NFL Fantasy 2021 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 14: Tight ends

The Bears defense played pretty well this season before the injuries set in. Let this be a lesson for anybody who thinks Khalil Mack is over the hill. His absence speaks to his worth. And some of the other injuries have led the team vulnerable to the tight end. The Bears have allowed three touchdown passes to tight ends in the last four games.

Pitts is not having the terrible season people think he’s having. It’s your expectations. Like the other day, I tweeted about Del Taco French fries. And now if you’ve never had them, your expectation is through the roof. It’s going to be hard to match that expectation. (But Del Taco will, I guarantee you.) Pitts ranks fifth with a 19% target share among tight ends. He’s also had at least 50 receiving yards in six games this season. The fourth-highest total at the position.

Yes, Jake Fromm is starting. Who do you think he’s going to throw to? Fromm is a play-action-type of quarterback who needs a solid running game to set up the pass. And the Giants have (checks notes) never mind. But I do think Engram is the best pass catcher for the Giants who is currently healthy. And the Chargers are good against wideouts, so this could open it up for Engram, who has scored 10-plus fantasy points in four of his last six. And L.A. has allowed 10 touchdowns to tight ends this year, second in the league.

Noah is a good player. It’s just that the Broncos' scheme has really ruined the careers of a couple of good pass catchers. Like, I’m a Teddy Bridgewater guy. This should be working. But I like them against the Lions this week. The Lions have allowed the third-most points this year. And they have allowed three TE1s in the last two weeks.

Higbee was good in a tough matchup against the Jaguars. But I’m not anticipating him having a good game against the Cardinals, who have destroyed tight ends. Only superhumans like George Kittle have had more than 50 receiving yards against the Birds. And Higbee has scored only one touchdown in his last seven games. And OBJ is starting to get those goal-line looks.

All right, you slid C.J. into your lineup a few weeks ago and he had that huge game so now you keep going back to him. That’s all right. But he’s had fewer than 25 fantasy points in four consecutive games. And there’s the thing about the 49ers: They have allowed the fewest yards and fantasy points to tight ends this season.

The Chargers have a stable of tight ends they like to go to. So even with questions about Keenan Allen heading into this week, I’m a bit cautious with Cook. He’s had fewer than six fantasy points in three of his last four games. The Giants have not allowed a touchdown to a tight end in eight consecutive games.

I only bring this up because for many people, they see this Jaguars matchup and just feel like it’s going to hit. But the Jaguars have allowed 10-plus to a tight end once in the last six games, and that was last week when Higbee did it. But our guy Firkser has scored fewer than two fantasy points in five of his last six games. So even by Danger Zone standards, this is not going to happen.