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Come Fan with UsFriday, June 19, 2026

Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 16: Tight ends

We break down the top starting options at tight end this week, along with some players who should be avoided.

NFL: Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFL: Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Week 16 of the fantasy football season is here, and we’re back with another crop of start/sit options. With that in mind, we’ll pick tight ends who should exceed expectations in Week 16, along with three you should probably sit.

Start

Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions at Cincinnati Bengals

Since the Lions’ Week 7 bye, Ebron has slowly but surely upped his game and made himself relevant again. The past two weeks, he has thrust himself into must-start consideration, posting 14 points in Week 14 with a 10-catch game, then 17 points on Saturday against the Bears, including his third touchdown of the season. This week, Ebron draws the totally tanking Bengals in a game the Lions have to win. He’s poised and ready to break out.

Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers

Brate is questionable with a hip injury, but if he as able to go, he’s in a great spot as the unquestioned tight end target on the Bucs, now that O.J. Howard is on IR. DeSean Jackson is also out for Tampa, which should only increase Brate’s target share. And the Panthers will be missing a key linebacker, Thomas Davis. It’s all lined up for Brate. Just check his status Sunday morning.

Vernon Davis, Washington vs. Denver Broncos

Admittedly, Davis is really hard to trust, but the Broncos remain one of the most fantasy-friendly defenses in the league for tight ends. This is more a desperation play, but one he can win, at least on paper.

Sit

Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

The Saints are among the elite defenses in the league at shutting down opposing tight ends, including Hooper, who had a two-catch game against the Saints two weeks ago. Hooper has really not been fantasy relevant this season, and the Saints are not a team who will let him get going.

Ricky Seals-Jones, Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Giants

I so want to love this play, as the Giants allow the most fantasy points to tight ends, but with Drew Stanton starting, there’s simply no way to know if Seals-Jones will even get targets, let alone put up the kind of big games he had a few weeks ago with Blaine Gabbert. Maybe in Week 5 you take a gamble. Not now.

Jared Cook, Oakland Raiders at Philadelphia Eagles

Take away his two big games against the Chiefs, and Cook has been a terrible fantasy tight end this season. In the four games over the past five weeks against teams not from Missouri, Cook has a total of 10 fantasy points. Philadelphia is in Pennsylvania. Nope.

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