Fantasy Football Week 3 Tight End Start/Sit: Kyle Pitts Sr., Jake Ferguson, and More

We just finished Week 2, and already, Week 3 decisions are upon us. We don't get long before having to jump into the next week when there are just two days separating Monday Night Football from Thursday Night Football, and the fantasy world is even faster when dealing with waivers and trying to beat your fellow owners to the punch for free agents.

Let's look at three tight ends to start and three to sit in Week 3 of the NFL season. There won't be any obvious names below; you don't need me to tell you to start Brock Bowers. Instead, we have six guys who are worthy fantasy starters some weeks but belong on your bench other weeks.

Check out FantasySP's Who Should I Start? tool to compare players and help make every lineup decision.

Start

Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys @ Chicago Bears

The Bears have been as giving as any team in the passing game, allowing more yards per pass attempt than anyone else. They were second in that category in 2024, showing an extended poor performance.

Chicago is right around average in fantasy points allowed to tight ends; they were in the same area last year too. Though they aren't especially getting burned by tight ends, the Bears are giving up a lot of passing yards, and that means tight ends will inevitably be involved when they are part of the game plan.

Ferguson had a modest Week 1, catching five passes but only gaining 23 yards. That was a tougher matchup against the Eagles. Week 2 was a nicer opponent in the Giants, and Ferguson caught nine of 12 targets for 78 yards. His fantasy value is often tied to the quality of his opponent.

With a team here that has been susceptible to the pass, Ferguson again has a chance to rack up volume. It's not the best matchup specific to the tight end, but the Cowboys have a chance for another big day throwing the ball.

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Henry has been here three weeks in a row now. In Week 1, he caught four passes for 66 yards against the Raiders, a decent day. He was anonymous in Week 2, catching just one pass for nine yards.

Despite Henry playing 14 more snaps, his backup, Austin Hooper, had three receptions for 38 yards, outplaying Henry. That's after Hooper had just one catch for 10 yards in Week 1. The best lesson we can take here is that there won't be a major player in the Patriots' passing attack, with volume shifting from game to game.

That makes Henry a risky fantasy player, and he's only back here because the matchup is so good. The Steelers allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends last season and are 12th this season.

Like with the Bears, the Steelers are here more because of their overall vulnerability to the pass rather than just something specific to the tight end. Pittsburgh has allowed the eighth-most total passing yards and the fourth-most yards per pass attempt.

The Steelers could still pull together at least an average defense given some of the names, but the first two weeks have seen Pittsburgh give up a lot of passing production to the Jets and Seahawks, two teams without great passing games. Until they show more, I'm intrigued by attacking the Steelers in fantasy.

Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers

Pitts has been somewhat productive in the first two weeks, particularly in PPR, pulling in 11 receptions for 96 yards. That has Pitts at TE16 in standard and TE11 in PPR. That's a guy who fits well for our purposes, able to reach a starting level but not there on a regular basis.

The matchup fits to make Pitts a fantasy streamer here. Carolina has allowed the third-most fantasy points to tight ends in 2025 after finishing second last year; there is a longer sample of the Panthers failing against the position. They are also among the top 10 in most yards per pass attempt allowed, faltering against the passing game in general.

This is a case of an OK player facing a great matchup, the type of guy we are looking for when talking streaming. Pitts is owned in around 70% of leagues, so you might be able to pick him up if you need a streamer, otherwise those with Pitts already on their roster can consider him here with a little more confidence than the normal week.

Sit

Noah Fant and Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals @ Minnesota Vikings

Both Cincinnati tight ends have been middling at best through two weeks, something that was expected given that Bengals TEs haven't been major contributors in the Joe Burrow/Ja'Marr Chase era. Fant has caught seven passes for 54 yards, making a little fantasy noise because he scored a touchdown; Gesicki has four receptions for 32 yards.

The presence of each player takes away the fantasy value of the other, as these guys split reps. Blocking tight end Drew Sample has actually played more snaps than both pass catchers, and Fant and Gesicki have each played less than 50% of the offensive plays.

All of that already makes them guys to skip, but they have the added problem of having lost their starting quarterback. Burrow will miss around three months, meaning backup Jake Browning will take over under center. That lowers the ceiling and floor of every pass catcher on the team, particularly low-usage players like Fant and Gesicki.

Lastly, the matchup here isn't a nice one. Minnesota has allowed the sixth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the sixth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends, showing toughness against the pass in general and against tight ends specifically. The Vikings have the talent to keep playing like an above-average defense.

With mediocre (or worse) fantasy players who are missing their top QB going against a tough defense, there's no reason to count on Fant or Gesicki this week.

Ja'Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons

Sanders began emerging at Carolina's top tight end as a rookie last season but missed a full game and most of another in the middle of the season, stunting him just a little; Sanders never reached 60% of the snaps in any game after returning from the injury. He has been the top guy this year, going over 60% each game while Tommy Tremble is closer to 40%.

Sanders was seen as a receiving tight end more than a blocker entering the league, a positive for his fantasy value, but he hasn't gotten a chance to make a big impact yet. He is just a second-year, fourth-round draft pick, so we can give him a little time to grow, but there are weeks he will be intriguing given the right matchups.

This isn't one of those weeks. The Falcons have allowed the fifth-least yards per pass attempt and the fewest fantasy points to tight ends. After holding Cade Otton catch-less in Week 1, Atlanta only allowed one catch for 12 yards to T.J. Hockenson in Week 2. It's unquestionable how good they have been against the position.

With a player still growing into his professional role going against a defense who has been stout so far, I'm not liking the outlook for Sanders here. He might get a little volume (seven catches for 54 yards in Week 2), but Sanders is unlikely to make a huge splash and is better left on your bench this week.

Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Schultz hasn't had many big outings since C.J. Stroud came to town. In 17 games last season, he reached 50 yards only twice and scored two touchdowns. Through two weeks this year, Schultz has six receptions for 57 yards.

That makes me skeptical of using Schultz in any situation, not just against tougher matchups. Even against weaker defenses, he has still struggled to put together good fantasy days with the young QB. (He was a little better in Stroud's rookie season of 2023, reaching 50 yards in six of 15 games but still not hitting big often.)

Jacksonville has looked pretty good defensively so far. Week 1 against the Panthers was an easier matchup, and they allowed Sanders just two catches for 27 yards. Week 2 was against the Bengals, when Fant and Gesicki combined for six catches and 46 yards. The Jags have allowed the seventh-fewest yards per pass attempt and the seventh-fewest fantasy points to tight ends.

This is another instance where we have a middling (or worse) fantasy player against a defense that has had success so far. Houston's offense hasn't looked great, averaging less than 200 passing yards and just 14 points per game through two weeks. You can find both a better situation and a better matchup from another player in Week 3.