Fantasy Football Week 15 Tight End Start Decision: Sam LaPorta, Zach Ertz, Jake Ferguson, Hunter Henry, Tucker Kraft and More

Week 15 is the start of fantasy football playoffs in a bunch of leagues, so start/sit decisions are on the top of fantasy owner’s minds. Let’s dive into a tight end decision.

We’ll debate T.J. Hockenson, Sam LaPorta, Zach Ertz, Tucker Kraft, Jake Ferguson, Evan Engram, Hunter Henry, Cade Otton, Pat Freiermuth, Mark Andrews, Dalton Kincaid, Dalton Schultz, Cole Kmet, Kyle Pitts, Juwan Johnson and Grant Calcaterra.

Looking for start/sit help? Be sure to check out the FantasySP Who Should I Start tool.

Important Numbers

Hockenson has played six games so far this season. He has three single-digit fantasy performances, including the past two weeks. Hockenson has five or more targets in three straight.

LaPorta has just five double-digit fantasy performances on the season, but has gotten there in two straight weeks. He’s had at least six targets in three straight games.

Ertz has been a double-digit fantasy scorer in three straight games, with a touchdown grab in each game powering those performances. He has at least six targets in four straight games.

Kraft scored 13 fantasy points last week, with a touchdown helping him get there. He has scored in double figures in three straight weeks after a zero-point outing in week 11.

Ferguson returned to the field last week and scored six fantasy points. He hasn’t scored a touchdown this season.

Engram, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, scored seven fantasy points last week, marking the second time in three weeks he’s failed to top 10 points. He has at least six targets in each of the past five games.

UPDATE: Engram has been ruled out for the season.

Henry has scored nine or more fantasy points in seven of the past eight games, and he’s scored just one touchdown in that span (and for the season). He has eight or more targets in three straight games.

Otton got back in double figures as a fantasy performer last week, marking the first time he did that in the last five weeks. He has between 3-8 targets over the past four games.

Freiermuth has scored a touchdown in back-to-back games, helping him score 14 and 19 fantasy points. He’s scored in double figures in four of the past five games.

Andrews has seven double-digit fantasy performances this season, including in each of the past two games. He’s scored touchdowns in three of the past four games, and has all seven of his season TDs across the past eight contests.

Kincaid hasn’t played since week 10, but practiced in full this week, so he’s close to returning. He only has four double-digit fantasy performances this season across 10 games played, and he scored a touchdown in two of those games.

Schultz scored a touchdown in his last game, helping him to his best fantasy showing of the season. He’s scored in double figures just twice, but those performances have come over his past four games.

Kmet didn’t score, or even get a target, in his last game. He has three double-digit fantasy performances this season, and scored all three of his touchdowns in two of those games.

Pitts has been in a funk of late, with just four fantasy points over the past three games combined. He had a string of five double-digit fantasy outings over six weeks before this current rough stretch.

Johnson, who is working through a foot injury, scored a touchdown last week on his way to a 16-point fantasy showing. He’s scored at least nine points in each of the past three games, and has between 3-7 targets in those games. He’ll have a new quarterback throwing to him this week though.

Calcaterra is the new Eagles’ starting TE after the injury to Dallas Goedert. Calcaterra scored a touchdown last week, but only had 16 yards on three catches and targets overall.

Week 15 Matchups

Ferguson takes on the Panthers this week. Carolina is a very favorable matchup for a tight end.

Schultz faces the Dolphins, who are an average matchup. Engram takes on the Jets, who are a tougher matchup.

Ertz and Johnson play in the same game. Both will have average defensive matchups. Andrews takes on the Giants, who are one of the toughest matchups in the league.

Henry faces the Cardinals, who are another pretty tough matchup. Kincaid would square off with the Lions, who are the toughest TE matchup. LaPorta’s test against the Bills is pretty tough too.

Otton goes up against the Chargers, who are yet another tougher matchup. Kraft plays on Sunday night against the Seahawks, who are a bit of a more favorable test.

Freiermuth and Calcaterra play in the same game - it’s an above-average matchup for Calcaterra and a tougher matchup for Freiermuth. 

Hockenson and Kmet play in one Monday night game, while Pitts plays against the Raiders in the second Monday contest. Pitts has a very favorable matchup. Hockenon’s test is slightly better than Kmet’s, but they are both average-or-better matchups.

Projections and Starting Recommendations

In the weekly projections, it’s Henry and Hockenson tied for the most PPR fantasy points (11) among this big group of tight ends.

LaPorta, Andrews, Ertz, Kincaid, Ferguson and Engram are all projected for 10 points. Kraft, Otton, Schultz and Kmet are all at nine points.

Pitts and Johnson check in at eight points. Freiermuth and Calcaterra are at seven points each.

At this juncture of the season, I tend to prefer starting the players who are performing the best. At a bunched-up fantasy TE spot though, that’s not easy to do. I factor in matchups more so than other positions, and here’s what I’ve come up with. 

I’m going to surprise a lot of people here and say Kraft is my top option. He’s had three solid fantasy showings in a row, and in a pretty good matchup, I think he’s the best starting option among these guys.

I’d go with Ertz next. He too has been good for three straight weeks, and has a decent enough matchup to try again in week 15.

I’d try Hockenson next. He’s been a bit down over the past couple weeks, but I like the matchup and think he delivers for fantasy owners in week 15. 

Give me Henry next. I was a bit surprised to see his projection so high, but think he’s a pretty safe play most weeks. Hopefully he delivers again this week.

Give me Freiermuth, followed closely by LaPorta. Both have been trending up of late, and I like their matchups enough to give them starts again this week.

Things get really bunched up after that, so I’m turning to one of the best matchups left and trying Schultz next. He’s coming off his best game, and has the right matchup to keep things rolling.

Give me Engram here. He could exceed my expectations with a number of catches, but I’m most comfortable placing him here. 

UPDATE: Brenton Strange will take over the starting TE spot for Jacksonville, but won't be nearly the fantasy option Engram was. I'd rank Strange last if he were to join this group of tight ends.

I’d try Ferguson next. The matchup is fantastic, so maybe Ferguson can finally break out. At the very least, the favorable matchup should be a better option than the remaining TEs we have to choose from here.

I’d give Otton a try here. He’s actually the highest-scoring PPR tight end on a per-game basis among this group, but his inconsistencies of late and a bit tougher matchup means a low ranking.

All these remaining tight ends are ones I’d prefer to sit in a standard league, whether that be because of low fantasy production or tougher matchups.

Andrews is the best of the bunch, but in a brutal matchup, I think Andrews struggles as a fantasy performer. 

Pitts comes next for me, and that’s mostly due to the incredible matchup. I just don’t trust Pitts anymore, and need to see a good showing before he gets back in my starting lineup. 

Kincaid would go here for me, even though he has the worst matchup left, and available overall. I trust him in his offense over the remaining options.

Johnson goes here for me. I think he could be a nice check-down option for new QB Jake Haener, but the matchup isn’t good enough to try him outside some deeper leagues. 

I’d give Calcaterra the edge over Kmet for the final spot. The matchup is slightly better for Calcaterra, but most importantly, he actually contributed to his team’s offense a week ago.

Best of luck in your week 15 starting decisions!