It’s hard to believe that it is Week 12 already. I hope you all are in the playoffs or at least projected to be. Tight end has been a rough position with most teams trying to cobble together a rotation to get them wins. That’s why the weekly tight end streamers and sleepers have been so fun to write. It has helped me with my own teams. I hope it has helped you with your own. Here are the Week 12 tight end streamers and sleepers.
Must start- TJ Hockenson, Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, George Kittle, Tucker Kraft, Trey McBride, Cade Otton, Brock Bowers, Dallas Goedert, David Njoku
Tight End Streamers
Ja’Tavion Sanders- Carolina Panthers
Everyone was excited to see Ja’Tavion Sanders score his first career touchdown back in Week 10 only to then be on bye in Week 11. He comes back and should continue to be part of the Panthers offense. Sanders has struggled to get the targets but the bye week should fix that. Even in his scoring game he only had two targets. He has seen over five targets only four times this year.
Week 12 brings a matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. A team that is bottom five in points allowed to the tight end position. The Chiefs can score points. This should put the Panthers in clear passing situations which increases the opportunities for Sanders. Coming off the bye week. I expect the Panthers to have developed a game plan around Sanders given the matchup. They traded away so many receivers before Week 9 that they were disjointed in their scheme and play calling. The bye week gives them the ability to fix that. I don’t think they can beat the defending Super Bowl champions but they should be able to do enough on offense to give Sanders solid fantasy production.
Hunter Henry- New England Patriots
The New England coaching staff came out before Week 11 and said they needed to get Hunter Henry the ball. That resulted in a nine-target day. They lost the game against the Los Angeles Rams but the offense was clicking at times and it showed what they can be. Hunter Henry was a large part of that. He should continue to be part of the offense going forward and the Patriots build towards the future and play spoiler for teams trying to make the playoffs.
That is what Week 12 is. A chance to spoil the fun run that their division rival Miami Dolphins have been on. While their playoff hopes are slim they still have hope now that Tua Tagovailoa is back. The Patriots are going to have to score to keep up with what Tua and Tyreek Hill can do on the field. It’s not the best matchup for Henry with the Dolphins giving up the tenth fewest points to tight ends. I still believe he will be an integral part of the offense. He might need to score you points on volume, not on yardage or big plays. If the Patriots can get into the red zone, look for them to throw Henry’s way.
Jonnu Smith- Miami Dolphins
On the other side of the field from Hunter Henry is one of my favorite plays most weeks, Jonnu Smith. While Smith is not the same tight end he was, he has quietly put up solid numbers. Opportunities are key for tight ens streamers and Smith is getting them. He has over five targets in six games this year. With Jaylen Waddle not playing to his standards Smith has stepped up to be the second option in the passing game behind Tyreek Hill.
The matchup against the New England Patriots isn’t a smash play but it’s not horrible. The Patriots are middle-of-the-road in terms of fantasy points to the tight end position. If the Dolphins want to have any hope of making the playoffs they need not only wins but divisional wins. That’s what this game is. In the first matchup between these teams in Week 5, Jonnu had eight targets, catching five of them for 62 yards. That was without Tua under center. With the offense back to clicking in all phases Smith should be a solid streaming option.
Tight end Sleepers
Theo Johnson- New York Giants
One thing I love when looking for a tight end sleeper is players who have shown flashes and are now coming off a bye week. Both of those line up for Theo Johnson and the New York Giants. Johnson went into the bye week posting back-to-back six target weeks. He has played on over 70% of the team’s snaps in every game. He has taken over the tight end position from Daniel Bellinger and will continue to be worked into the offense.
The Giants will be facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A team who is given up the fifth most points to tight ends. Coming off the bye week I expect the Giants to have a game plan that focuses on Daniel Jones’s strengths and not put him in situations where he can coast them the game. Jones knows his job is on shaky ground so expect him to be more cautious with the ball. Check it down to his running backs and tight end. That’s where the rookie tight end can shine. While he has only scored one touchdown in his short NFL career that did come just two games ago and was part of the good stretch he has been on. I expect the embattled coaching staff to design plays for their young playmakers including Theo Johnson.
Cole Kmet- Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are on a four-game losing streak but there is a lot of be hopeful about for Bears fans and managers who hold their fantasy assets. That includes Cole Kmet, at least for this week. First quarterback Caleb Williams has thrown the ball over 30 times in each of the last three games. He is completion percentage has started to increase and the offense seems to have found its rhythm. Cole Kmet has yet to be a massive part of that but if you are looking for a tight end sleeper, he might just be one for you this week.
It’s a tough matchup for the Bears as a whole. On a weekly basis, they seem to confuse and frustrate quarterbacks with their pass rush and coverage disguises. When they happen usually a quarterback looks for his hot read which for Caleb Williams at times has been Kmet. The Vikings are only giving up the 14th fewest points to tight ends. If it was a better matchup Kmet would move from tight end sleeper to tight end streamer. I still think Kmet can be a solid option. Gerald Everett is no longer a factor so all the tight end opportunities go to Kmet. He only has five or more targets in three games this season so don’t expect high volume but he does have over 40 yards in four games this year. He can be a bit boom or bust but with how the offense is going I think he can boom this week for you and your fantasy team.
Luke Schoonmaker- Dallas Cowboys
Jake Ferguson left the Monday night game with a concussion. With it being a short week his availability for Week 12 is in doubt. That opens the door for sophomore Luke Schoonmaker to step up in the offense and be a fantasy tight end sleeper. Schoomaker made the most of this past week catching six of his 10 targets for 56 yards. It’s not the first time we have seen him shine when Ferguson misses time. In Week 2, the former Michigan tight end posted a six for six, 43-yard day with no Ferguson in the lineup. With the Cowboys struggling on offense and looking for someone to step up after CeeDee Lamb this should be Luke Schoonmaker’s time to shine.
The Cowboys will be against the Washington Commanders. A team giving up 5.91 points to tight ends according to CBS Sports. It puts them right in the middle of the pack compared to the rest of the NFL. I was wishing for a better matchup but it’s also not a death sentence for a guy trying to earn his spot. The Commanders are surprisingly good and can put points. They are fourth in the league in points for. I like the game script for Schoonmaker. The Cowboys will have to be passing to try to get back into the game. The issue is that the Cowboys offense hasn’t been overly effective since Cooper Rush has had to fill in at quarterback after Dak Prescott went down with a season-ending injury. Will Cooper Rush continue to be the man under center or do the Cowboys finally turn to Trey Lance? Either way, Schoonmaker is the only other playmaker in the passing game. He’s a guy worth rostering as long as Ferguson is out and can produce solid fantasy numbers even on a bad offense.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 12 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!