Bit of a personal anecdote: I like, many of you, started Mike Gesicki on Thursday and proceeded to watch his quarterbacks throw above, around, behind and basically anywhere besides against him. I thought his 0 doomed me, especially against my opponent and his top 5 TE... TJ Hockenson. Long story short, the TE position is as confusing as ever, so good luck to all of us. We need it.
*The only must start TEs are Kelce, Waller, Kittle and Mandrews this week. Do with this info what you will, but they won't be below.*
Start Em
Hunter Henry, Patriots vs Falcons
Henry is turning into this years Robert Tonyan in front of our own eyes. Is his TD rate sustainable? For sure not. However, against an awful Atlanta defense and probably without Jonnu Smith again? There are much worse options here? Henry is a safe TE2 with TE1 upside.
Pat Freiermuth, Steelers vs Chargers
This one feels very dependent on if Big Ben returns; however, even if he doesn't I still trust the Muth here. Last week was ugly all around, and the rain did neither team any favors. Last time Muth was in primetime he caught 2 touchdowns. Lets see if he can do it again.
Mike Gesicki, Dolphins vs Jets
I know, I know. After that whole thing about him putting up 0 with terrible QB play? Just throw that out the window. They're playing the Jets. Any #1 or #2 option against the Jets is almost a must start just in principle.
Deep Sleeper: Cole Kmet, Bears vs Ravens
Lost in all the taunting hype from 2 Mondays ago was the emergence of Kmet as Justin Fields" #2 option in the passing game. He put up a very respectable 6-87, and could see more of the same against a Ravens team that, Gesicki aside, still give up almost 9 PPR points per game to the position.
Sit Em
Jared Cook, Chargers vs Steelers
This one seems all too common, but Cook is starting to be written out of the passing game. With the emergence of various other TEs on the roster and the decline of the passing offense as a whole, Cook has seen his numbers decline drastically since the early season. He still has a TE2 floor, but unless he finds the end zone I don't see him being a worthwhile start.
Zach Ertz, Cardinals vs Seahawks
A popular wavier wire candidate a few weeks back, we haven't truly been able to see him fully emerge due to the Kyler Murray injury. Even if Kyler is to return, I could see the Seahawks throwing some more blitz packages their way, forcing Kyler to find his quicker options and Ertz to throw a few more blocks. If Kyler can't play, then Ertz shouldn't be in your lineup at all either.
Bust of the Week: Kyle Pitts, Falcons vs Patriots
Hot take time! I mean, its no secret that the Patriots thrive on shutting out the offenses best player. Unfortunately for Pitts, that somehow ends up being him, which leaves him in a tight spot for Thursday's contest. With Cordarrelle Patterson and Calvin Ridley still out, Pitts should be getting frequent double and triple coverage against a top tier defense. In most leagues you won't have a better option than Pitts, but the floor is very, very low here.
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