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Week 18 Fantasy Football Tight End Preview

Top Fantasy TEs for Week 18

Let's dig into the reasons you should -- or shouldn't -- play these TEs in Week 18 ...

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens

Mark Andrews, Ravens

Andrews has tallied nearly 35% of his fantasy output on TDs. His 10 scores tie a career high. Now facing Cleveland, he’ll look to score in his sixth-straight game.

Isaiah Likely, Ravens

Likely is a decent TD bet, as Baltimore’s implied for a huge 29.5 points. Low volume is likely, though. The young TE owns only 6 targets over the last three weeks.

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

Pat Freiermuth, Steelers

The Steelers are in the playoffs, and could still win the division if the Ravens lose the game directly before them on Saturday. Even if the Ravens win, a Steelers victory secures the 5 seed so that they go to Houston in the first round of the playoffs instead of Baltimore. Freiermuth remained a locked in option for Russell Wilson and may continue to be as the Bengals have struggled against TEs. He is a low-end TE1 this week.

Mike Gesicki, Bengals

Gesicki had his first double-digit target game of the season last week, but faces a tougher task against the Steelers this week. Joe Burrow will likely lock more into his top WRs, but Gesicki should be good for a handful of targets. He is a TE2 this week.

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons

Kyle Pitts, Falcons

Pitts posted his third-best PPR score of the year last week, thanks to a 4-44-1 receiving line. That marked his second 4-catch game among the past three. But Pitts also caught just one pass in the game between and has still logged 1 catch or fewer in four of his past six outings. Combine that with the limited data we have on rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. after two starts, and Pitts remains an unattractive fantasy play. His playing time also remained short of 50% for the third straight game at Washington.

Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys

Zach Ertz, Commanders

Ertz delivered a huge 6-72-2 receiving line in the playoff-clinching Week 17 win over the Falcons. The Commanders are playing to win and lock up the No. 6 seed this weekend, so expect Ertz to play his usual role against the Cowboys.

Jake Ferguson, Cowboys

Ferguson has averaged 6.0 targets, 3.5 catches, and 28 scoreless yards per game since returning from his concussion four weeks ago. He brings a decent floor in PPR leagues but very little upside in this Cooper Rush-led offense that's implied for just 19.75 points vs. Washington this weekend.

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers

Tucker Kraft, Packers

Even with Luke Musgrave in the lineup, Kraft tallied an 86% route rate in Week 17. The issue: Kraft was held to 3 targets and has now totaled only 9 targets over the past three weeks.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts

Brenton Strange, Jaguars

Strange was blanked last week as he stayed in to block, and only had one target the whole game. There may be less trust in using Strange as a receiver, even against a Colts defense that has been middle of the road against fantasy TEs. He is a low-end TE2 this week. 

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots

Hunter Henry, Patriots

Henry’s dud against the Chargers last week followed five straight games of 4+ catches, with 8+ targets in four of those contests. Matching up with a Bills defense planning to rest starters can only help.

Austin Hooper, Patriots

Hooper has consistently delivered 3-4 catches per game since Drake Maye took over, falling short of that range just once since Week 7 but also never climbing above it. He has also exceeded 4 targets just once over the past nine games, though, and never drawn more than 5. That combo gives Hooper limited upside as well as an iffy floor. The matchup this week improves, at least, with the Bills planning to rest starters.

Dalton Kincaid, Bills

Kincaid has topped 4 catches in a game just twice all year. A contest in which his QB will barely play and other starters are expected to rest makes Kincaid a weak bet to improve that production. Avoid using him if possible.

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

Grant Calcaterra, Eagles

The Eagles opened Dallas Goedert’s practice this week for his second injury return of the season. But they’re unlikely to play him in a game they don’t need. Perhaps the expected absences of WRs A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith shift some target share toward Calcaterra. But Philly also might be starting Tanner McKee (and his 4 career pass attempts) at QB.

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Juwan Johnson, Saints

Johnson tallied season highs across the board last week with 10 targets, six catches, and 66 yards. That followed two straight two-catch games, so he's certainly not a safe bet. But it could be another voluminous game this Sunday with his Saints 13.5-point underdogs to the Bucs' 25th-ranked TE defense.

Foster Moreau, Saints

Moreau has totaled nine catches for 119 yards and two TDs over his last three games. He's still running a route on only about half of the dropbacks in a bad passing game, though, so he'd be a desperation play in any format.

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans

Chig Okonwko, Titans

Although he didn't have a big Week 17, Okonkwo saw another seven targets on a 22.6% share. That gives him 28 targets on a 27.2% share over his last three outings. Okonwko wraps up the 2024 season against the Texans, who rank 12th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs but could pull some starters early in a game that means nothing to them.

Dalton Schultz, Texans

The Texans have nothing to gain in Sunday's finale vs. the Titans, so it's possible that Schultz doesn't play a full slate of snaps. That's reason enough to avoid him in season-long fantasy lineups.

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals

Trey McBride, Cardinals

McBride draws a 49ers pass defense that’s allowed only 4 TE scores all season. McBride tallied 6-53 against them in Week 5.

George Kittle, 49ers

Kittle’s finished as a top-10 PPR TE in all but one game this season. However, with QB Brock Purdy injured, he’ll catch passes from Josh Dobbs against Arizona.

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos

Noah Gray, Chiefs

The Chiefs are locked into the top seed so their back-ups will be playing in this game. Gray has gotten plenty of looks this season and may be the lead receiver essentially with the back-ups. He should get a few checkdowns from Carson Wentz and is an intriguing TE2.

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams

Noah Fant, Seahawks

After seeing just 4 targets in four straight games, Fant has gotten a slight boost the past three weeks: 7, 6, 5. He still has reached 4 receptions just once among his past six outings and is averaging just 33.6 yards per game for the season. That’s enough to make Fant a higher-end TE2 in a tough week for the position – especially against a Rams D expected to rest starters.

Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders

Brock Bowers, Raiders

Bowers has already broken the NFL records for receptions by a rookie and receiving yards by a rookie TE. He'll look to add to those leads in Sunday's finale against the Chargers. Los Angeles ranks second in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs, but Bowers posted a solid 6-58-0 line against them way back in Week 1.

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets

Jonnu Smith, Dolphins

Last week – alongside QB Tyler Huntley – Smith saw a moderate 17% target share. Huntley is expected to start again, as Tua Tagovailoa is battling a hip injury. That adds some risk to Smith’s fantasy outlook vs. the Jets.

Tyler Conklin, Jets

Conklin’s hit 8 and 7 targets over the past two weeks. He went for 3 catches and 33 yards back in Week 14 at Miami.

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

Sam LaPorta, Lions

LaPorta has finally come back on scoring a TD in each of the last two games. With the Lions offense scoring at least 34 points in each of the last four games, LaPorta is able to be used enough around the red zone. He is a TE1 in hopes for a score in a potential shootout.

T.J. Hockenson, Vikings

Hockenson has at least five targets in each of the last six games, but has clearly taken to be the third fiddle behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. He does appear fully healed from his injury, but Hockenson still hasn’t found the end zone this season. A shootout with the Lions could be a good spot for Hockenson to bounce back, so he is a TE1 this week.

Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.