Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 12: Tight ends

Welcome to Week 12 of the fantasy football season. The playoffs are just around the corner and the bye weeks are almost over. Owners should be sticking with their top stars the rest of the way, but there are still a few tough decisions to make about which players should be starting.

This week, the big question mark at tight end is the health of Rob Gronkowski. He got in limited practices after missing last week’s game with a punctured lung, but Gronk is still a question mark to play. Fantasy owners will need to move quickly to put a backup TE in their lineups if Gronk is inactive, so with that in mind, here are some solid TE streaming options, along with some players you should avoid.

Will Tye, New York Giants (@ Cleveland Browns)

Tye is seeing a much bigger role in recent weeks, getting 20 targets in the Giants’ last three games. He hasn’t had huge fantasy games, but Tye did find the end zone for the first time last week. He’s a great streaming option against a Browns defense giving up the most fantasy points to tight ends this year.

Dennis Pitta, Baltimore Ravens (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

Pitta’s star has faded. He still doesn’t have a touchdown this year and has cleared 50 yards just twice all year. Pitta has slightly more upside in PPR leagues with 49 catches in 10 games, but he’s just a desperation option for owners who can’t find anyone better. That said, Pitta will have a good matchup with the Bengals’ defense, which can’t cover tight ends this year.

Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Green Bay Packers)

It took a while, but Ertz finally got the trust of Carson Wentz and is a regular part of the offense again. He scored his first touchdown of 2016 against the Seattle Seahawks last week, adding six catches for 35 yards. The Packers are allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to tight ends, making Ertz an appealing starting option this week.

Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons (vs. Arizona Cardinals)

Jacob Tamme is done for the year with a shoulder injury, so the starting job falls to the rookie, Hooper. It’s tempting to consider using him since he plays in a high-flying offense, but Matt Ryan doesn’t actually target his tight end that much (or at least he hasn’t since Tony Gonzalez retired). Hooper is a risky start against a Cardinals defense giving up the fewest fantasy points to tight ends. Look elsewhere for your TE2 dart throw.

Jared Cook, Packers (@ Eagles)

Yeah, Cook is coming off a huge game with six catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. We’ve seen this song and dance with him before, and multiple drops and a lost fumble prove his bad habits haven’t gone away. Maybe wait and see what he can do against an Eagles defense giving up the fourth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends before you go chasing last week’s stats.

Coby Fleener, New Orleans Saints (vs. Los Angeles Rams)

The good news is Fleener caught a touchdown last week. The bad news is that it’s his first score since Week 6, and just his third of the season. Fleener just hasn’t played a huge part in the Saints’ offense and seemingly doesn’t have the trust of Drew Brees. He’ll be hands-off against the Rams’ defense this week.