2025 NFL Tight End Rankings: Week 12

For fantasy purposes, Jacoby Brissett keeps feeding Trey McBride, and the Cardinals keep getting in game scripts that feed fantasy rosters. George Kittle can do a lot with a little. AJ Barner gets many targets in a game that Seattle plays catch-up. Mark Andrews has hidden stats. More on all that below.

The Week 11 double-digit PPR point scorers at TE:

Only 9 this week, which kind of goes to what kind of week it was in general. It was a really low-scoring week for TE TDs with only six players getting one.

Here’s the list of TE targets for Week 11 in the red zone, sorted by targets, with 1+ receptions:

All stats are exclusive to usage from inside the 20-yard line. No RZ target boom games this week. For Josh Whyle, this was his only reception, and Parkinson had one more reception for 8 yards.

This is not the be-all and end-all, but a piece of the puzzle. There are no guarantees. And if you see this and say, “Why don’t they do this more?” remember there are other players on the field on both sides of the football. And tight ends do a lot of blocking.

This table shows how many PPR points defenses give up to TEs, sorted by “FP/G.” The “TE Rank” column is the ranking high-to-low, and the “FP/G” is point per reception points per game (hereafter abbreviated to “PPR PPG”). I’ll use those below, and if you’re someone who enjoys pointing out mistakes, congratulations! You’re my new editor!

Week 12 byes: Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and Washington Commanders. And to Europe, au revoir, auf Wiedersehen, adiós, farewell.

Be sure to check out the latest tools on Razzball.com: Slot vs. Wide PPG Allowed | WR Slot vs. Wide| DEF Targets Allowed | Home vs. Away | Wins vs. Losses | TD Tool | RB Zone vs. Gap Rushing | DEF Zone vs. Gap Rushing |

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More tight end stuff:

1. Despite a sloppy game, the Bills held off a sloppier Buccaneers team as QB Josh Allen DOMINATED with 3 passing TD and 3 rushing TD. TE Dalton Kincaid (hamstring) missed the game and was only slightly missed. Not to say the Bills don’t need Kincaid, but other players step up. WRs Tyrell Shavers and Gabe Davis (remember him?), and RBs James Cook and Ty Johnson did the most damage of the 10 players Allen targeted. Dawson Knox and practice squad call-up Keleki Latu each had 1 target; Jackson Hawes was not targeted. The Bills in Houston play on Thursday, and Kincaid is out. The Texans allow the 5th fewest PPR PPG to TEs at 9.6, and I don’t see a need to dip a toe into this pool for a TE.
2. Being a Texans fan these days is not for the faint of heart. A week after erasing a 19-point, 4th-quarter deficit against the Jaguars, they did not score for the first two-and-a-half quarters Sunday, scored 13 unanswered points, allowed the tying TD with 1:35 left in the game, then won on a walkoff FG. TE Dalton Schultz was second on the team in targets with 9, catching 6 for 51 yards, including 2 for 20 on the game-winning drive. QB C.J. Stroud (concussion) will miss his third straight game, and Davis Mills will be under center. Schultz is a low-end TE1 for Week 12, as the Bills allow the fewest PPR PPG to TEs at 5.8.
3. I suppose expecting a rematch of the shootout in Cincinnati wasn’t realistic, but if I abandon hope, I’m out of here. The Steelers showed up in Week 11 and brought their defense, which is not always good for fantasy. After allowing a TD on the Bengals’ first drive, they only allowed two FGs the rest of the way. The win was not without cost, as QB Aaron Rodgers suffered at least a fractured wrist – it’s still being diagnosed as I write – and RB Jaylen Warren injured his ankle, though he said he could have returned if the game had not gotten out of hand. What we saw Sunday was the Steelers when not forced to pass. With backup QB Mason Rudolph in and Warren out, RB Kenneth Gainwell received the bulk of the work as he had 16 touches for 105 scrimmage yards and 2 TDs. Showing I have a point and remembering why we’re here, of the TEs, Darnell Washington had a 5/4/67/0 line, including a meme-worthy play: on 1st and 10 from the Steelers’ 38 with 0:51 left in the 1st half, Rodgers threw over the middle to the 6’7”, 264 lb. Washington at the Pittsburgh 43, and Washington threw 6’0”, 231 lb. LB Barrett Carter out of the way at the 45, turned upfield, avoided a laughable attempt to stop him by 5’11”, 210 lb. CB Geno Stone at the Cincinnati 45, finally running out of room on the field after knocking over 5’11”, 185 lb. CB DJ Turner at the Bengals’ 30; he was marked out at the 31 for a 31-yard gain. Pat Freiermuth did not repeat his Week 7 performance, catching his only target for 19 yards. Jonnu Smith had one more target than Freiermuth and one fewer reception. The Steelers head to Chicago for Week 12, and the Bears allow the 13th most PPR PPG to TEs at 14.6.
4. The Bears showed Sunday that history can (almost) repeat: after jumping out to a 16-3 lead through 3 quarters and allowing only 154 yards of offense, QB Caleb Williams had an incompletion and was sacked twice to start the 4th quarter, then Tory Taylor’s punt was returned by Vikings WR/PR Myles Price 43 yards to the Bears’ 24. Two plays later, it was 16-9 with 12:33 left. The Bears allowed the go-ahead touchdown with 0:50 left, but rallied when Devin Duvernay returned Will Reichard’s kickoff 56 yards to the Vikings’ 40, and after three D’Andre Swift runs, Cairo Santos kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired for their seventh win in their last eight games. TEs Colston Loveland (56 snaps) and Cole Kmet (59 snaps) were used liberally in the 75 offensive plays the Bears ran, but there is no clear-cut difference between their roles when both are relatively healthy: Kmet had a 5/5/45/0 line and Loveland had a 4/3/40/0 line. I would expect Loveland will eventually command a larger offensive share, but that may not be soon, considering the talent Chicago also has at WR and RB. The Steelers allow the 6th most PPR PPG at 16.4.
5. The Patriots ran their divisional record to 3-0 with a 27-14 dismissal of the Jets. After allowing a 14-play, 72-yard TD drive that ate up the first 8:04, the Pats answered with a 13-play, 69-yard TD drive that took 7:40, forced a three-and-out, and ran an 8-play, 83-yard drive that took another 4:49 off the clock. The Jets got no closer than 7 the rest of the way. RB TreVeyon Henderson (3 TDs from 24 touches and 93 yards) and WR Stefon Diggs (11/9/105/0) grabbed most of the glory, but TE Hunter Henry had a 6/4/45/0 line. Austin Hooper missed the game while in the concussion protocol. The nature of the Patriots’ offense is that the yardage and TDs are distributed differently from week to week. Henderson may be earning the larger share of the RB touches, but even the overall share may ebb and flow. The better teams often operate that way, and the Pats are now 9-2. The team travels to Cincinnati for Week 12, and the Bengals are allowing the most PPR PPG to TEs at 21.9.
6. The Bengals are one of the teams running out of warm bodies on defense. And it was not one of the NFL’s better defenses to begin with. This condition affords the offense few mistakes. Both of the Bengals’ 2nd half turnovers against the Steelers were returned for immediate TDs, helping turn a 9-13 deficit into a 12-34 deficit and loss. The second TO was a fumble committed by TE Noah Fant with 3:22 left in the game on the first play following a kickoff, putting the game away. Fant had a 6/5/36/0 line, and Tanner Hudson chipped in with a 3/3/22/0 line. WR Ja’Marr Chase was suspended one game for spitting on Steelers CB Jalen Ramsey, so Fant may have a chance to reel in some of his targets in Week 12. We won’t find out until Friday, but QB Joe Burrow has been taking first-team reps and may be the starter on Sunday. In addition, Mike Gisicki has had his 21-day practice window opened and has been practicing in full, but it would not surprise me if the Bengals give him another week before activating him. The Patriots allow the 9th most PPR PPG to TEs at 15.3.
7. The Giants’ season has to hit rock bottom sometime, doesn’t it? The wind at MetLife was swirling around enough that it was at least partially responsible for three missed PAT kicks. The Giants hung around long enough to have a 20-19 lead in the 4th quarter, but true to form, the Giants could not hold the lead. To be fair, on what proved to be the winning drive, the Packers made two ridiculous plays: the first, on 3rd and 10 from the Packers’ 47 with 5:56 left, QB Jordan Love had trouble finding a receiver, finally throwing up a prayer that WR Savion Williams answered at the Giants’ 20 for 33 yards; the second was two plays later on 2nd and 7 from the Giants’ 17 with 4:07 left, as Love tried to fit a ball into a space the size of a thimble that WR Christian Watson took away from CB Korie Black for the TD. The Giants drove the ensuing possession to the Packers’ 14, but with 0:40 left, QB Jameis Winston threw an interception on a ball where it sure looked like WR Jalin Hyatt gave up on his route. The Giants were able to stay in the game by running the ball on Green Bay, but sadly for fantasy, that took the ball out of Winston’s hands as he only attempted 29 passes. TEs Theo Johnson and Daniel Bellinger accounted for 5 targets, but only Johnson had offensive stats with 3 receptions for 36 yards. The depleted Giants head to Detroit: the Lions allow the 13th fewest PPR PPG to TEs at 12.6.
8. The Lions got the same dose of the Eagles’ defense on Sunday night that Philly gave the Packers the previous Monday. I’ll speak a bit more about the Eagles’ D later. The fact that the Lions were in the game at the end was not because of their offense. The Eagles were disruptive all night long. QB Jared Goff regularly faces one of the highest pressure rates in the NFL, but Goff had five passes batted by the Eagles, no mean feat considering Goff is 6’4”. Goff deserves some of the criticism, and the offensive line does as well: their depth has been depleted by injuries, and their starters are regularly battling their own. TE Sam LaPorta (back) going on IR hasn’t helped. Brock Wright played 49 of 59 snaps, and was purely a blocker on 24 of his snaps; he earned 7 targets, but only caught 2 for 8 yards on a night Goff was off-target. The Giants allow the 11th fewest PPR PPG to TEs at 12.4.
9. The Vikings nearly pulled off as big a swindle against the Bears as they did in Week 1, but gained and lost the lead all in the last minute of the game. The Vikes have lost four of their last five to sink to last place in the NFC North. QB J.J. McCarthy may wind up being a good NFL QB, but he is not there yet, and WR Justin Jefferson showed his frustration after not catching an off-target throw near the end of the third quarter – whether that was directed at McCarthy or himself isn’t clear. McCarthy has shown flashes in the two games the Vikings have won with him, so the team will likely stick with him through the growing pains. That’s no consolation for fantasy this season, as most shareholders of Vikings’ receivers will tell us. TE T.J. Hockenson now has a combined 18/11/85/1 line with McCarthy. I’ll stipulate that may be in part because Hockenson is still coming off a major knee injury and has been in the league for seven years, but Jefferson’s line in the same period is 43/22/270/2. I don’t think Hock is washed up, but he is unstartable right now. The Vikes head to Green Bay for Week 12; the Packers allow the 16th most PPR PPG to TEs at 14.2.
10. I spent most of the Giants blurb talking about the Packers’ win, so let’s get to the part where the three TEs contributed a 4/3/6/1 line. Combined, not each. John FitzPatrick led in yards (5), Josh Whyle had the 2-yard TD, and Luke Musgrave led in targets (2), albeit with 1 catch for -1 yards; he also played the fewest snaps (19, vs. 35 for FitzPatrick and 20 for Whyle). The Packers attempted only 26 passes in 51 offensive plays, and only WRs Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs had more than 3 targets, but I’m not starting Musgrave, and I’m not buying him either. The Vikings allow the 7th most PPR PPG to TEs at 15.5.
11. The Seahawks got off to a slow start against the Rams in Inglewood, falling behind 7-0 after QB Sam Darnold’s 1st interception was returned to the Seahawks’ 3, then being punched in from 1 yard four plays later. The Seahawks’ defense was heroic all game long despite being repeatedly put behind the 8-ball by four Darnold interceptions, holding the Rams to 249 yards of offense, well below their 373 yards per game average. K Jason Myers missed a potential game-winning field goal from 61 yards as time expired. On the positive side, Darnold threw for 279 yards and avoided getting sacked, and Seattle gouged the tough Rams’ run D for 135 yards on 35 carries, and Kenneth Walker III cashed in a rushing TD, only the second allowed by the Rams this season. WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba had another stellar game, with a 12/9/105/0 line, and TE AJ Barner re-entered the limelight with an 11/10/70/0 line; the 11 targets and 10 receptions are new career highs. Darnold attempted a season-high 44 passes, so this was not business as usual, but Barner is a key part of the offense, playing 73 of 84 snaps on Sunday. Elijah Arroyo had no receptions on 2 targets in 31 snaps. One of Arroyo’s targets was intercepted, Darnold’s 3rd, by S Kamren Kitchens at the Seattle 47 and returned to the 25, setting up the Rams’ final TD early in the 4th quarter. The Seahawks head to Nashville to play the Titans, who allow the 10th fewest PPR PPG to TEs at 11.9.
12. The Titans battled the Texans to the final seconds before losing on a walkoff FG. Despite keeping Houston off the board for the first 37:39 of the game, the Titans were only able to muster two FGs. Credit where credit is due: the Titans put together a nice 11-play, 95-yard drive to tie the score with 1:35 left, but allowed Houston to go 48 yards in 9 plays for the winning FG from 35 as time expired. Adding to Tennessee’s woes is the fact that WR Calvin Ridley, back after missing three games, broke his fibula on his first play and is done for the season, WR Chimere Dike was evaluated for a concussion and suffered a bruised chest after a punt return, and WR Elic Ayomanor injured his hamstring. This all happened after they put Bryce Oliver on IR because they were getting Ridley back. Dike and Ayomanor will be evaluated during the week, but the only WRs on the active roster without a letter after their names are James Proche, Van Jefferson, and Mason Kinsey. I suppose TEs Chig Okonkwo (3/3/56/0 in Week 11) and Gunnar Helm (5/4/29/0) could step up, but they have the Jaguars and Browns after Week 12 against the Seahawks, who allow the 4th most PPR PPG to TEs at 16.6. I’d have to be in a deep, deep league to consider them.
13. The Colts return from the bye to face the defending AFC Champs, who are likely playing for their season every week from now on, at Arrowhead Stadium. TE Tyler Warren is 5th in PPR PPG, discounting the injured Tyler Kraft, essentially tied with George Kittle. The Chiefs are allowing the 7th fewest PPR PPG to TEs at 10.4.
14. The Chiefs are finally pleasing everyone who was tired of them pulling out close games. That has certainly not been the case in the 2025 season, as the close loss at Denver dropped their record to 0-5 in games decided by 7 points or fewer. The able teams try to disrupt QB Patrick Mahomes as much as possible; the 36 sacks he absorbed in 2024 were a career high, and he has 20 after 10 games this season. TE Travis Kelce had a 13/9/91/1 line and leads the team with a 66/50/631/4 line for the season. He’s not foolproof, but he’s a top 5 TE in PPR PPG at 13.9, and his 21-yard TD gave the Chiefs their only lead at 19-16 with 9:57 left in the game, although K Harrison Butker’s PAT try was blocked by Denver OT Frank Crum. From the Broncos’ 21, Mahomes dumped it off to Kelce just past the LOS; Kelce shrugged off S Talanoa Hufanga at the 18 then hurdled CB Riley Moss at the 2 to dive into the end zone. Noah Gray is out there, but has not put up much in the stats department: 24/13/107/0 in 10 games. The Chiefs host the AFC South-leading Colts on Sunday, who are allowing the 5th most PPR PPG to TEs at 16.6.
15. The Jets started strong (see the Patriots recap), but after their first-quarter TD 8:04 into the game, they went nearly two quarters without a first down, and that drive got derailed by penalties. QB Justin Fields’ longest pass play since getting the starting job back was on a dump-off that RB Breece Hall took 42 yards in Week 9. Even with WR Garrett Wilson healthy, they haven’t been pressing the ball downfield in the passing game, and they’ll go back to Tyrod Taylor in Week 12. TE Mason Taylor received 4 of Fields’ 26 targets, reeling them all in for 30 yards, and Jeremy Ruckert had a 5/4/23/0 line. The Jets head to Baltimore to face a resurgent Ravens team that is allowing the 9th fewest PPR PPG to TEs at 11.7. Both Taylor and Ruckert are good players, but the Jets are at the bottom of the NFL in passing yards per game and only have 11 TDs passing in 10 games. There are better options.
16. The Ravens struggled mightily in Cleveland, and a more potent offense would likely have defeated them. Both of Baltimore’s TDs were scored on the ground, but included TE Mark Andrews’ 35-yard TD run with 2:31 left in the game for the deciding points. Andrews has been the Ravens’ designated man under center for their version of the Tush Push for a good portion of the season, and Baltimore lined up in the formation on 4th and 1; instead of diving into the line, Andrews pulled back, rolled right, and was off to the races, seemingly baffling the Browns’ defense. Andrews also had 5 of QB Lamar Jackson’s 25 targets for a 3/32/0 line. Isaiah Likely had a 3/2/15/0 line, and Charlie Kolar did not catch his only target. The Ravens return home for the first time since Week 8. The Jets allow the 15th fewest PPR PPG to TEs at 13.9.
17. I said at the beginning of the season that Cleveland had a good enough defense to win the Browns some games, and they played like it in Week 11, scoring a TD on a pick six by LB Devin Bush, and holding the Ravens offense to 10 points through three quarters. The special teams also recovered a muffed punt that led to a FG. The offense squandered that by gaining only 185 yards with 10 first downs and accounting for 2 FGs. The Browns’ passing game contributed 115 air yards, completing only 11 of 26 passes. Of the 25 targets, TE Harold Fannin had 5 for a 2/26/0 line, and David Njoku had a 2/1/7/0 line. Fannin played 40 of 56 snaps and Njoku played 37. They blocked on nearly half their plays. The Browns are only above the Jets in passing yards per game, with only 9 passing TDs. QB Dillon Gabriel left Sunday’s game with a concussion; Shedeur Sanders took over and will start Week 12 vs. the Raiders, who allow the 4th fewest PPR PPG to TEs 9.6. If you want to roll the dice on the Browns’ TEs, good luck.
18. The Raiders have now been on three night games this season, and all I can think is “why?” The good news is they have no more scheduled, although they have two “TBD” on the schedule for the last two weeks of the season. Their 33-16 loss on Monday was not that close, and after squandering Maxx Crosby’s strip-sack-forced-fumble that was recovered on the Dallas 9, predictable, as they went backwards before settling for a FG. The offensive line offers little protection for QB Geno Smith without OT Kolton Miller, and if I want to know the offensive game plan, OC Chip Kelly would not be the first person I’d ask. QB Aidan O’Connell has been activated from IR, but he’s not as good as Smith. In the games Smith is actually able to get the ball off his primary target is still TE Brock Bowers, who had a 12/7/72/0 line Monday. The Week 9 game against Jacksonville aside, the ceiling is not as high as it was last year. Michael Mayer had a 4/3/13/0 line. Bowers is the only “must start” on this team. RB Ashton Jeanty and WR Tre Tucker are “can starts,” but against Cleveland, I’m not optimistic. The Browns allow the 12th fewest PPR PPG to TEs at 12.5.
19. The Jaguars did not waste time crying in their drinks after the Texans game in Week 10, instead making sure history wouldn’t repeat after building another lead in Week 11. Between turning the ball over on downs on their first and their penultimate possessions, the Jags put up 35 points and only allowed the Chargers one trip inside their red zone, which was repelled by a 14-yard Josh Hines-Allen sack of Chargers QB Justin Herbert. The ensuing 46-yard FG with 8:41 left until halftime was the Chargers’ final points of the game. The Jags held the ball all but 1:54 of the 3rd quarter and increased their lead to 28-6. After Herbert threw an INT on the first play on the next possession, there was 11:31 left, and Herbert was done for the day. QB Trevor Lawrence had a quiet day (14 of 22, 153 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and the running game managed 47 carries. TEs Johnny Mundt and Quentin Morris combined for a 6/3/36/0 line; Hunter Long missed his second consecutive game with hip and knee injuries, and is limited at practice for Week 12. We should also find out soon if Brenton Strange (hip) is able to make it back from IR; he is also limited at practice. The Jags are in Glendale, AZ to play the Cardinals, who allow the 10th most PPR PPG to TEs at 15.0.
20. The Cardinals’ offense put up a LOT of numbers against the 49ers: 488 yards on 71 plays, including a regular-season record 47 completions (in 57 attempts) by QB Jacoby Brissett for 452 air yards. WR Michael Wilson had an 18/15/185/0 line and TE Trey McBride had an 11/10/115/1 line, running his streak of games with a TD to 5. Elijah Higgins joined in with a 3/2/11/0 line. Unfortunately, they missed a 58-yard FG with 1:00 left in the 1st quarter after WR Greg Dortch’s 40-yard punt return set them up at the SF 44, had to settle for a 26-yard FG with 6:29 left in the 2nd quarter after getting to the SF 5, threw an INT at the SF 22 with 4:44 left in the 3rd quarter, and Higgins fumbled at the SF 1 with 14:03 left in the game and the score 10-35. Both of Brissett’s TDs came after that. The Jaguars are allowing the 2nd most PPR PPG to TEs at 17.4.
21. It’s hard to imagine the Eagles will need an excuse to get up for a game in Dallas, but they’ll potentially be down two starting offensive linemen, with RT Lane Johnson suffering a Lisfranc injury and C Cam Jurgens sustaining a concussion, both against Detroit. Johnson may wind up on IR; Jurgens was able to practice in a limited fashion on Thursday, but will need to be a full go on Friday. Getting DE Jaelan Phillips from the Dolphins at the trade deadline was the latest Howie Roseman coup and has taken their defensive line to the next level. The offense has not been impressive the last two weeks and might be in for a tougher-than-expected challenge from a Dallas defense that welcomed back a handful of players in Week 11. QB Jalen Hurts was 14 of 28 for 135 air yards and scored the Eagles’ TD on a 1-yard run just before halftime. TE Dallas Goedert had 5 targets but only 2 receptions for 24 yards. The Eagles will likely need to open up the offense in Week 12. The Cowboys allow the 14th most PPR PPG to TEs at 14.4.
22. The Cowboys’ offense had little trouble in Las Vegas as QB Dak Prescott tied a season high with 4 passing TDs. WRs George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb ran wild, and TE Jake Ferguson was third in targets (5) and receptions (4), which only translated to 16 yards, but a 5-yard TD was mixed in. The Raiders are 4th lowest in PPR PPG allowed to TEs, so the short dump-offs were not unexpected. Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford primarily block, but Dallas tries to mix them in on passing plays: Spann-Ford caught his only target for 4 yards, and Schoonmaker had no targets for only the second time this season. The Eagles allow the 2nd fewest PPR PPG to TEs at 7.2, so Sunday could be a quiet day for Ferguson.
23. The Falcons suffered a second loss in the 2025 season to the Panthers, but the bigger losses were injury-based: WR Drake London suffered a knee injury that is expected to sideline him for Week 12 and perhaps longer, and QB Michael Penix will undergo surgery for a partially torn ACL and is done for the season. Kirk Cousins will take over at QB, but nothing I’ve seen so far from his time in Atlanta suggests he’s anywhere near where he was with Minnesota. A promising season for TE Kyle Pitts has stalled in the last two games as he has a combined 8/4/52/0 line. In 13 full games with Cousins in 2024, Pitts had a 60/36/508/3 line. I see him as a mid-to-low TE2 ROS, but he could have appeal with London out. The Saints allow the 16th fewest PPR PPG to TEs at 13.9.
24. The Saints return from their bye at 20th in passing yards per game with only 11 passing TDs. Despite this, TE Juwan Johnson has been among the more dependable options in fantasy with 10.8 PPR PPG, 12th, taking the injured Tucker Kraft out of the picture. None of the other Saints TEs has more than 6 targets on the season, including Taysom Hill, who has been used more in the running game. The Falcons are allowing the 3rd fewest PPR PPG to TEs at 7.6.
25. The Buccaneers ran into a good team that had been humiliated the previous week, and the Bucs were far from full strength. They leaned into the view that the Bills are easier to run on than throw on, and they managed to take a 32-31 lead early in the 4th quarter. To that point, QB Baker Mayfield had attempted 22 passes to 38 runs for the Bucs. After that, the Bills sandwiched 8-play TD drives that chewed up 9:12 of the 4th quarter around a three-and-out for the Bucs, and it was 32-44 with 2:35 left. The Bucs’ last gasp ended at the Bills’ 40 after DT DaQuan Jones forced a fumble while sacking Mayfield, recovered by LB Dorian Williams with 1:44 left. TE Cade Otton had 5 targets that translated to 2 receptions for 28 yards. WR Chris Godwin is ramping up to a return, so Otton may return to fantasy irrelevance. I’m holding Otton for the time being, and he could start against the Rams, allowing the 11th most PPR PPG to TEs at 15.0, if Godwin is out.
26. The Rams and Seahawks played one of the best games of the season in Inglewood in Week 11. The Rams came away with a win, but I can’t wait for the rematch in Seattle in Week 16. QB Matthew Stafford had a three-game streak with at least 4 TD passes broken, but still had 2 TDs, including one to TE Colby Parkinson, who backed into the end zone to finish the six-yard reception that gave the Rams the winning points. Davis Allen and Terrance Ferguson were not targeted. Unfortunately, Tyler Higbee (2/1/23/0) injured his ankle and left after 20 snaps; the team placed him on IR this week, and he’s out until at least Week 16. If I had roster space, I’d fill it with Ferguson and hope he has an impact like Oronde Gadsden had for the other LA team earlier this season. The Buccaneers allow the 8th fewest PPR PPG to TEs at 11.4.
27. The Panthers continue to confuse me, losing at home to the one-win Saints one week, winning in Atlanta the next. After throwing for 226 air yards combined the previous two games, QB Bryce Young exploded for a career-high 448 in Atlanta with 3 TDs. It was Young’s first career 400-yard game. WR Tetairoa McMillan had career game highs in targets (12), receptions (8), and receiving yards (130), also tying his high with 2 TDs. The TEs were involved: Mitchell Evans (2/2/28/0) had a key 25-yard catch and run to the Atlanta 20 with 2:38 left in the 3rd quarter, setting up K Ryan Fitzgerald’s 34-yard FG to close the score to 19-21; Ja’Tavion Sanders caught all 4 of his targets for 22 yards; and Tommy Tremble had arguably the play of the game in overtime, when on 2nd and 9 from the Panthers’ 31 with 8:06 left in OT, Young hit Tremble at the 35 and he shook off LB Ronnie Harrison’s tackle attempt at the 40, then ignored CB Natrone Brooks’ attempt at a punch out at the 45, finally getting caught at the Falcons’ 31 by LB Kaden Elliss, whom Tremble dragged to the Falcons’ 15 for 54 yards. It was Tremble’s only target of the game, but it set up the winning 28-yard FG by Fitzgerald. The Panthers are in Santa Clara on Monday night to face the 49ers, who allow the 8th most PPR PPG to TEs at 15.4. Week 11 notwithstanding, the Panthers are not usually a passing team, and last Sunday was only the second time this season that Young had even 200 yards. They do have 15 passing TDs (14 by Young), 2 to Evans, and 1 to Tremble, so there may be a chance at an Anytime TD. I’ll pass in redraft.
28. QB Brock Purdy returned to the 49ers in style against Arizona with going 19 of 26 with 200 air yards and 3 TDs, 2 of them to TE George Kittle. Kittle’s first TD came with 9:51 left in the 1st quarter on 1st and 10 from the Arizona 30 when he ran by LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, and Purdy laid it out for Kittle to run under at the 2, then Kittle tumbled into the EZ for a 12-0 lead. The second came after SF CB Deommodore Lenoir intercepted Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett at the SF 22 and returned it 64 yards to the Cards’ 14; Purdy hit Kittle first for 6 yards for a 1st down to the Cards’ 4 on 2nd and 6, then after two incompletions, Kittle got open on the left side of the EZ for a 6-yard TD to make it 34-10 with 2:32 left in the 3rd quarter. I know the pass distribution can be inconsistent, but I don’t know how I would sit Kittle if he’s healthy. The Panthers allow the 12th most PPR PPG to TEs at 14.7.
29. The Broncos head into their bye week feeling pretty good after knocking off the Chiefs in Denver. The offensive hero was K Will Lutz, who drilled 5 FGs. The only offensive TD was a 4-yard run by RB Jaleel McLaughlin. WRs Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant had 22 of QB Bo Nix’ 36 targets, so TE Evan Engram getting 5 of the remaining 14 isn’t bad, but I’m looking for more than 4 catches for 33 yards. Engram has only played as many as 50% of the offensive snaps twice and tops out at 56% in Week 7. He’s only had one top-12 finish for a week, in Week 5, which coincides with his only TD catch. He’s TE 33 in PPR PPG. Time to let go.
30. Hopefully, TE Darren Waller will return for Week 13. That’s all I need to know about the Dolphins.
31. After storming the NFL from Weeks 6-9, TE Oronde Gadsden has been brought to earth with the Chargers’ passing attack in Weeks 10 and 11, ranking at TE 28 and TE 26. Maybe the bye week will help right the ship, but matchups with the Raiders, Eagles, and Chiefs loom, and only KC ranks outside the bottom-5 in PPR PPG allowed to TEs, and they’re 7th. I like Gadsden, but this makes me nervous.
32. Commanders TE Zach Ertz has not had a top-12 week since Week 6, but he’s also only been outside the top-24 once all season. Meh at TE 18 for the season (9.4 PPR PPG), and may not improve unless QB Jayden Daniels and WR Terry McLaurin can return and be close to form.

These rankings are for Week 12 games ONLY. If you want to speak about them, hit me up in the COMMENTS, which is also where I will post updates after Friday practice participation reports are finalized.

These rankings are for base PPR leagues: 1 point per reception, 1 point for 10 yards rushing/receiving, 6 points per touchdown, and -2 points per fumble lost. No premiums or bonuses.

I’ll give player, player’s team, opponent this week, home or road game (H/R), day of game, time of game (early (E), late (L), or night (N)), opponent’s 2025 rank vs. tight ends, current projected team total per ESPNBET, PPR points per game (PPG), PPR scoring rank for the season (Sc Rk), and percent rostered per FantasyPros (Rost %).

The Top 30 TEs for Week 12

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