2022 Fantasy Football: Week 7 Tight End Rankings

Week 7 is here and we survived the first round of bye weeks. But wait, there’s more! With this round of byes, Dawson Knox, Tyler Higbee, Irv Smith Jr, and Dallas Goedert are all out, meaning we have to dig deeper at an already shallow position. Add to that some unclear injury situations, and we have some tough lineup decisions to make this week. But before we dive into the Week 7 tight end rankings, let’s take a quick look at some of those notable players with injuries.

Pat Freiermuth (concussion), Dalton Schultz (knee), and Logan Thomas (calf) all failed to suit up in Week 6. At the time of this writing, Freiermuth is the only player of the three expected back in Week 7. Cameron Brate sprained his neck in Week 6 and will likely miss time. Cade Otton is the primary fill-in for Tampa Bay. Darren Waller is coming off a bye this week, but monitor his status since he left Week 5 with a hamstring injury. As always, stay on top of injury reports throughout the week and adjust your lineups accordingly. Good luck, everybody!

Week 7 Tight End Notes

Bye Weeks: BUF, LAR, MIN, PHI

• George Kittle had his best game of the season last week, catching 8-of-10 targets for 83 yards. His targets and yardage have increased each week since Week 4, and he gets a nice home matchup this week against Kansas City. The Chiefs have surrendered four touchdowns to tight ends this season, tied for third-most. Kittle could very well add to that total in Week 7.
• Hayden Hurst has been dealing with a groin injury. But he’s getting healthier just as the Bengals’ offense is starting to fire on all cylinders. Hurst is averaging five targets a game and scored two touchdowns in the past three weeks. He gets a plus matchup against the Falcons, who have allowed the third-most passing yards to tight ends this season.
• Evan Engram is starting to see consistent looks in the Jacksonville offense. In the last two weeks, he’s combined for 16 targets and 109 yards. Engram could have extra motivation this week as he faces off against his former team. The Giants are a better-than-average team against tight ends, but they’ve allowed the seventh-most passing yards to the position. Engram is a solid play this week.
• Daniel Bellinger has finished as a TE1 in back-to-back weeks. While he’s yet to top more than five targets or 40 receiving yards in a game, Bellinger has three touchdowns this season and leads the Giants in red zone targets. The matchup against Jacksonville is tougher than not.  But his red zone looks and scoring upside make Bellinger a solid option this week, especially as we navigate bye weeks and injuries.
• Kyle Pitts scored his first touchdown of the season. But he only totaled 19 yards on three targets (catching all three). While it’s nice that Pitts scored, his decline in playing time continues to be a problem. His snap percentage has steadily dropped from 93% in Week 2 to 57% in Week 6. Until that turns around, he’s likely a TE2 most weeks.
• Greg Dulcich is an interesting play this week. The rookie made his debut on Monday night, playing on 71% of snaps and catching two-of-three targets for 44 yards and a touchdown. The matchup against the Jets is less than ideal as they haven’t allowed a tight end to score. However, they’ve surrendered the fifth-most passing yards to the position, and Dulcich could be used as a security blanket this week – especially if Russell Wilson misses time with a hamstring injury. Dulcich makes more sense in deeper formats but is a decent flier if you need a bye week or injury replacement.

Week 7 Tight End Rankings

More Week 7 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex Rankings

Note: Ranks are based on half-PPR scoring