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
Dallas Goedert, TE (PHI)
Dallas Goedert has become one of the most reliable pieces of Philadelphia’s passing offense since returning from injury, particularly with Tanner McKee operating under center. Over his last two games, Goedert has caught 12 of 17 targets for 99 yards, earning at least eight targets in consecutive appearances. Across his three full games this season, he’s averaging 15.2 PPR points, demonstrating how valuable his consistent involvement has become at a position where dependable receiving volume is difficult to find. Goedert has emerged as Philadelphia’s second receiving option behind DeVonta Smith, and McKee has regularly looked his way when the offense needs a quick completion. Goedert has earned a target on 23.9% of quick throws, highlighting his importance as a short-area receiving option. His production hasn’t depended on generating explosive plays, and that steady involvement gives him a dependable fantasy floor even when Philadelphia struggles to move the ball downfield.
Dallas has allowed 31 receptions for 278 yards and three touchdowns to tight ends through six games, making this a relatively average matchup rather than an obvious defensive weakness to exploit. However, Goedert’s fantasy outlook is more closely tied to his role within Philadelphia’s offense than the quality of the opposing defense. The Eagles have increasingly relied on short and intermediate completions, and Goedert’s chemistry with McKee should allow him to remain heavily involved regardless of whether Philadelphia generates explosive passing plays. His recent target volume also provides opportunities for red-zone production, which would significantly raise his ceiling. With the Cowboys allowing opposing tight ends to contribute consistently without completely shutting down the position, Goedert should have opportunities to maintain his recent receiving production. I’m starting Goedert as a dependable TE1 because his role as Philadelphia’s second receiving option provides the combination of volume and scoring potential needed for consistent fantasy production.
Tyler Higbee, TE (LAR)
Tyler Higbee has become an increasingly important part of Los Angeles’ passing offense, and Davante Adams’ hamstring injury could create additional opportunities moving forward. Before last week’s disappointing performance against Arizona, Higbee had caught 18 of 23 targets for 212 yards and a touchdown over three games, recording at least five receptions and 60 receiving yards in each appearance. He followed that stretch with four receptions for 22 yards in Week 6 while losing a fumble, although his playing time remained encouraging. Higbee played 84.2% of the Rams’ offensive snaps and ran 28 routes, participating on approximately 78% of dropbacks. However, Colby Parkinson earned six targets to Higbee’s four, catching five passes for 31 yards and a touchdown despite running just 19 routes. With Adams expected to miss six to ten weeks and Terrance Ferguson unavailable until at least Week 8, Los Angeles will need additional receiving production, but Parkinson’s involvement makes it difficult to assume those opportunities will belong exclusively to Higbee.
Las Vegas has been one of the NFL’s more favorable matchups for tight ends, allowing 40 receptions for 323 yards and six touchdowns to the position through six weeks. Those numbers translate to approximately 18.1 full-PPR points per game, while the six receiving touchdowns are tied for the third-most allowed. The Raiders have consistently struggled to prevent tight ends from contributing near the goal line, creating an appealing opportunity for a Rams offense that already relies heavily on multiple-tight-end personnel. Higbee should benefit from Adams’ absence, particularly on intermediate routes where Matthew Stafford needs reliable receiving options behind Puka Nacua. However, Parkinson’s increased involvement introduces legitimate uncertainty about how the additional targets and scoring opportunities will be distributed. I’m starting Higbee as a low-end TE1 because his substantial route participation and favorable matchup create a path toward another productive performance, although Parkinson’s presence limits his overall ceiling.
Tucker Kraft, TE (GB)
Tucker Kraft has quietly become one of Green Bay’s most consistent receiving options after a relatively slow start to the season. Kraft has caught at least five passes in three consecutive games and has earned seven or more targets in three of his last four appearances, demonstrating that his involvement in the offense is becoming increasingly dependable. He’s averaging approximately 12.3 PPR points over his last three games, providing consistent production despite not delivering a massive individual performance. Green Bay’s offensive struggles have contributed to Kraft’s increased involvement, as the Packers have been forced to rely more heavily on their passing attack while struggling to establish an efficient running game. The potential return of Josh Jacobs could change that offensive balance, but Kraft’s recent target volume suggests he’s becoming a reliable option for Jordan Love regardless of the backfield situation. His consistent receiving opportunities give him a solid fantasy floor, and his ability to contribute near the goal line provides additional upside.
Detroit has been the most favorable matchup for tight ends in fantasy football, allowing a league-high 31.9 full-PPR points per game to the position from receiving production. The Lions have surrendered 51 receptions for 545 yards and nine touchdowns to tight ends through just five games, demonstrating how consistently opposing offenses have exploited this defensive weakness. Detroit has also allowed the highest EPA per target to tight ends, suggesting its struggles aren’t simply the result of unusually high touchdown totals. Green Bay’s offensive line has struggled to create consistent rushing opportunities, which could force Love to continue relying on Kraft in the short and intermediate passing game. His recent target volume gives him a strong opportunity to capitalize on a defense that has struggled to limit tight ends both between the 20s and near the goal line. With his involvement trending upward and Detroit consistently struggling to defend the position, Kraft is a strong TE1 start with legitimate top-five upside.
Tight Ends to Sit
Kyle Pitts Sr., TE (ATL)
Kyle Pitts is coming off his most productive performance of the season, catching five of seven targets for 60 yards and two touchdowns against Chicago in Week 6. He finished with 23 PPR points, and his recent involvement has been encouraging after a relatively inconsistent start to the year. Over the last two games, Pitts has recorded a 67.1% route participation rate, 71.1% snap share and 19.1% target share while averaging 1.92 yards per route run. He’s also earned five red-zone targets and commanded a 20% first-read share during that stretch, demonstrating that Atlanta has made a more deliberate effort to involve him in the passing game. Those are meaningful improvements, and his Week 6 performance wasn’t simply the result of an isolated big play. However, Pitts’ recent touchdown production has elevated his fantasy value considerably, and repeating that level of efficiency against a difficult defense is far from guaranteed.
San Francisco presents a particularly challenging matchup for Pitts because of how its defensive coverage aligns with his recent production. The 49ers have used single-high coverage on 55.7% of their defensive snaps, the tenth-highest rate in the NFL. Since Week 5, Pitts has struggled against single-high looks, generating just a 10% target-per-route rate and 0.25 yards per route run against that coverage. San Francisco has also allowed the seventh-fewest yards per target and second-fewest fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends, making this a difficult matchup even with Pitts’ improving involvement. Atlanta could continue prioritizing him near the goal line, but relying on another multi-touchdown performance isn’t a dependable fantasy strategy. I’m sitting Pitts in favor of tight ends with more favorable matchups because his recent usage improvements don’t fully outweigh the specific challenges presented by San Francisco’s coverage tendencies.
Juwan Johnson, TE (NO)
Juwan Johnson has been one of the more frustrating tight ends in fantasy football over the last two weeks, following a 5.6-point performance with a complete shutout against the Giants in Week 6. Johnson received just two targets and failed to record a reception, while his route participation dropped to a season-low 53.1% of New Orleans’ dropbacks. The Saints leaned more heavily on their running game, allowing Noah Fant to lead the tight end group with a 58.8% snap share while Oscar Delp continued earning additional playing time. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean Johnson has lost his role as the team’s primary receiving tight end, particularly considering the unusually run-heavy game script. His season-long involvement remains respectable, with a 13.6% target share, 1.43 yards per route run, seven red-zone targets and a 16.9% first-read share. Those numbers provide some reason for optimism, but his recent decline in receiving opportunities creates uncertainty about how consistently New Orleans will feature him moving forward.
Pittsburgh has allowed the ninth-most yards per target and sixth-most fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends this season, making this a more favorable matchup than Johnson’s recent production might suggest. The Steelers have surrendered approximately 273 receiving yards and two touchdowns to the position through six games while allowing around 8.0 yards per target. That creates opportunities for Johnson to rebound, particularly if New Orleans is forced into a more pass-heavy game script than it used against New York. His season-long receiving involvement also suggests that last week’s shutout could be an outlier rather than the beginning of a permanent role reduction. However, the Saints’ growing use of Fant and Delp makes it difficult to confidently project Johnson’s target volume following consecutive disappointing performances. I’m treating Johnson as a borderline TE1 or TE2 rather than an automatic starter, and I’d prefer a tight end with more dependable recent receiving involvement. This is a closer sit decision than Pitts or Harold Fannin Jr. because the matchup itself is favorable.
Harold Fannin Jr., TE (CLE)
Harold Fannin Jr. appeared to be emerging as a dependable fantasy option earlier in the season, but his recent production has fallen considerably. Through the first four weeks, Fannin recorded two top-12 positional finishes, including a TE3 performance, but he’s caught just two passes for 13 yards across his last two games. His season-long usage remains somewhat encouraging, with a 16.7% target share, 14.7% first-read share, and three red-zone targets, but those opportunities haven’t translated into consistent receiving production. He’s averaging just 0.97 yards per route run and has earned only one deep target, limiting his ability to generate substantial yardage without a high volume of short-area receptions. Cleveland also has several receivers competing for opportunities, including KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, making it difficult to project a substantial increase in Fannin’s targets within an offense led by Deshaun Watson.
Tennessee has been one of the NFL’s most difficult matchups for tight ends, allowing just 29.2 receiving yards per game to the position, the second-fewest in football behind Seattle. No tight end has exceeded 35 receiving yards against the Titans this season, demonstrating how effectively they’ve limited meaningful yardage production. Tennessee has also allowed the second-fewest yards per target and fourth-fewest fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends, creating an especially difficult matchup for a player already struggling to generate efficient receiving production. Cleveland’s offensive inconsistency further limits Fannin’s touchdown opportunities, and this game isn’t expected to produce substantial scoring. His season-long target share provides some reason for optimism, but the combination of declining production and a difficult positional matchup makes him a risky fantasy starter. I’m sitting Fannin in standard leagues and would rather stream a tight end with a more favorable matchup and stronger recent receiving involvement.
