Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is the ultimate weekly look at NFL matchups and how they'll affect your fantasy football team. Fantasy superstars such as Patrick Mahomes and Saquon Barkley will not be featured in this column. All player matchups are based on a PPR scoring system. For your final starting lineup decisions, check my weekly fantasy football lineup rankings.
Start 'Em
Start of the Week
Henry should return to action with a vengeance, as the talented tight end opens up with a nice home matchup against the Colts. A season ago, no defense in the league allowed more catches or receiving yards to the position, not to mention the third-most fantasy points. This is low-hanging fruit, but Henry is a great option regardless.
The tight end position is thin, folks, so you're starting your big names in most cases (especially in Week 1). That includes Engram, who should see plenty of targets from Eli Manning with the G-Men low on receivers. In games he played without Odell Beckham Jr. a season ago, Engram averaged a very solid 16.1 fantasy points.
One of my favorite breakout candidates, Howard was on pace for a career season before injuries cut his 2018 campaign short. He's back at 100 percent though, and he figures to play a big role in an offense that has the most available targets in the NFL. Look for Howard to make a strong impact against the Niners this weekend.
Walker might end up being one of the best bargains in fantasy drafts. While he missed most of last season with a broken leg, the veteran is back at 100 percent and will be heavily involved against the Browns. Last season, Cleveland's defense gave up 10 scored and more than 15 fantasy points per game to the tight end position.
Start 'Em:Jared Cook vs. Houston Texans (Mon.), Vance McDonald at New England Patriots
Sleepers:Mark Andrews at Miami Dolphins, Darren Waller vs. Denver Broncos (Mon.)
Sit 'Em
Sit of the Week
Njoku was drafted as a borderline No. 1 tight end in most leagues, so it'll be tough to bench him at a thin position. Just keep in mind that there's now a lot of mouths to feed in Cleveland, so he could become a bit touchdown dependant in fantasy circles. That's bad news, as the Titans allowed two end-zone visits to tight ends in 2018.
Ebron was one of the elite tight ends in fantasy land a season ago, but that was with Andrew Luck and (mostly) without Jack Doyle. With a downgrade at quarterback in Jaocby Brissett and a matchup against the Chargers ahead, it's tough to trust the veteran. L.A. allowed an average of just 45.3 yards to visiting tight ends last season.
Hooper will likely go into this season as the top option on a lot of fantasy teams, but a difficult matchup in Minnesota makes him a tough sell this week. The Vikings were brutal to visiting tight ends a season ago, allowing just one touchdown and a meager average of 5.33 fantasy points a game. I'd keep Hooper benched this weekend.
Olsen missed a good portion of last season due to injuries, and he's now played in just 16 games over the last two years. That recent proneness to injuries, coupled with a matchup against the Rams, makes Olsen a tough sell in fantasy land. He'll have to contend with SS Eric Weddle manning the middle of the field often.
Sit 'Em:T.J. Hockenson at Arizona Cardinals, Jack Doyle at Los Angeles Chargers
Busts:Kyle Rudolph vs. Atlanta Falcons, Jason Witten vs. New York Giants
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. You can follow Michael on **Twitter**, **Facebook**, **YouTube** and **Instagram** for all of the latest fantasy football news, notes and in-depth analysis!
