. He’s also failed to find the end zone, making this his worst start to a season since 2013.
Still, this is Kelce we’re talking about. He’s one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, and he’s been the unquestioned top fantasy option at the position for half a decade. It should surprise no one if he… shakes it off in Week 4.
The idea of getting Kelce at 2.5% ownership or less – especially at $5,800 on DraftKings – is simply too tempting to pass up. That’s particularly true since the Chargers are going to be without Derwin James in this matchup, who has historically matched up against Kelce when these teams have squared off.
Kyle Pitts ($4,800 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel)
We’re still waiting for the Pitts breakout, and at this point, it just may never come. However, I’m at least slightly tempted by him in Week 4.
Like Kelce, he’s projected for minimal ownership across the industry. However, he has the fourth-highest ceiling projection at the position.
His matchup vs. the Saints is also a good one. They have historically been very good on the perimeter, which funnels targets towards the middle of the field. We saw Goedert absolutely destroy the Saints in that area in Week 3; why can’t Pitts do the same thing?
From a metric standpoint, Pitts’ numbers were up in Week 3. He had 20% of the Falcons’ targets and 33% of their air yards vs. the Chiefs, and if he can reach those thresholds again, he has the potential for a big day.
George Kittle ($5,500 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel)
Kittle was expected to be the chalk at tight end in Week 3… until he was ultimately ruled out with an injury. Kittle is questionable heading into this week’s matchup vs. the Patriots, but he’s been able to practice on a limited basis this week. I tentatively expect him to suit up on Sunday, and if he does, he’ll be playing without Christian McCaffrey and potentially Deebo Samuel.
The last time we saw Kittle, he racked up eight targets, seven catches, 76 yards, and a touchdown vs. the Vikings in Week 2. He’s one of the most talented tight ends in football, even if he doesn’t get to show it on a weekly basis.
The injury could make DFS players hesitant to click on Kittle in this spot, which makes him a very appealing tournament option. He has arguably the highest ceiling at the position if he can suit up.
