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 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
Juwan Johnson vs. ATL (Projected FPTS – 11.5): Johnson has been on a roll this season, scoring double-digit fantasy points in all three games, including 23.3 points last week against the Raiders, where he scored a pair of touchdowns. He's built a strong connection with Tyler Shough, who has also looked elite. The No. 3 tight end in fantasy will have a favorable matchup this week against the Falcons, who've allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season.
Travis Kelce @ LV (Projected FPTS – 12.7): Kelce has looked fantastic through the first three weeks of the season. Entering the week as the TE2 in fantasy, he's averaged just over 16 points per game and has the fourth-most yards per route run among tight ends in the league. The only concern with Kelce this season is that his targets can be spotty at times, but his production has been similar to his prime era. He'll have a good matchup in Week Four against the Raiders, who've allowed the third-most points to tight ends. Keep Kelce in your lineup.
Dalton Schultz vs. DAL (Projected FPTS – 10.2): Schultz currently has the second-most targets among all tight ends in the league, behind only Arizona's Trey McBride. With Nico Collins out of the lineup, Schultz has been C.J. Stroud's security blanket. Entering Week Four with 205 receiving yards on 19 receptions, Schultz will have a soft matchup against the Cowboys, who've surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points to the position. Even if Collins suits up, Schultz should still be deployed in lineups.
Honorable Mentions: Darren Waller vs. DET; Sam LaPorta @ CAR; Kenyon Sadiq @ CHI; Tucker Kraft @ TB; Brenton Strange @ CIN; Jake Ferguson @ HOU.
Sit 'Em
Kyle Pitts Sr. @ NO (Projected FPTS – 8.3): Throughout his career, Pitts has been widely known for disappointing fantasy managers with his play. Last season, we saw some bright spots of what his ceiling could be, and to start 2026, his first two games were duds — though that could be forgiven given the poor quarterback play in Atlanta from Cooper Rush and Jack Strand. However, Michael Penix Jr. returned to the field in Week Three against the Packers, and Pitts was nonexistent yet again. He has a solid matchup in Week Four against the Saints, who've allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to tight ends — but those numbers were inflated after Brock Bowers' massive game last week. Don't start Pitts.
Dalton Kincaid vs. NE (Projected FPTS – 12.0): I encouraged fantasy managers to start Kincaid last week against the Chargers, and boy, was I wrong. It was a good matchup on paper, but the Bills had to adjust their game plan after a rough start. Kincaid will likely be starting in a majority of leagues in Week Four due to a lack of options, but consider the matchup he has against the Patriots. New England has yielded the fewest fantasy points to the position, and opposing tight ends have been targeted on just 17.2 percent of routes.
Isaiah Likely vs. ARI (Projected FPTS – 11.1): Likely has a great matchup lined up in Week Four against the Cardinals, who allowed George Kittle to reach 26 fantasy points in their last game. However, we aren't dealing with the version of Likely who was Jaxson Dart's go-to option. Last week he was targeted just five times and caught only two passes for 3.3 fantasy points. With Jameis Winston under center, it's hard to feel comfortable or confident starting Likely.
Lowlights: Colston Loveland vs. NYJ; Hunter Henry @ BUF; Mike Gesicki vs. JAX; Mark Andrews vs. TEN; Oronde Gadsden II @ SEA; Tyler Higbee @ PHI.