Bye weeks suck. Not for the players who deserve rest but for us as fantasy football managers, they stink. We are missing four teams this week and that takes away two must-start tight ends in Cade Otton and Trey McBride. So what are we to do? Well, here we are with the Week 11 tight end streamers and sleepers to help you answer that question.
- Week 11 must-start tight ends: TJ Hockenson, Evan Engram, Kyle Pitts, Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, George Kittle, Tucker Kraft
Week 11 Tight End Sleepers and Streamers
Streamers
Dallas Goedert – Philadelphia Eagles
Finally, back from injury Dallas Goedert is quickly getting back to where he was and is borderline must-start. He had a solid return in Week 10. He caught two of his three targets, one of which was for a touchdown. It’s unclear what his final numbers could have been with the Eagles pulling their starters early in the fourth quarter. I’m still encouraged by his involvement in the offense even with him not being 100%.
Week 11 is a tough divisional matchup with the Washington Commanders. They are middle-of-the-road in terms of giving up fantasy points to the tight end position. It’s a short week for both teams since the game will be on Thursday night. Usually, that means more of the basic offense we have seen from both teams. For the Eagles that means a solid amount of targets to the tight end position and Dallas Goedert. We also saw running back Saquon Barkley hurt his arm in Week 10. While that didn’t keep him out of the game it is something to monitor.
Cole Kmet – Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears aren’t the high-powered offense that we thought they would be when they drafted Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. They have struggled to score points, only putting up 27 over the last three games. Despite the struggles of offense, you can still find some fantasy value. One of those values is streamer tight end Cole Kmet. While many had high hopes for the fifth-year tight end, he is still a viable option.
The Bears play the Green Bay Packers in Week 11. They are in the bottom third in giving up fantasy points to the tight end position. It’s not the smash matchup you ideally want but it is good enough. Kmet is still playing on a high number of snaps. He has surpassed 80% snap share in six of the nine games so far this season. While only seeing four targets in the Bears Week 10 contest that is only two off the team lead of six which all three wide receivers had. If you are looking for a streaming option this week Kmet fits the bill.
Sam Laporta – Detroit Lions
I know. It’s Sam LaPorta. The number one tight end from last year. The sophomore came into the season with high expectations. An offense that is clicking right now and is top 5 in scoring. The issue for LaPorta is that he isn’t living up to last year’s numbers. The Lions are currently in the middle of the road in passing yards per game. If you drafted LaPorta as a top end, set it, and forget it tight end you have probably been questioning if you should be starting him even after his good game in Week 10. This week I believe you can confidently put him in your lineup. He did leave the game last week with a shoulder injury so monitor his status.
The Lions are facing the Jacksonville Jaguars. A team giving up the seventh most points to tight ends. There is some concern about the game script with Trevor Lawrence possibly being out and Mac Jones not being able to command the offense and score points. That could put the Lions in a run-first mentality, which would limit the total opportunities for LaPorta. The Jaguars have a good defense, especially at the linebacker position but their best cover guys will have to contend with the wide receivers and running backs. LaPorta should be able to find decent matchups and soft spots in the zones to get open and be a solid streaming tight-end option.
Tight end Sleepers
Will Dissly – Los Angeles Chargers
The Wizard is back. The Wizard of Dizz that is. Will Dissly is quietly stringing together a solid run of decent fantasy games. Since their Week 5 bye, Dissly has put up weeks of 6.6, 16,1, 9,1, 2.9 and 8.0. While those numbers aren’t putting him on many waiver wire lists he is a very good tight end sleeper.
Week 11 brings the Cincinnati Bengals to SoFi stadium. The Bengals are giving up the fourth most points to tight ends. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has been on a tear lately. The Chargers are making a playoff push and winning against a very good Bengals team is the next step. It should be a shootout with both teams able to put up 30+ points. With multiple top options on bye weeks, you can safely trust Dissly to give you over five fantasy points with an upside. The points we talked about earlier all came without scoring. If Dissly can find the end zone he could be in the talk for top tight end of the week.
Hunter Henry – New England Patriots
We continue to see the New England Patriots try to figure out their receiving weapons. They seem to have a new combination of wide receivers out there every week. The one constant has been tight end Hunter Henry. He has consistently played on over 85% of the team’s snaps and has seen five or more targets in three out of the past four games.
Week 11 is a matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams are giving up the eighth most points to tight ends. The Rams are coming off a short week, playing the Dolphins Monday night and then having to travel to the East Coast for an early game. All signs point to Henry continuing to be a tight end sleeper. As Drake Maye continues to develop so will his confidence in the veteran tight end.
Dawson Knox – Buffalo Bills
Dalton Kincaid left the Week 10 game with a knee injury. His availability for week 11 will be in question and even if he does play will he be 100%? Those questions open the door for Dawson Knox. What we have seen from Knox is he is out there a ton even when Knicaid plays. He hasn’t had more than three targets in a game but two out of the last three games he has been over 40 yards. The issue for Knox and Kincaid is that the two eat into each other’s upside. If Kincaid misses time we could see Knox have a blow-up game. He has the chemistry with Josh Allen and he has done it before.
Let’s also point out that this is a pivotal game for the Buffalo Bills. Playing the Kansas City Chiefs to possibly determine who will be the number one overall seed in the AFC playoffs. The Chiefs are currently giving up the second most points to tight ends. That’s a glowing matchup for Knox. It’s also a game that should produce a ton of scoring and passing attempts. All of that is another big neon arrow for Dawson Knox. I expect the Bills coaching staff to utilize Knox in this game. He is currently fourth on the team in routes run and he should see a large increase in Week 11.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 11 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!