Editor’s update: Rob Gronkowski is NOT expected to play on Sunday vs. the Jets, per Dianna Russini. She is reporting the Patriots offense is preparing without him. Martellus Bennett gets a slight bump.
Fantasy football rankings, 2016: Tight ends for Week 12
The SB Nation fantasy team reveals which tight ends rank in the top 25 heading into Week 12.
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
If you got extra fantasy points for smooth touchdown dances, then Travis Kelce might be your best option at tight end. Sadly, the league just isn’t that funky, and Kelce is currently sitting at TE4 on the season. Not too shabby for a player who always seems to never live up to the hype fantasy players heap onto him.
After Kelce finished as TE8 in 2014 and TE6 in 2015, it seems fitting that he would finish in the four spot in 2016. With only two games against Denver (one coming in Week 16), Kelce has a good schedule to wrap up the season. I’m not in the business of trading for tight ends, but if you have a different philosophy you can do worse than the master of the Quan.
No teams are on bye this week, but there are a few injuries that may change the way you approach the tight end position. Gronk is still healing from a chest injury. Andrew Luck is likely out of the Thanksgiving night game, so downgrade all Colts receiving options. Finally, the Jay Cutler–Zach Miller Chicago connection is done, with both Bears likely out for the remainder of the season.
Plenty of options are still out there, so here are three streaming options and our Week 12 rankings. Happy Thanksgiving!
Will Tye — He put up only 12 yards in a tough matchup against Chicago, but he did find the end zone for the first time this season, and he hasn’t dropped below five targets since he became the primary tight end. He gets the Cleveland Browns this week and ... well, they are the Browns. Start Tye.
Vernon Davis — Sure, Jordan Reed is the far better option, but Davis has some appeal going against the friendly Cowboys defense on Thursday. Forget the Green Bay game. The script was not in his favor, as Washington was able to hold a comfortable lead over the Pack and there wasn’t much need for Davis. Dallas should be a closer game, and it allows the 10th-most fantasy points to tight ends. Even if you don’t play Davis, you should remind yourself of this Thanksgiving Day gem.
Vance McDonald — He had some heat coming into the season as a potential sleeper, and it seemed as though that tree may bear some fruit after he scored twice in the first two weeks. In Week 3 he was injured, and wasn’t much of a factor until Week 9. Since then he has at least six targets in each game, with two touchdowns. He’s also a 49er, which guarantees he’ll be playing from behind for the majority of the game.
Tight ends, Week 12
(ZS: Zach Senvisky, JM: Jason Marcum, SK: Scott Kaliska, JG: Jeff Goldberg, KB: Kyle Bennett, DG: Derek Gordon)
| Rk | Consensus | Tm | Opp. | ZS | JM | SK | JG | KB | DG |
| 1 | Jimmy Graham | SEA | @ TB | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Greg Olsen | CAR | @ OAK | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Tyler Eifert | CIN | @ BAL | 6 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| 4 | Rob Gronkowski | NE | @ NYJ | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 5 |
| 5 | Jordan Reed | WAS | @ DAL | 2 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 6 | Delanie Walker | TEN | @ CHI | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 7 | Travis Kelce | KC | @ DEN | 9 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3 |
| 8 | Kyle Rudolph | MIN | @ DET | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | Zach Ertz | PHI | vs. GB | 10 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| 10 | Jason Witten | DAL | vs. WAS | 12 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 14 |
| 11 | Antonio Gates | SD | @ HOU | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
| 12 | Martellus Bennett | NE | @ NYJ | 14 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
| 13 | C.J. Fiedorowicz | HOU | vs. SD | 13 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 18 |
| 14 | Eric Ebron | DET | vs. MIN | 8 | 22 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 25 |
| 15 | Dennis Pitta | BAL | vs. CIN | 17 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| 16 | Gary Barnidge | CLE | vs. NYG | 19 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 |
| 17 | Coby Fleener | NO | vs. LA | 15 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 11 |
| 18 | Will Tye | NYG | @ CLE | -- | 9 | 23 | 25 | 22 | 9 |
| 19 | Cameron Brate | TB | vs. SEA | -- | 20 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 23 |
| 20 | Charles Clay | BUF | vs. JAC | 18 | -- | 18 | 18 | 20 | -- |
| 21 | Julius Thomas | JAC | @ BUF | 21 | 16 | -- | -- | -- | 16 |
| 22 | Jared Cook | GB | @ PHI | 20 | -- | 21 | 19 | 19 | -- |
| 23 | Lance Kendricks | LA | @ NO | 22 | -- | 17 | 20 | 21 | -- |
| 24 | Vernon Davis | WAS | @ DAL | 16 | 24 | -- | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | Dwayne Allen | IND | vs. PIT | -- | 19 | -- | -- | -- | 19 |
| -- | Jack Doyle | IND | vs. PIT | -- | 21 | 24 | -- | -- | 21 |
| -- | Hunter Henry | SD | @ HOU | -- | 23 | -- | 23 | 25 | 22 |
| -- | Vance McDonald | SF | @ MIA | 24 | -- | 22 | 24 | 24 | -- |
| -- | Ladarius Green | PIT | @ IND | 25 | 25 | -- | -- | -- | 20 |
| -- | Larry Donnell | NYG | @ CLE | 23 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Austin Hooper | ATL | vs. ARI | -- | -- | 25 | -- | -- | -- |
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