TJ Hockenson start or sit: Week 6 fantasy football advice

Game day update: TJ Hockenson is officially ACTIVE Sunday against the Bengals after being questionable with a knee injury.

The Detroit Lions will search for their first win this weekend as they welcome Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals to town.

The Lions' ground game has sputtered this season and they’ve had to rely on the passing attack to get any production on offense. Tight end TJ Hockenson has been a focal point of the team’s aerial attack. But should fantasy managers start him in their lineup this week against a good Bengals defense?

Fantasy Football analysis: Lions TE TJ Hockenson

Hockenson is a critical cog on the offense for Detroit. It’s a bit odd to see the team’s leading receivers are a running back and tight end, with only one wideout having over 200 yards on the season. But that just goes to show how much of a mismatch Hockenson can be. He has 237 yards through the air and is tied for the team lead with two receiving scores. With any fantasy play, the number of targets the pass-catcher gets is critical and the Iowa product has seen a ton. He’s had the ball thrown his way 33 times this season, seeing eight or more targets in three of the five games so far.

He’ll no doubt get targets this week, but will they be catchable? The Cincy defense is one of the best in the NFL in limiting production from tight ends. They rank fifth in the league giving up less than eight points per week to opposing tight ends and have allowed just 153 yards and one score all season.

Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation

Hockenson is one of the main drivers of the Lions' offense. He’ll see a lot of targets and will probably have the most productive week of any TE to face Cincy.

It’s risky, but start him.