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Week 6 Fantasy Football Tight End Preview

Top Fantasy TEs for Week 6

Let's dig into the reasons you should -- or shouldn't -- play these guys ...

Jacksonville Jaguars at Chicago Bears

Cole Kmet, Bears

Kmet remains well ahead of Gerald Everett in terms of routes and targets. Still, outside of huge Week 3, he’s yet to finish as a top-12 fantasy TE. The Jags are a mid-pack unit vs. the position. 

Evan Engram, Jaguars

Engram's tentatively expected to return from a multi-week hamstring injury. He draws a Bears defense that’s allowed only 162 yards to TEs through five games, but note the soft schedule: Titans, Texans, Colts, Rams, Panthers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints

Cade Otton, Buccaneers

Otton has 21 targets and 16 catches over the last three weeks -- both top-5 marks among TEs. He's a viable Week 6 spot starter against a Saints defense that ranks 22nd in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs.

Juwan Johnson, Saints

After splitting time with TE Foster Moreau over the first three weeks of the season, Johnson has pulled ahead with 69% and 71% route rates the last two games. He's totaled just seven catches on eight targets for 44 scoreless yards in those two games, though. And, with QB Spencer Rattler making this first career start vs. the Bucs on Sunday, Johnson shouldn't be in fantasy lineups.

Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles

Dallas Goedert, Eagles

Goedert benefited from the team’s top two WRs missing time the past two games, tallying a 28% target share. That followed just 14% over the first two weeks. He’s more likely to settle closer to that first number going forward. Goedert ranked 11th among TEs in target share last season (adjusted for games missed). That’s a decent level to set your expectations going forward. There is some upside to the Cleveland secondary potentially missing its top three safeties. Juan Thornhill has been on IR for more than a month. Grant Delpit (concussion) and Ronnie Hickman (ankle) look unlikely to play this week.

Jordan Akins, Browns

There’s opportunity for Akins once again. We’re just not sure there’s any upside. He has yet to reach 30 yards in a game this season. Some of that is a limited, 32-year-old talent. And plenty of that is a QB who’s playing about as poorly as any in the league so far.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Green Bay Packers

Trey McBride, Cardinals

McBride caught six passes for 53 yards and led the team with nine targets last week. He did drop a TD pass and has yet to find the end zone. Murray uses McBride as a check down option, and the TDs will come with his red zone looks. He is a high-end TE1 this week.

Tucker Kraft, Packers

Kraft exploded last week, catching four of five targets for 88 yards and two TDs. His 66-yard TD was a marvel to watch as he sped through the defense. Jordan Love appears to have trust in Kraft and he checks in as a solid TE1 again this week.

Houston Texans vs. New England Patriots

Dalton Schultz, Texans

Schultz has fallen victim to the abundance of options in the Texans passing game, but he could absorb some of Nico Collins targets. He had six last week and any increase would give him appeal, especially if they come in the red zone. Consider him a high-end TE2 this week in a good matchup.

Hunter Henry, Patriots

Henry has failed to follow up his 109-yard Week 2 performance with anything meaningful. Drake Maye coming in could lead to some check downs toward Henry, but he will need to score a TD to be relevant. He is a mid-range TE2 this week.

Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans

Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans

Okonkwo hasn’t caught more than three passes in a game yet this season and has peaked at 16 yards receiving. He will need a TD to be even a worthwhile TE2 this week, but the Colts defense is susceptible through the air. He’s a low-end TE2.

Washington Commanders at Baltimore Ravens

Zach Ertz, Commanders

The Ravens have faced a tough slate for TEs – Kansas City, Vegas, Dallas, Buffalo, and Cincinnati – yet haven’t allowed a TD to the position all season. Ertz is coming off season lows in catches (2) and yards (10). 

Isaiah Likely, Ravens

Likely saw just an 8% target share in last week’s shootout against Cincinnati. However, he ran a route on 72% of Lamar Jackson’s dropbacks – a season-high figure. He continues to look like the most startable TE in Baltimore, but a run-first offense lowers the floor. 

Mark Andrews, Ravens

Andrews delivered an OK line for fantasy managers in Week 5: 4 catches for 55 yards on 5 targets. But if you look under the hood, you see that his underlying usage wasn’t boosted. He tallied just a 47% route rate – the second lowest total of the season. Andrews remains a risky fantasy option. 

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers

Kyle Pitts, Falcons

It took a 58-attempt, 509-yard game from QB Kirk Cousins for Pitts to post a 7-88-0 line last week. He still drew just 13.6% of Atlanta's targets in that game, right in line with his 12.9% share on the season. Pitts remains a low-end TE1 for Sunday's game vs. Carolina's 19th-ranked TE defense.

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys

Sam LaPorta, Lions

LaPorta’s modest start to the season hasn’t been helped by a pair of injuries: an August hamstring strain that had the Lions limiting his exposure early, and then an ankle sprain that knocked him out of Week 3 early. LaPorta was back to full playing time his last game, though, and should be even better off after the bye week. HC Dan Campbell has talked about plans to get the star TE going. A breakthrough game is likely coming soon.

Jake Ferguson, Cowboys

Ferguson has caught 6+ passes in three straight games. Now comes a Detroit defense that has encouraged opponents to pass. The Lions have seen the league’s second-highest pass rate vs. expectation so far this season.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Las Vegas Raiders

Pat Freiermuth, Steelers

Freiermuth is coming off season-worst marks in targets per route run (13%) and target share (12%). Still, he scored his first TD of the season in Week 5 and has now finished as the TE15 or better in each game. He remains a streaming option in a plus scoring matchup with Vegas.

Brock Bowers, Raiders

Bowers popped off for a huge Week 5. The underlying numbers were excellent, as he set season highs in targets per route run (36%) and target share (34%). We’ll see about the impact of getting Aidan O'Connell under center, but Bowers’ talent and opportunity make him a lineup lock.

Cincinnati Bengals at New York Giants

Theo Johnson, Giants

Johnson drew a season-high 5 targets last week. But his playing time has been strong since Week 1. The rookie has played more than 70% of the offensive snaps in every game and exceeded 80% twice. We haven’t seen enough to boost him near fantasy-starter territory yet. But if you’re in need, there’s upside with WR Malik Nabers missing a second straight game – and leaving his huge target share up for grabs.

Mike Gesicki, Bengals

Gesicki has played less than 50% of Bengals snaps in four of five games. His role could be challenged further this week by a hamstring injury that has limited his practice participation.

Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets

Dalton Kincaid, Bills

Kincaid has been disappointing this year, catching only two of his six targets for 34 yards last week. But his route rates and target shares have been fine. A breakout is coming, so keep trotting him out as a TE1 this week.

Tyler Conklin, Jets

Conklin had nine targets last week and has two straight TE1 outings. Aaron Rodgers trusts Conklin and he was the first read numerous times over the past two weeks. He has had at least six targets in three straight games. Conklin is a safe low-end TE1 option 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.