The 2023-24 NFL season has been outstanding so far. Already there have been a ton of breakout players and fantasy duds that have made the game so entertaining. Bye weeks have started to take place. However, there are none this week. So Fantasy Managers will have full utilization of their roster and plenty of options to choose from when selecting who to start the week. On top of that, Injuries have started to mount up at this point of the season as well. It’s always a great idea to evaluate backup options so that way fantasy managers are prepared if star players miss time. Here are the fantasy football Week 12 Tight End Rankings.
*Ratings are subject to change due to injury reports or possible move to the Injured Reserve List
(Check out the section below for details on players already rumored to possibly miss this week and how their replacement options rank for the week)
Key:
Must Start- a player who is in your lineup regardless of the matchup or most circumstances. They Will likely finish near the top of the league in points that week and in most weeks.
Starting TE1- a player who makes fantasy owners comfortable starting week after week. Regardless of the matchup, this player has a solid floor.
TD Dependent Starter- a player who may not be a lock to start for a team every week, but will start more times than not because of depth at the position. Their production is based on whether they can get in the end zone or not. It can be the difference between a top 10 performance or a top 25 performance
Deep League Starter- a player whose ceiling isn’t high but should put up enough production to be started in deep leagues. When a player like this is started it is because their production though it will likely be low, will be better than a few options.
Leave on the Bench- a player who should be avoided in all lineups that week. Many times this player could even be left on waivers.
Rankings
Category | Name | Opponent | Ranking |
Must Start | Travis Kelce | vs Las Vegas Raiders | TE1 |
Must Start | T.J. Hockenson | vs Chicago Bears | TE2 |
Starting TE1 | George Kittle | vs Seattle Seahawks | TE3 |
Starting TE1 | Dalton Kincaid | vs Philadelphia Eagles | TE4 |
Starting TE1 | David Njoku | vs Denver Broncos | TE5 |
Starting TE1 | Sam LaPorta | vs Green Bay Packers | TE6 |
Starting TE1 | Evan Engram | vs Houston Texans | TE7 |
Starting TE1 | Dalton Schultz | vs Jacksonville Jaguars | TE8 |
Starting TE1 | Jake Ferguson | vs Washington Commanders | TE9 |
Starting TE1 | Cade Otton | vs Indianapolis Colts | TE10 |
TD Dependent Starter | Cole Kmet | vs Minnesota Vikings | TE11 |
TD Dependent Starter | Logan Thomas | vs Dallas Cowboys | TE12 |
TD Dependent Starter | Pat Freiermuth | vs Cincinnati Bengals | TE13 |
TD Dependent Starter | Kyle Pitts | vs New Orleans Saints | TE14 |
TD Dependent Starter | Isaiah Likely | vs Los Angeles Chargers | TE15 |
TD Dependent Starter | Taysom Hill | vs Atlanta Falcons | TE16 |
TD Dependent Starter | Jonnu Smith | vs New Orleans Saints | TE17 |
TD Dependent Starter | Tyler Conklin | vs Miami Dolphin | TE18 |
Deep League Starter | Hunter Henry | vs New YOrk Giants | TE19 |
Deep League Starter | Tyler Higbee | vs Arizona Cardinals | TE20 |
Deep League Starter | Chigoziem Okonkwo | vs Carolina Panthers | TE21 |
Deep League Starter | Daniel Bellinger | vs New England Patriots | TE22 |
Leave on the Bench | Tanner Hudson | vs Pittsburgh Steelers | TE23 |
Leave on the Bench | Gerald Everett* | vs Baltimore Ravens | TE24 |
Leave on the Bench | Tucker Kraft | vs Detroit Lions | TE25 |
Leave on the Bench | Kylen Granson | vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers | TE26 |
Leave on the Bench | Michael Mayer | vs Kansas City Chiefs | TE27 |
Leave on the Bench | Mike Gesicki | vs New York Giants | TE28 |
Leave on the Bench | Tommy Tremble | vs Tennessee Titans | TE29 |
Leave on the Bench | Donald Parham Jr. | vs Baltimore Ravens | TE30 |
Leave on the Bench | Noah Gray | vs Las Vegas Raiders | TE31 |
Leave on the Bench | Luke Scoonmaker | vs Washington Commanders | TE32 |
Leave on the Bench | Juwan Johnson | vs Atlanta Falcons | TE33 |
Leave on the Bench | Hayden Hurst* | vs Tennessee Titans | TE34 |
Leave on the Bench | Josh Oliver | vs Chicago Bears | TE35 |
Leave on the Bench | Noah Fant | vs San Francisco 49ers | TE36 |
Leave on the Bench | Durham Smythe* | vs New York Jets | TE37 |
Leave on the Bench | Jake Stoll | vs Buffalo Bills | TE38 |
Leave on the Bench | Adam Trautman | vs Cleveland Browns | TE39 |
Leave on the Bench | Jeremy Ruckert | vs Miami Dolphins | TE40 |
Possible Changes that can occur before Sunday
TE24 Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Charges
Gerald Everett missed last week’s game against the Green Bay Packers with a chest injury. He was limited in practice because of the injury. If Everett misses week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens Donald Parham Jr. moves up to TE27 between Michael Mayer and Mike Gesicki.
TE34 Hayden Hurst, Carolina Panthers
Hayden Hurst missed last week’s game against the Dallas Cowboys with a concussion. Hurst missed practice on Wednesday because of the concussion. If Hurst misses Week 12 against the Tennessee Titans Tommy Tremble will be the undisputed number one tight end for the Carolina Panthers.
TE37 Durham Smythe, Miami Dolphins
Durham Smythe missed last week’s game with an ankle injury. If Smythe misses Week 12 against the New York Jets Julian Hill becomes the TE40 under Jeremy Ruckert.
Players that are currently not expected to play
Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
Mark Andrews will miss extended time with left fibula and ankle injuries that were suffered last week against the Cincinnati Bengals. Initially, Andrews was ruled out for the entire season. However, there is a chance he will return for a playoff run. While Andrews is out Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar should see extended time at tight end. But this Ravens offense is likely to see more work go to the wide receivers in Andrew’s absence rather than giving his full target share to his backups.
Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers
Luke Musgrave was placed on Injured Reserve on Wednesday with an abdomen injury. He will miss at least four games with the injury. While Musgrave is out Tucker Kraft should start at tight end for the Packers.
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