You have lineup questions, we have lineup answers -- at least we hope so. Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is here to help fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. And you know what is a good move? Starting CeeDee Lamb. But that's too obvious, so you won't see such simple analysis here. Instead, we're exploring more debatable situations. And if you can't find a player you are looking for, please check out the latest NFL Fantasy lineup rankings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats come from NFL Pro, Next Gen Stats or NFL Research.
Start 'Em
It took just two games for this generational talent to show he's a TE1. Bowers has a 25% target share (one less target than Davante Adams) and a 26% air yard share, which is elite usage for any rookie, let alone a tight end two weeks into his career. Bowers has been a top-three fantasy tight end in each of the first two weeks of the season, and he's the TE2 on the year in fantasy points. Given the usage and the results, he has quickly become a must-start fantasy tight end.
Outside of his touchdown in Week 1, it has been a disappointing start to the season for Pitts, with (and this is a familiar narrative) QB play being largely to blame. Still, I am willing to give him another chance with a matchup like this. Kansas City has allowed the most receiving yards, as well as the highest EPA when targeted, to tight ends this season. We saw the Bengals make it a priority to get their tight ends involved against the Chiefs after Isaiah Likely feasted against them in Week 1. The Falcons should look to do the same thing and get Pitts heavily involved this week.
Buffalo clearly made a concentrated effort to get Kincaid the ball early in Week 2. The issue? Well, the game against Miami turned into a blowout victory, and Josh Allen only threw 19 times. Still, Kincaid was tied for third on the Bills in routes, 73% of which were run from the slot. That is the usage we want to see; Allen and Co. just need to throw the ball more. The Jags have been stingy against tight ends so far, but they've yet to be tested. With few solid options at the position, I am giving Kincaid another shot this week.
Likely's disappointing Week 2 does not completely erase what we saw in Week 1. The Ravens used two tight ends on just 28 percent of their plays in Week 2, compared to 50 percent in Week 1 (per Pro Football Focus). That led to Likely playing only half the offensive snaps. The good news is, he still lined up in the slot for 82% of his routes. Whether this was a matchup-driven development is yet to be determined. He has been productive when given opportunities, so the hope is that he continues to receive them. Again, with a dearth of attractive tight end options out there, I would still take a shot on his upside.
Do not ignore Henry because of the offense he is tied to. In Week 2, Henry led all tight ends with 12 targets. He caught eight of those targets for 109 yards -- good for 18.9 fantasy points and a TE2 finish on the week. He was second at his position in air yards (79), behind only Brenton Strange (81). Henry leads the Patriots in targets, catches, receiving yards and air yards. His usage is elite. It is enough to get him in play at a weak tight end position. If you miss out on him, Mike Gesicki is another streaming option.
Sit 'Em
Through two games, Schultz has just five catches for 37 yards, with a single-digit total in fantasy points. The Texans might boast a high-powered offense, but with three viable receivers all fighting for volume, plus Joe Mixon getting plenty of carries, there just has not been enough action to also sustain a tight end. It's best to find another option moving forward.
Even with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua hurt, Matthew Stafford spread the ball out too much for anyone to really eat in Week 2. Parkinson finished with only one catch for 12 yards on two targets. Now he gets the 49ers and their elite linebackers, who excel at slowing down tight ends. Even with volume up for grabs, I would avoid this one.
Shout out to LaQuan Jones, who called a big game for Smith last week. Smith finished as the TE6 in Week 2 with 11.3 fantasy points against the Bills -- but he recorded only one catch for 6 yards after Skylar Thompson came in for Tua Tagovailoa. The sample size is too small to support any real conclusions, but I do not like the odds that Thompson will be able to sustain a third pass-catcher behind target vacuums Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, especially since Thompson hasn't even been able to support those two in his three career starts. With Tua out of the picture, avoid Smith.
It just isn't happening for Freiermuth. He increased his production in Week 2 but was still held to just 7.9 fantasy points. This Steelers passing attack is extremely limited; everything is so close to the line of scrimmage for everyone except George Pickens. Thus, Freiermuth is a floor play with very little upside. He likely needs a touchdown just to reach double digits in points. I would let someone else stream him.
The Saints' offense has been awesome so far, but it has translated to very little production for Hill, who saw just three carries in Week 2 and ran only eight routes before exiting with a chest injury. That is his second straight game without cracking double digits in routes run. While Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Hill avoided a serious chest injury, starting him means hoping for a rushing touchdown, and all of those are going to Alvin Kamara. The juice is not worth the squeeze here.
