2022 Fantasy Football: Week 9 Tight End Rankings

Bye weeks, injuries, and the trade deadline have all affected the Week 9 tight end rankings. This is the first six-team bye of the season. That means the already-shallow tight end position is going to be hit especially hard. For this round of byes, George Kittle, Pat Freiermuth, Dalton Schultz, Greg Dulcich, Daniel Bellinger, and Harrison Bryant are all out.

The big injury news concerns Mark Andrews. He suffered a shoulder injury that knocked him out of last week’s game. Since the Ravens have their bye in Week 10, Andrews could be kept out to receive extra recovery time. Be sure to stay on top of his status. Also, keep in mind that Baltimore doesn’t play until Monday night, so you’ll likely want to have a backup option in mind. Baltimore leans on their tight ends so Isaiah Likely should have a significant role if Andrews misses time.

On the trade front, Minnesota and Detroit made waves with the intra-division swap of T.J. Hockenson. He becomes the Vikings’ passing tight end with Irv Smith Jr. sidelined for 8-10 weeks with a high-ankle sprain. Hockenson moves to a better offense but it’s unclear how the move will affect Hockenson’s fantasy value, if at all. In Detroit, Brock Wright should slot in as the Lions’ lead tight end.  James Mitchell might also see an increased role.

Week 9 Tight End Notes

Bye Weeks: CLE, DAL, DEN, NYG, PIT, SF

• Evan Engram is coming off his best game of the season. He caught four-of-six passes for 55 yards and nabbed his first touchdown of the season. He has an opportunity to score in back-to-back games in a Week 9 matchup against Las Vegas. The Raiders have given up the second-most passing touchdowns to tight ends (6), as well as the third-most fantasy points to the position. Engram has a team-high 29 targets over the past four games, and should have no problem adding to that total this week.
• Taysom Hill could be in line for more volume this week. With Mark Ingram out 3-4 weeks with a Grade 2 MCL sprain, the Saints’ gadget guy will likely soak up more backfield touches as a result. The Ravens defense is a middle-of-the-road unit against tight ends. But they’ve also surrendered a total of nine rushing touchdowns this season (tied for fifth-most). Hill has one of the highest ceilings among all tight ends, and has a knack for finding the end zone with his legs. This could be a “boom” week for the versatile tight end.
• Kyle Pitts had his best game of the season last week, catching five-of-nine targets for 80 yards and scoring his second touchdown of the season. His nine targets led the team and he finished as the TE3 in half-PPR formats. The Chargers are a more favorable-than-not unit against tight ends, but they’ve only allowed one touchdown to the position through seven weeks. The Falcons will likely be playing from behind in this one, making Pitts a solid option in Week 9.
• Green Bay’s wideouts have struggled to stay healthy this season and Robert Tonyan is benefitting. He’s the Packers’ second-most targeted player this season, and his 22 targets over the past three weeks lead the team. Tonyan has yet to find pay dirt during that span but the volume is there. That should continue in a favorable Week 9 matchup against Detroit. The Lions are the fifth-friendliest defense against tight ends, and they’ve given up five touchdowns to the position (tied for third-most). With few receiving options in Green Bay, Tonyan is a top-10 option for me this week.

Week 9 Tight End Rankings

More Week 9 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex Rankings

Note: Ranks are based on half-PPR scoring