Welcome back, readers! I am happy to return for a second year as The Sporting Tribune's fantasy football analyst. If you are new here, my mission is to help fantasy managers with any dilemmas or questions they may have through the course of the season to ultimately win their leagues. For the next 17 weeks, I will produce weekly fantasy content that will go over the waiver wire, rankings, and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em columns.
Being a fantasy manager often means having to make difficult roster decisions, but I aim to take some of the guesswork out of it with my Start 'Em and Sit 'Em column for every position. It goes without saying that I won't include obvious calls like "start Trey McBride" or "sit Tommy DeVito." Instead, I search for players that could be perceived as fringe that could propel your lineups for weekly wins.
As always, if you have any questions or don't see your players on here, feel free to follow me on Twitter (X) – @JamesNewell96 and send me a message, where I typically respond in a timely manner.
Start 'Em
Kyle Pitts Sr. @ PIT (Projected FPTS - 9.4): Despite the news of Cooper Rush likely being named the Week One starter, I am still high on Pitts. He finished last season as one of the top fantasy tight ends with Kirk Cousins under center. Besides, Atlanta doesn't really have many options for pass catchers after Bijan Robinson and Drake London, and new head coach Kevin Stefanski typically uses his tight ends. Pittsburgh is also a favorable matchup, allowing 11 touchdowns and the third-most points to the position last season.
Dallas Goedert vs. WSH (Projected FPTS - 8.5): Goedert finished last season with a career-high 11 touchdowns. While it's easy to assume some regression, the Eagles traded A.J. Brown, and rookie wideout Makai Lemon is coming off a hamstring injury. Philly's passing attack will likely feature DeVonta Smith and Goedert for at least the early part of the season. He will take on a Commanders team that allowed 12 touchdowns the season before (tied for the second-most). Goedert should expect to see a fair share of targets, making him worth putting in your lineup.
Isaiah Likely vs. DAL (Projected FPTS - 8.0): During the drafting period of the offseason, I was high on Likely, who signed with the Giants. He now has second-year QB Jaxson Dart throwing him the ball, which is a match made in heaven for fantasy managers. Dart targets his tight ends heavily, throwing to the position nearly 24 percent of the time. Likely, while he had a role in Baltimore, never got to be the lead guy behind Mark Andrews. He starts the season facing the Cowboys, who were decent at defending tight ends last season. However, it's hard to ignore the possibility of Likely being Dart's security blanket this season.
Honorable Mentions: Tucker Kraft @ MIN; Juwan Johnson @ DET; Michael Mayer vs. MIA; Brenton Strange vs. CLE; Mark Andrews @ IND.
Sit 'Em
T.J. Hockenson vs. GB (Projected FPTS - 6.4): Hockenson was once a stellar tight end in the league, but he is not the same player he once was. Over the past two seasons, he has only scored three touchdowns and has finished outside the top 25 at the position in each of those years. If you find yourself with Hockenson on your roster, you are better off finding a replacement. P.S. — a guy I would target is Pat Freiermuth, who is rostered in only 14.6 percent of leagues, or Brenton Strange, who is available in 77 percent of leagues.
Dalton Kincaid @ HOU (Projected FPTS - 7.8): If Kincaid can stay healthy, he has the potential to be a true fantasy difference-maker at tight end. Until then, I wouldn't label him as a must-start candidate. In fact, I would completely avoid him this week against the Texans. Not only did Houston have the best defense in the league last season, but they held opposing tight ends to 9.8 fantasy points per game and only gave up double-digit fantasy points three times. Find a streamer for this week.
Oronde Gadsden II vs. ARI (Projected FPTS - 5.4): Man, does anyone remember the hype surrounding Gadsden from Weeks Four through Seven last season? I know I do. Fast forward to now, and he is listed on the depth chart as TE3 behind Charlie Kolar and David Njoku, who both signed this offseason. He draws a fantastic matchup against the Cardinals but is likely in an intermittent role for the time being. This will limit his target share and lower his floor. Find a replacement if you have options.
Lowlights: Chig Okonkwo @ PHI; Greg Dulcich @ LV; Travis Kelce vs. DEN; Jake Ferguson @ NYG; Dalton Schultz vs. BUF.