The bye week apocalypse has arrived for the tight end position. With six teams off in Week 9, the likes of Rob Gronkowski, Jordan Reed, and Tyler Eifert will be unavailable for fantasy owners. Even lower-end options like Zach Miller are off the table.
Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 9: Tight ends
No Gronk, no Tyler Eifert, no Jordan Reed this week. Fantasy owners have tough decisions to make at their tight end spot.
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That’s bad news for owners who’ve already struggled finding warm bodies to fill their starting lineup this season. So after a week of dumpster-diving on the waiver wire, it’s time to decide who you should start at tight end. We’ll try our best to help out, naming three players worth taking a shot on and three you should probably avoid. Hang tight -- the bye weeks are almost over.
Start
Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions (@ Minnesota Vikings)
Ebron returned from injuries last week and had a productive game with seven catches for 79 yards. When healthy, he plays a fairly big role in the Lions’ offense. The Vikings are a tough matchup, but last week they let Zach Miller get free for seven catches and 88 yards. Ebron belongs in all fantasy lineups this week, especially with so many top tight ends on bye.
Julius Thomas, Jacksonville Jaguars (@ Kansas City Chiefs)
At this point, Thomas is essentially a touchdown-or-bust player. He hasn’t touched 50 receiving yards since recording 71 in Week 2 and has been dealing with nagging injuries. That said, he does have a touchdown in two straight games and King of Garbage Time Blake Bortles likes looking his way in the end zone. Thomas is worth a dart throw against the Chiefs.
Dennis Pitta, Baltimore Ravens (vs. Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pitta is another tight end with a low yardage ceiling, who has yet to find the end zone this year. But with 38 catches in seven games (5.4 catches per game), he’s useful in PPR leagues, if nothing else. The Ravens’ offense has all kinds of issues right now, but Pitta is just barely worth using if you have no better options.
Sit
Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts (@ Green Bay Packers)
Doyle’s biggest fantasy days came during key injuries among the pass catching corps. But now that Donte Moncrief is back and Dwayne Allen is expected to make his return this week, Doyle returns to playing a minimal role in the offense. His TE2 window has likely closed now.
Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills (@ Seattle Seahawks)
Limited by a knee injury all week, Clay is now going up against the Seahawks’ defense on the road. This is a bad spot for a tight end who already has a low fantasy ceiling outside of PPR formats. Stay far away.
Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles (@ New York Giants)
We keep waiting for the Ertz breakout week, but it’s probably not happening any time soon. He’s barely been involved in the offense since coming back from a rib injury, catching just 10 passes in four games and averaging 9.2 yards per catch. Ertz will be off the fantasy radar until he starts showing some real chemistry with Carson Wentz.
