Another week in the books and not a bad one at all for us. In the elite tier, we have Mark Andrews over Travis Kelce who scored more points (26.6 to 22.2) at a better value ($7,000 vs. $7,800). That can make all the difference sometimes. We also had George Kittle who returned 3.2X compared to 2.85X for Kelce. In the mid and lower tiers, we missed on Tyler Higbee who is banged up but we got a solid return from Zach Ertz (2.86X), Evan Engram (2.57X), and Hunter Henry (5.19X). Let’s check out this Week 7 slate and see what kind of value we can generate from the TE position!

 

Top Tier:  the safest and most expensive guys available if you want to pay up

Mid Tier: affordable players that offer the best bang for your buck

Value Tier: the bargain bin players that are risky by nature but can have the huge upside in terms of value created

Fades: The guys we feel are the worst value proposition that you should actively avoid

Be sure to check out the rest of the NFL DFS Coaches and DFS Watch List throughout the week!

| NFL DFS Watch List | DFS Playbook | QB Coach | RB Coach | WR Coach | TE Coach (Thu) | D/ST Coach (Thu) | Value Plays | 

NFL DFS TE Top Plays for Week 6

Top Tier

Travis Kelce / Mark Andrews

This is the question every week seemingly at the tippy top: Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews? Neither one has an advantage this week in terms of a matchup as the 49ers and Browns rank fairly similarly against the tight end. Both are being used heavily in the passing game, especially from a WR spot. So here is how I’m handling the situation if I want to pay up at tight end. On DraftKings, Kelce is $8,000 and Andrews is only $7,400 so I’m using Andrews there as he accounts for 1.2% less of your budget. On FanDuel, Andrews ($8,500) is actually more expensive than Kelce ($8,300) so I’m going with Kelce there. Yahoo has very similar half-PPR scoring to FanDuel but Kelce ($28) is more expensive than Andrews ($27) so I’d lean toward Andrews there. Sometimes it’s just as simple as that. This week I actually prefer to pay down rather than use either player but, if you have the extra cash to spend up, that’s how I’d handle it.

George Kittle, San Fransico 49ers

We said it was a make-or-break week for George Kittle last week and he showed everyone why we continue to start him in redraft. Doesn’t get much better than the 10 targets for a tight end. Everyone was worried about his usage but he played 59 of 60 snaps and only pass-blocked one time. Now Trent Wiliams is back at practice so those concerns should be completely gone. It’s only a matter of time until George Kittle is back in the $7.5K to 8K range like the big dogs so you have to use him while he’s cheap. He’s only $5,300 on DK which is 10.6% of your budget but he’s even cheaper on Yahoo at 9% of your budget so that might be the spot to use him. On FanDuel he’s 11% of the budget and the 3rd most expensive TE so maybe use someone else over there.
 

Mid Tier

Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers

As always, this is contingent on Keenan Allen being out. If Allen plays, lean into the next option. But Allen has already hinted that he could take one more week off since their bye week is next week. If you are a Gerald Everett fan, this might be the last chance to utilize this situation with the team on bye next week and Allen coming back at 100% in Week 9. And it could not be a better situation to use him in as Seattle is literally dead last in the league vs. the tight end and it’s not particularly close - they are letting up 23.9 DK points per game and the next highest is Arizona at 19.4. It’s a smash spot for Everett so you have to get him in there. He’s 10% of your budget on Yahoo and FanDuel but only 8% on DK so that’s the place to use him.

Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys

This is the spot where you zig when everyone else zags. Schultz disappointed last week and will have folks scared but he came out this week and surprised us by practicing in full on Wednesday -  something veterans don’t do unless they are fully ready. I mean, some veterans just take Wednesdays off because they feel like it. Schultz is out to protect his job from the Jake Fergusons and Peyton Hendershots of the world and he gets a great matchup to do it against the Detroit Lions defense that can’t stop anything. And he gets his starting QB, Dak Prescott, a back who made him the TE3 in fantasy football last year. He’s roughly 7% of your budget on DK and Yahoo but 8% on FanDuel I’d lean into the first two platforms.

Value Tier

Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars

With his athleticism, Evan Engram is a threat at any given time to drop a big game. I know he hasn’t scored yet but the reality is that he does have three endzone targets and only Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews have more than four. After a tough stretch vs Derwin James and the hurricane game vs. the Eagles, he’s quietly had 16 targets over the last two games. And he has a rock solid matchup vs. the Giants who are 23rd vs. the tight end despite essentially only facing Mark Andrews so far for elite options. I mean, two of the teams they played are the Titans and Panthers who hardly even use pass-catching tight ends at all. He’s roughly 6% of your budget on DK and Yahoo while being a little more expensive on FanDuel.

Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is probably the play of the week right here. He’s criminally underpriced on DK and Yahoo at practically the bare minimum (don’t use him on FanDuel where he is appropriately priced). After suffering a concussion in week 4 and then having a scary neck injury in week 6, there is no way they let Cameron Brate play. And, in week 5 with no Brate, Otton played 74 of 79 snaps and ran 51 routes. You absolutely have to get him in a lineup because he’s the chalk. The good chalk.

Bonus Dart Throw

Cole Turner, Washington Commanders

If Otton is TOO chalky for you, Cole Turner is the best option you are going to get for a bare minimum price. Logan Thomas is out. John Bates has missed practice all week with a hamstring injury. And Cole Turner is better than Bates anyway. It’s not that great of a matchup for him vs. a Packers defense that has been tough vs. the tight end but he’s legit free on each platform. Get him in a couple.

Fades

Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders

There is simply no reason to start Darren Waller this week. He hasn’t been producing. He’s banged up. And he’s expensive. There really is no reason to go there. Foster Moreau has also been banged up and he’s really not that good. So I’m just avoiding Raiders right ends entirely.

Daniel Bellinger, New York Giants

This is going to be a popular play this week despite a matchup that sneakily isn’t that good. And there is one important caveat that folks probably aren’t taking into account here. Yes, Daniel Bellinger played a ton of snaps this week. But, on the season he’s run 100 routes while Tanner Hudson has run 92. Did Bellinger actually overtake Hudson completely for the full job? Or was it simply because Tanner Hudson was sick last week and missed practice on both Thursday and Friday? I’d like to see at least one more week before I go there with Bellinger.

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