Fantasy football managers know that every lineup decision can make or break a week, and choosing the right players to start or sit is where championships are won. With the 2026 NFL season underway, matchups, stats, and trends are more important than ever. From favorable matchups and scoring trends to players you should avoid in tough spots, my weekly positional start and sit guide is built to give you an edge.
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Tight Ends to Start
Hunter Henry, TE (NE)
Hunter Henry’s foot is the deciding factor this week. He’s played through the injury over the last two games, but his role shrank to a route on less than a quarter of New England’s pass plays in Week 8 and about half in Week 9. He was limited in practice again Wednesday. Before the injury, Henry was one of the steadier tight ends in fantasy, averaging 13.4 PPR points per game from Weeks 4 through 7 while catching 19 of 21 targets for 225 yards and two touchdowns. He’s caught 32 of his 37 targets this season, and among 36 tight ends with at least 120 routes through Week 9, he ranks eighth in yards per route run. That efficiency is what makes him worth starting if his workload starts moving back toward normal. If his routes stay limited, even a strong matchup won’t give him enough opportunities.
The matchup is as good as it gets for the position. Detroit has allowed 25.1 PPR points per game to opposing tight ends this season, the most in the NFL, and the Lions have continued to give up production to the position in recent weeks. Henry doesn’t need a heavy target load to take advantage, given how efficiently he’s turned his targets into yardage this season. That makes his practice reports the key piece of information before Sunday. A full practice later in the week would suggest his route share is headed back toward the 55% to 70% range he played at before the injury. I’m starting Henry as a low-end TE1 if his foot is improving, and I’d have a backup option ready in case he’s limited again Friday.
Dalton Kincaid, TE (BUF)
Dalton Kincaid’s weekly production comes down to how many targets he gets. He’s been one of the most efficient tight ends in football, ranking second among qualifying tight ends in yards per route run and eighth in targets per route run, and he’s the TE10 in PPR points per game. But he’s also finished with fewer than six PPR points in four of his eight games. The difference has been volume. Kincaid has produced at least 18 PPR points three times this season, including 225 receiving yards and a touchdown in his first two games and four catches for 86 yards and a score against Baltimore in Week 8, and all three of those games came with at least six targets. In his four games under six points, he received three or fewer targets. His part-time role is the reason for those swings, as he ran a route on about half of Buffalo’s pass plays against Minnesota in Week 9.
The Jets are a favorable matchup, allowing 14.6 PPR points per game to tight ends this season, the 12th-most in the NFL. They’ve also given up plenty of yardage per target to the position recently, which suits a tight end who can turn a handful of looks into a big day. Kincaid was limited in practice Wednesday with an ankle injury, which adds some risk to a role that was already inconsistent. If he gets back to six or more targets, he has shown he can deliver an 18-point performance. If he’s limited to two or three, he’ll likely disappoint again. I’m starting Kincaid as a TE1 because his efficiency gives him one of the highest ceilings at the position, but managers should accept that a low-volume dud is part of the package.
Kyle Pitts, TE (ATL)
Kyle Pitts is the TE22 in PPR points per game, but his role has been steady even as his production has dipped. He’s commanded roughly 20% of Atlanta’s targets over his last five games and has run a route on at least 76% of the Falcons’ pass plays in each of his last two. During a three-game stretch from Weeks 5 through 7, he scored four touchdowns and averaged 17.1 PPR points per game. Since then, he’s caught just five of 10 targets for 29 yards, and the problem has been the offense around him. Atlanta has scored 17 points combined over its last two games, and Michael Penix Jr. completed 20 of 31 passes for just 162 yards against Cincinnati in Week 9. Pitts’ routes haven’t translated into much production in that environment, and his fantasy outlook depends on whether the Falcons can move the ball again.
Kansas City gives Atlanta’s offense a chance to get back on track at tight end. The Chiefs have allowed 16.9 PPR points per game to tight ends this season, the sixth-most in the NFL, and they’ve continued to give up production to the position in recent weeks. Pitts’ route share and target share give him the volume needed to take advantage if the passing game cooperates. The risk is that Atlanta’s offense keeps stalling, and another five-point game is possible if it does. That makes him a stronger start for managers without a reliable tight end than for those choosing between him and an established option. I’m starting Pitts as a fringe TE1 because his steady role and a favorable matchup give him upside, but I’d only use him if my alternative is a streamer.
Tight Ends to Sit
Sam LaPorta, TE (DET)
Sam LaPorta is the TE8 in PPR points per game, and his talent makes this the toughest sit on the list. But his production has fallen off over the last month. After scoring at least 17 PPR points in three of his first five games, he’s averaged just 5.5 PPR points over his last three, catching eight passes for 83 yards. His target share has bounced back above 20% in each of the last two games after a one-target performance against Green Bay in Week 7, so the volume hasn’t disappeared. What has disappeared are his scoring chances. LaPorta received five end-zone targets over his first five games, but he hasn’t had one in his last three. In a Detroit offense with so many options, those end-zone looks were a big part of what separated his strong weeks from his quiet ones.
New England has been a tougher matchup for tight ends, allowing 10.8 PPR points per game to the position this season, the seventh-fewest in the NFL. That’s a difficult environment for a tight end who has been averaging fewer than three catches per game recently. LaPorta’s role in a high-scoring Detroit offense keeps him in the conversation, and a touchdown would quickly change his outlook. But without end-zone targets, his recent floor has been too low to count on against a defense that has limited the position. I’m sitting LaPorta in shallower leagues if you have another strong tight end option, but he remains a start for managers without a reliable alternative.
Tucker Kraft, TE (GB)
Tucker Kraft is the TE13 in PPR points per game, and he’s coming off a quiet performance against New England in Week 9. He caught one pass for one yard and added eight rushing yards on two carries, finishing with 1.9 PPR points as Green Bay scored 45 points without him being much of a factor. That followed back-to-back games with a touchdown, including six catches for 53 yards and a score against Carolina in Week 8. Kraft has commanded between 11% and 23% of Green Bay’s targets each week, and among qualifying tight ends, he ranks 15th in targets per route run and 19th in yards per route run. That puts him in the middle of the position, which makes his production heavily dependent on scoring.
His first game against Minnesota shows why this matchup is a problem. Kraft caught three of six targets for 65 yards in Week 1, a strong yardage total, and still finished with just 9.5 PPR points because he didn’t score. The Vikings have allowed 9.3 PPR points per game to tight ends this season, the fewest in the NFL, and they’ve given up only one touchdown to the position over their last five games. Even a productive game for Kraft against this defense may not be enough to deliver a useful fantasy performance. I’m sitting Kraft because he needs a touchdown to return value, and Minnesota has allowed fewer fantasy points to tight ends than any team in the league.
T.J. Hockenson, TE (MIN)
T.J. Hockenson’s health is the first question for fantasy managers this week. Minnesota did not hold practice Wednesday, but its estimated report listed him as a non-participant with wrist and chest injuries. When healthy, Hockenson has been one of the more productive tight ends this season, ranking ninth in PPR points per game and fourth among qualifying tight ends in targets per route run. He’s scored touchdowns in two of his last three games, and he played 83% of Minnesota’s snaps against Buffalo in Week 9, catching four of seven targets for 33 yards. If his injuries limit his practice participation later in the week, there’s a real chance he’s either inactive or playing at less than full strength.
Green Bay adds to the risk. The Packers have allowed 9.7 PPR points per game to tight ends this season, the second-fewest in the NFL, and they haven’t allowed a touchdown to the position over their last five games. Hockenson did catch four of five targets for 36 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay in Week 1, so he has produced against this defense before. Minnesota’s quarterback situation is also unsettled, with Kirk Cousins acquired this week and the Vikings yet to name a starter. I’m sitting Hockenson in shallower leagues if you have a healthy alternative, and I’d check Friday’s injury report before making a final decision in deeper formats.
