2 TEs to start and 2 TEs to fade in Week 17 fantasy football

Picking the right tight end in Week 17 might be the difference between taking home a fantasy championship and settling for runner-up. Here are a couple of tight ends to take a chance on this week and two others to ignore.

Tight End Starts

Foster Moreau, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Indianapolis Colts

Moreau looked lost on a football field in his first couple of weeks in place of the injured Darren Waller, running poor routes and dropping easy passes. In his past two games, however, things have taken a turn for the better as he’s caught 11 of 13 targets for at least 60 yards in each. Assuming Waller’s knee injury keeps him sidelined yet again, Moreau is worth using against the Colts; no team has allowed more catches and receiving yards to TEs than Indy.

Noah Fant, Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Can Fant finally snap his TD drought in Week 17? He hasn’t scored since Week 6, but he has a fantastic matchup on tap against a collapsing Chargers defense that has allowed seven scores to tight ends over its previous seven games and 12 TDs on the season, tied for the most given up by any defense. The Chargers are also one of two teams to permit at least 1,000 yards to the position. Fant is stuck in a low-volume passing offense, but if Justin Herbert and Co. can grab an early lead and force Denver to throw more than desired, the former Iowa Hawkeye could be a main beneficiary.

Tight End Sits

Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals

Tight end is such a touchdown-or-bust position in fantasy for those who don’t have one of the few elite options on their roster. The Cardinals have given up only two TDs to tight ends this year. But that’s not all; they have allowed the fewest fantasy points per game, the third-fewest catches and the fourth-fewest yards to tight ends. George Kittle recorded 101 yards against the Cards in Week 9. Otherwise, no tight end has reached even 50 yards versus Arizona this season. In the wake of a couple of very productive weeks, Schultz is set up to be a dud in Week 17 with this matchup in front of him.

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

As much of a joke this season has been for the Jags, they have been pretty good against tight ends of late. Kittle scored against them in Week 11, but he ended with only 34 yards on four receptions. And that’s the only touchdown Jacksonville has allowed to a tight end since Week 5. The Jaguars also haven’t allowed more than 50 yards to a tight end since their Week 7 bye. That includes a 2-26-0 line to Kyle Pitts in Week 12. Henry has been a solid fantasy TE thanks to his nine touchdowns, but he has been left scoreless and with fewer than 30 yards in four of his past five games. Expect something similar from Henry in Week 17.