Alas, we are back to bye weeks. Six teams this week. The good news is that tight ends aren’t super affected by them. We still have most of the top guys in our lineups. For most of us, it’s the last week of the fantasy regular season so maybe you need this win to get into the playoffs. Maybe you need it to secure a bye or just increase your spot. Either way, we are here to help. Here are my favorite Week 14 tight end streamers and sleepers.
Must start- TJ Hockenson, Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Tucker Kraft, Trey McBride, Cade Otton, Brock Bowers, Dallas Goedert, David Njoku, Evan Engram
Tight End Streamers
Jonnu Smith- Miami Dolphins
The tight end position, especially this year is about consistency. You just don’t want to be let down by whoever you have in your lineup. Well, there hasn’t been a more consistent guy than Jonnu Smith. Smith hasn’t had a disappointing week since Week 4. While the rest of the Dolphins’ passing offense has left fantasy analyst, managers, and NFL pundits scratching their heads, Smith has been a surprising bright spot. After a few years of letdown season and bouncing around a few teams, he finally has a solid role. In the past three games, he has 30 targets, two games over 100 yards, and three touchdowns.
The week 14 matchup isn’t the greatest. They go against the New York Jets who are currently a top-five defense against tight ends. The Jets have been a letdown up until this past week of offense so the question about game script has to be asked. It’s a divisional game and the first time these teams are meeting this season. So will the offenses be vanilla and hold back the more creative stuff for later in the season? Will scoring be down? I don’t think either will be true. While the Jets are all but out of the playoffs, the Dolphins can’t wait to get their wins. They have a steep climb to get into the wildcard spot. They will be pulling out all the stops to get this crucial win. Jonnu Smith will continue his consistent ways and has the upside to be one of the top three tight ends in Week 14.
Jake Ferguson/Luke Schoonmaker- Dallas Cowboys
We don’t know just yet if Jake Ferguson will be back after missing two games with a concussion. Given the extra rest coming off a Thanksgiving day game I expect him to be. If he can not go it will be rookie Luke Schoonmaker making his third start. No matter which tight end it is I like them this week. With Cooper Rush under center, a Cowboy tight end has put up double-digit fantasy points in all but one game.
The Cowboys will be facing the Cincinnati Bengals. A team that is giving up the second most points to the tight end position. This game has the potential to be a sneaky good game. The Bengals are probably out of the playoffs but they are going to give it a shot. They have one of the highest-powered offenses with a balanced run and passing attack. The Bengals can score points. It’s what we have seen over the past few weeks. That is a good sign for the Cowboys’ tight ends and the game script should include a ton of passing.
Chig Okonkwo- Tennessee Titans
When it comes to the Tennessee Titans everyone is going to be talking about wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. And they should be. He is on a historic heater right now. But his awe-inspiring run has cast a shadow over the good games that tight end Chig Okonkwo has been having. While the fantasy scores haven’t always been there, the underlying metrics are. He has been playing on over 70% of the team’s snaps the past three games. He just had a game with six targets and the week before that he busted off a 70-yard touchdown reception.
Week 14 is against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags are currently giving up the 7th most points to tight ends. Titans quarterback Will Levis seems to be handling the offense better after coming back from injury. His continued growth on the NFL level will continue to benefit his playmakers. The Titans are lacking in that department and Chig is one of the most gifted athletes on the team. He has the yards after the catch ability and his size is a mismatch against linebackers and safeties. He continues to be a solid option for Levis who is learning that the dump off is better than trying to force a big play. Okonkwo is a solid option in Week 14.
Tight end Sleepers
Greg Dulcich- New York Giants
I was so bummed when rookie tight end Theo Johnson left the game with a foot injury and even more so now that it’s been reported that he will most likely miss the rest of the season because of it. So who steps up to fill in the void? Most would think it would be Daniel Bellinger but I think we could see the first game in a Giants uniform for Greg Dulcich. He was inactive this past week after just signing with the team. We didn’t see Bellinger have an increase in snaps or targets when Johnson went down.
Let’s not forget that two years ago we saw Dulcich have a good end to his rookie campaign. Since then he has been hindered by injuries and coaching changes. His release from Denver gives him a fresh start. Week 14 is a solid matchup for Dulcich to take advantage of. Playing against the Saints could be his breakout. The Saints are middle of the road in points surrendered to the tight end position. What benefits Dulcich is he has already been part of a game plan for the Saints. He was on the Denver Broncos when they prepared to play in New Orleans back in Week 7. While Dulcich didn’t do anything Lucas Krull had three receptions for 41 yards. Dulcich knows what does and doesn’t work against them and now has a better team around him that can utilize him in their game plan.
Michael Mayer- Las Vegas Raiders
No, I don’t actually mean Brock Bowers. He is a must start but Michael Mayer is a sneaky good play this week. The Raiders are playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A team that is giving up the fifth most points to tight ends. It’s a matchup that I think both Bowers and Mayer can excel in. Remember that last year Mayer was talked about as possibly the best tight end in that draft class. He hasn’t shined yet in the NFL but we have seen glimpses. They have been someone clouded by the dysfunction of the rest of the team and offense.
Mayer has been slowly getting more involved in the offense. Since coming back from injury his snap share has gone from around 50% for two games to over 60% this past week. He has only seen a few targets each game but we are counting on the matchup to provide more opportunity. The game script should be in favor of passing. The Bucs are a solid offense that has been clicking all year. They have a solid run and passing attack. That should put the Raiders in a pass-first offense for most of the game. The Raiders have had a ton of injuries at the running back position so they have been relying on the passing game even more. All signs point to Mayer being a tight end sleeper this week.
Dawson Knox- Buffalo Bills
The biggest question with this tight end sleeper is if Dalton Kincaid will be back from the knee injury that has kept him out the past two games. Dawson Knox, my favorite Bills player, has been filling in and hasn’t been amazing but he has big game potential, especially this week. If Kincaid does come back I would be looking elsewhere but until we know for sure you have to be looking at Knox as a tight end sleeper.
The Bills are playing the Los Angeles Rams. A team giving up the 11th most points to tight ends. The Rams are a high-powered offense with a great rushing and passing attack. The game script points to a high-scoring game where the Bills will have to throw the ball early and often. Knox had six targets in Week 11 and then followed that up with two catches for a 56-yard performance in a snowy Week 13 game. I expect him to have solid opportunities and if he can convert more of them into points he will be a pleasant surprise for your fantasy team.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 14 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!