Everyone can exhale. Let’s be real, we really can’t, though, as fantasy football simply doesn’t allow for that. With respect to bye weeks, though, that is something we can do. No offense to Pat Freiermuth and Gunnar Helm, but having the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans on bye this week shouldn’t change much from a tight end perspective in our fantasy football lineups. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t critical decisions to be made. Now, let’s take a look at our NFL Week 9 tight end rankings in the quest to set a winning lineup.
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Tight End Notes
Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
Many factors come into play when evaluating fantasy football roster decisions, and matchups are one of them. The Miami Dolphins rank in the top five of fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends this season. They are averaging 69 receiving yards per game in addition to six touchdowns. That should set things up nicely for LaPorta.
In a season marred by some contract rumors, along with some poor performances, this could be the perfect situation for LaPorta to break out. The good news is that his three catches for 33 yards last week were better than his one catch for 18 yards two weeks ago.
Prior to Detroit’s bye, LaPorta had a few strong weeks, but overall, he has just 31 catches for 367 yards on the season. He’s seemingly healthy, and we know he’s capable of more. Now, let’s see it happen this week.
Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
What do we even make of Warren at this point? The Colts have clearly shifted their focus towards the future, but last year’s first-round pick isn’t going anywhere. Can we even trust him from a fantasy perspective for the rest of the season? The bigger issue, though, is whether we trust Daniel Jones and the Colts’ offense enough to make Warren a viable option.
Despite his success last season, Warren hasn’t reached that same point in his sophomore campaign. In his last four games, Warren hasn’t found the end zone despite a season high of seven catches for 83 yards in that stretch. Not only does Warren need a better quarterback, but we wouldn’t be upset with an improved offensive line as well.
While Warren was targeted 10 times last week, it’s interesting to see him finish with just four catches for 18 yards. At this point, it’s getting difficult to rely on Warren, although the upside is hard to ignore. There’s a lot Warren can benefit from, but don’t blindly expect a 2025 performance.
Greg Dulcich, Miami Dolphins
Follow the matchup. An average of 98 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns allowed to opposing receivers this season is bound to get our attention. That’s the stat line so far this season for Detroit against opposing tight ends.
No, Dulcich isn’t going to stand out or generate much attention on his own, but maybe that’s a little unfair. It’s clear that Miami’s passing game is still very much under construction, but led by Malik Willis, they are making weekly strides. The problem is that those strides aren’t incredibly large. However, Dulcich has been one of the more dependable targets. Over the past three weeks, he has 13 receptions for 166 yards. As a floor, we should get about four catches for 40 yards, but more is possible in Week 9.
Check out all of our Week 9 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings | MOP Rankings
Week 9 Tight End Rankings
| Rnk | Player | Team | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Kittle | SF | vs. LV |
| 2 | Sam LaPorta | DET | at MIA |
| 3 | Brock Bowers | LV | at SF |
| 4 | Trey McBride | ARI | at SEA |
| 5 | Harold Fannin Jr. | CLE | at NO |
| 6 | Colston Loveland | CHI | vs. TB |
| 7 | Isaiah Likely | NYG | at PHI |
| 8 | Tucker Kraft | GB | at NE |
| 9 | Travis Kelce | KC | vs. NYJ |
| 10 | Kyle Pitts Sr. | ATL | vs. CIN |
| 11 | Brenton Strange | JAC | at BAL |
| 12 | Greg Dulcich | MIA | vs. DET |
| 13 | Dallas Goedert | PHI | vs. NYG |
| 14 | Tyler Warren | IND | vs. DAL |
| 15 | T.J. Hockenson | MIN | vs. BUF |
| 16 | Dalton Kincaid | BUF | at MIN |
| 17 | Mike Gesicki | CIN | at ATL |
| 18 | Juwan Johnson | NO | vs. CLE |
| 19 | Tyler Higbee | LAR | at WAS |
| 20 | AJ Barner | SEA | vs. ARI |
| 21 | Darren Waller | CAR | vs. DEN |
| 22 | Dalton Schultz | HOU | at LAC |
| 23 | Chig Okonkwo | WAS | vs. LAR |
| 24 | Michael Mayer | LV | at SF |
| 25 | Kenyon Sadiq | NYJ | at KC |
Make sure to check out all of our Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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