Week 16 Fantasy Rankings: TE

Jacob Camenker

Week 16 Fantasy Rankings: TE image

Tight ends have been mostly disappointing this season and in recent weeks. With top options not producing at the expected levels, it's hard to trust anyone not named Zach Ertz or Travis Kelce. The second-tier guys are mostly streamers and matchup-based plays, so start/sit decisions at the position are difficult. Our Week 16 fantasy TE rankings will try to sort through all of these potential options and give you an idea of who to start. But at a TD-dependent position, there are no guarantees that these streamers will work out.

As far as players routinely on the start-sit bubble, Austin Hooper might be the best of that crowd this week. The Falcons TE has played fairly well, and the Panthers have been one of the worst teams against TEs all year despite playing better recently. It also helps that Hooper hit double-digits in fantasy points the first time he faced Carolina this season, so feel free to plug him in as a starter.

Week 16 Rankings:
Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | D/ST  | Kicker

Other streaming options include Ian Thomas (vs. Falcons), C.J. Uzomah (@ Browns), Blake Jarwin (vs. Buccaneers), and Matt LaCosse (@ Raiders). None of those names are particularly inspiring -- in fact, most started the year as backups or third-string options, at best -- but they all should have a chance to catch a TD in easier matchups. Feel free to trust one in the fantasy championship game if you need help at the TE position.

Note: We will update these rankings and add analysis during the week, so check back often.

WEEK 16 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiverTight end

Week 16 Fantasy Rankings: TE

These rankings are for standard, non-PPR leagues

1Zach Ertz, Eagles vs. Texans. Ertz has continued to see a high volume of targets throughout the season, and with Nick Foles at QB, he still saw seven against the Rams. The Texans have been a bottom-10 team against TEs this year, and with Ertz nearing Jason Witten's single-season receptions record for a TE, he should keep seeing a lot of targets.
2Travis Kelce, Chiefs @ Seahawks
3Jared Cook, Raiders vs. Broncos. Cook came back to earth after a couple of 100-yard games, but now he gets a great matchup with a Broncos defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to TEs this season. He could be a threat to break triple-digits again and reach the end zone in a prime-time clash.
4Eric Ebron, Colts vs. Giants
5Rob Gronkowski, Patriots vs. Bills
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6George Kittle, 49ers vs. Bears. Kittle has been on a roll lately, averaging 95 yards per game and catching two TDs. That said, the matchup with the Bears is a difficult one for him, so trusting him carries some risk. Still, you can't sit your studs, and Kittle will still see plenty of targets from Nick Mullens (49 in his past five games).
7David Njoku, Browns vs. Bengals. The Bengals have been a bottom-10 unit against TEs this year, and last time they faced Njoku, they allowed him to reach the end zone while totaling five catches for 63 yards. Njoku has 3.5 or fewer points in the past three weeks, but the matchup may allow him to spring back to life, especially if he continues to see the five targets per game he has been averaging for the past four weeks.
8Austin Hooper, Falcons @ Panthers. Hooper has a great matchup with a Panthers team that has been bad against TEs this year. Last time these two met, Hooper had 59 yards and a TD. He could have similar production if Matt Ryan looks to expose this weakness and targets him frequently.
9Evan Engram, Giants @ Colts. In the past two games, Engram has 77 and 75 receiving yards, respectively. He has seen 17 targets in that span, and it really appears that he is en route to regaining a role in the Giants' offense. If Odell Beckham Jr. (quad) is out again, Engram could have a massive game against a Colts defense that has been middle-of-the-road against TEs. Even if Beckham plays, Engram is still a worthwhile starter.
10Ian Thomas, Panthers vs. Falcons
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11Vance McDonald, Steelers @ Saints. McDonald hasn't topped 47 receiving yards since Week 8, but his three TDs have salvaged his fantasy value to an extent. That said, a matchup with a Saints team that has been good against TEs this year will make it difficult for him to be anything more than a low-end, TD-dependent TE1.
12Jimmy Graham, Packers @ Jets
13C.J. Uzomah, Bengals @ Browns. Uzomah is averaging just under eight targets per game in the past four games. With Tyler Boyd (knee) now banged up in addition to A.J. Green, more targets could open up for Uzomah. Couple that with the Bengals' mediocre defense against TEs, and Uzomah is certainly a top streamer this week.
14Kyle Rudolph, Vikings @ Lions. Rudolph has been hit or miss this year, and the Lions are a middle-of-the-pack defense. Rudolph hasn't scored since Week 3, and he seems due to catch a TD at some point in the near future.
15Trey Burton, Bears @ 49ers. Burton finally broke his scoring drought last week against the Packers, totaling 9.6 fantasy points in the process. However, the 49ers have been very good against TEs in recent weeks, so Burton may be hard-pressed to repeat his success.
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16Cameron Brate, Buccaneers @ Cowboys. Brate's value derives almost entirely from his ability to score. The Cowboys will be a tough team for him to do that against. Save for a massive 145-yard, two-TD outburst from Zach Ertz, the Cowboys have been fairly solid against the position. Brate may struggle to get catches as a result.
17Blake Jarwin, Cowboys vs. Buccaneers. Jarwin is emerging as the top TE for the Cowboys' offense. He has seen seven targets in each of the past two weeks and has totaled 11 catches for 101 yards in that span. The Buccaneers are weak against TEs, so Jarwin could work his way into streamer territory with a solid outing.
18Matt LaCosse, Broncos @ Raiders. The Boss came back to life last week, as he saw six targets and four catches for 43 yards last week against the Browns. In a matchup with a similarly weak Raiders defense, he could have another solid week.
19Chris Herndon, Jets vs. Packers. Herndon caught three passes for 53 yards against the Texans last week. He's becoming more involved in the Jets offense, so he deserves consideration, though the Packers defense has been great against TEs this year.
20Ricky Seals-Jones, Cardinals vs. Rams. Seals-Jones has seen 13 targets in the past two weeks, but he has just 53 yards in that span. He just isn't a very good option at this point, as his quarterback, Josh Rosen, isn't playing well at all this year.
21Ben Watson, Saints vs. Steelers
22Jeremy Sprinkle, Redskins @ Titans.
23Mark Andrews, Ravens @ Chargers
24Jordan Thomas, Texans @ Eagles
25Antonio Gates, Chargers vs. Ravens
26James O'Shaughnessy, Jaguars @ Dolphins
27Ed Dickson, Seahawks vs. Chiefs
28Gerald Everett, Rams @ Cardinals
29Dallas Goedert, Eagles vs. Texans
30Anthony Firkser, Titans vs. Redskins
31Nick Vannett, Seahawks vs. Chiefs
32Jason Croom, Bills @ Patriots
33Jesse James, Steelers @ Saints
34Michael Roberts, Lions vs. Vikings
35Tyler Higbee, Rams @ Cardinals
36Mike Gesicki, Dolphins vs. Jaguars
37Hayden Hurst, Ravens @ Chargers

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.