Welcome back, readers! I am happy to return for a second year as The Sporting Tribune's fantasy football analyst. If you are new here, my mission is to help fantasy managers with any dilemmas or questions they may have through the course of the season to ultimately win their leagues. For the next 17 weeks, I will produce weekly fantasy content that will go over the waiver wire, rankings, and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em columns.
Being a fantasy manager often means having to make difficult roster decisions, but I aim to take some of the guesswork out of it with my Start 'Em and Sit 'Em column for every position. It goes without saying that I won't include obvious calls like "start Trey McBride" or "sit Tommy DeVito." Instead, I search for players that could be perceived as fringe that could propel your lineups for weekly wins.
As always, if you have any questions or don't see your players here, feel free to follow me on Twitter (X) – @JamesNewell96 and send me a message, where I typically respond in a timely manner.
Dallas Goedert vs. DAL (Projected FPTS – 10.3):Goedert has had a good start since returning from injury, hauling in 12 of 17 targets for 99 yards. He's averaged 15.2 fantasy points per game in the three games he's fully played, which would rank as the TE5. He's the Eagles' second-best option behind DeVonta Smith and should be Tanner McKee's most secure target. This week Goedert faces the Cowboys, who are in the middle of the pack against tight ends. His volume alone makes him a must-start.
Juwan Johnson vs. PIT (Projected FPTS – 10.0):Johnson's disappointing zero-point performance last week was shocking, to say the least. Before then, he had finished every game with at least three receptions. Johnson has a high floor, which makes him an option to start this week against the Steelers. Pittsburgh's defense is average at defending tight ends this season. However, I expect the defense to be more focused on stopping Chris Olave and the Saints' running game, which should give Johnson more opportunities to have a solid day.
Tucker Kraft @ DET (Projected FPTS – 11.6):Kraft is still on the hunt for his first monster game of the season. He has started to heat up, though, scoring 36.8 fantasy points over his last three games and catching five or more passes in each. Kraft has also seen seven-plus targets in three of his last four games. He should have no problem reaching those numbers this week against the Lions, who are the worst at defending tight ends and have given up the most fantasy points to the position. Seven tight ends this season have scored more than 13 fantasy points against Detroit. This could be the week we see Kraft erupt.
Honorable Mentions:Mark Andrews vs. CIN; Pat Freiermuth @ NO; Tyler Higbee @ LV; Colston Loveland vs. NE; Darren Waller vs. TB; Kenyon Sadiq vs. MIA.
Dalton Schultz vs. NYG (Projected FPTS – 8.2):Schultz has not produced anything remotely positive since his 26-fantasy-point performance back in Week Two. In fact, since then he's scored a combined 22.2 points and seen 15 targets over the following four games. What doesn't help his case is that his targets will likely continue to drop given the amount of receiving help around him, with Nico Collins, Marvin Harrison Jr., Tank Dell, Jaylin Noel and even Woody Marks out of the backfield. There is no confidence in starting Schultz in your lineup with a tough matchup against the Giants this week.
Harold Fannin Jr. @ TEN (Projected FPTS – 9.7):Fannin started the season looking like a true TE1, similar to the one we saw in his rookie season. But in his last two games, he's caught only two passes for 13 yards, and now one of the biggest concerns is his consistency. He draws a bad matchup in Week Seven against the Titans, who've surrendered just 29.2 receiving yards per game to opposing tight ends (second-fewest). No TE this season has surpassed 35 yards against Tennessee. At this rate, Fannin is viewed as touchdown-dependent and is a risky option to put in your lineup.
Jake Ferguson @ PHI (Projected FPTS – 7.1):Ferguson has scored double-digit fantasy points in just one game this season, and it was against a bad Commanders defense. Due to his declining play, he has started to see a decrease in snaps. Last week, he played only 53.2 percent while Brevyn Spann-Ford played 46.8 percent. To put it into perspective, Ferguson played 83.1 percent of the snaps in Week Five. Yikes. He has a rough contest in Week Seven against the Eagles. Ferguson cannot be trusted.
Lowlights:Mike Gesicki @ BAL; Michael Mayer vs. LAR; Travis Kelce @ SEA; Colby Parkinson @ LV; Kyle Pitts Sr. vs. SF; AJ Barner vs. KC.
