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As the race towards the fantasy football postseason continues with Week 13, a strategic change in starting lineups can be a deciding factor in winning matchups this week. The tight end spot has been among the trickiest to prepare for, but there are a number of key matchups to leverage this week, as well as some to avoid. Here are a few tight ends to consider starting and a couple to steer clear of in Week 13.
Tight End Starts
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Atlanta Falcons
Fantasy managers should disregard last week’s relatively quiet performance from Freiermuth, who has largely been a consistent option amid a top-heavy fantasy football position. The Steelers' tight end comes in as TE6 in the fantasy ranking this week and averages 10.5 PPR fantasy points per game. On deck are the Falcons who give up at least 7.4 fantasy points per game to the position, and rank 28th in pass defense.
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Round two of this AFC West matchup feels like a shootout waiting to happen, with the Raiders hoping to split the season series after losing in Week 1. Everett could be an impactful play if Mike Williams is again out this week, and Las Vegas allows the sixth-most fantasy points per game to the position with an average of 8.9. The Raiders are also ranked 26th in pass defense with an average of 253.0 yards surrendered per game through the air.
Tight End Sits
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks
The stats show that the Seahawks give up the most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, which should mean Higbee is a lock to start this week, right? That would be the case were it not for the mess that is the Rams' offense. Los Angeles is clearly suffering from the absence of Cooper Kupp, the inconsistent backfield, and now with the looming possibility of shutting down Matthew Stafford for the remainder of the season. The disarray makes Higbee a clear candidate to sit this week.
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers
Is it safe to say that Kmet’s peak fantasy days are behind him? After posting back-to-back 20+ PPR fantasy performances in Weeks 9 and 10 the third-year tight end has cooled off, finishing with under 50 receiving yards in his last two games and under 10.0 fantasy points in each of those contests. The injury to Justin Fields has clearly hindered the Bears' offense overall, meaning that Kmet is best left on the bench for this week.