Fantasy Football Week 9 Tight End Start/Sit: Kyle Pitts, Dalton Kincaid, and More

Last week's flurry of byes decimated the tight end position, as we were missing Trey McBride, Sam LaPorta, and Brock Bowers (who had been out injured), among others. With six teams sitting out total, we were missing both depth and high-level players.

It's much nicer this week: Dallas Goedert, Harold Fannin, David Njoku, Cade Otton, and Mason Taylor don't match the star power of the previous group. There are a few decent players there, but they are all guys who would fit on our start/sit list, with no weekly starters. It's a nice reprieve in Week 9.

Let's look at three tight ends to start and three to sit in Week 9 of the NFL season. This won't include any obvious names, like Trey McBride. Instead, we have six guys below who are worthy fantasy starters some weeks but better left on the bench other times. Most stats are from NFL.com.

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Start

AJ Barner, Seattle Seahawks @ Washington Commanders

Barner and rookie Elijah Arroyo have both been lightly involved, with Barner keeping more of a role as a run blocker while Arroyo is more of a pass catcher early in his career. Barner leads the TE group in targets, receptions, and yards, and his four touchdowns are tied for the team lead, boosting his fantasy value.

When the touchdowns are less frequent (he's averaging one every 4.5 receptions, an unsustainable rate), Barner won't be a great fantasy player at his current volume. That's a problem to start worrying about next week, though, as the matchup here is too good to ignore.

The Commanders have allowed the most yards per pass attempt and the seventh-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. The position is averaging five catches and 61.1 yards per game against Washington while scoring five touchdowns. On Monday night, Travis Kelce had 99 yards and a TD.

Barner is more of a low-level streamer, but he has a decent chance of finding the end zone again in this one, particularly as Seattle's offense continues to find success.

Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears @ Cincinnati Bengals

Kmet has kept the top tight end role in Chicago even with the arrival of a top-10 pick in Loveland, but he missed his first career game last week after suffering a back injury during Week 7. Kmet could return for this game, though his status is questionable.

If Kmet plays, he will be a decent low-end option. If he doesn't then Loveland would fill that same role and value. Both guys possess a low floor based on 2025 numbers: Kmet has just nine receptions for 132 yards and Loveland 11 for 116.

The phenomenal matchup is the only thing that puts them here. Cincinnati has given up the third-most yards per pass attempt and the most fantasy points per game to tight ends. The position is averaging 6.8 catches and 74.3 receiving yards per game against the Bengals while scoring 10 touchdowns, including at least one in each of the past four games.

I don't want to have to count on Kmet and/or Loveland, but the numbers are in their favor here. While there is a low floor, there's also a chance for a little production given the fantastic matchup.

Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta Falcons @ New England Patriots

Pitts has been a high-volume, low-efficiency player this season, averaging 5.6 receptions and 49.1 receiving yards per game. That 8.8 yards per reception is close to four yards less than in any other season in his career.

That makes him a better PPR player than standard, especially since Pitts has only found the end zone once. He is a fringe fantasy player who should be played only in the right matchups.

This is one of those matchups, as the Patriots have given up the eighth-most yards per pass attempt and the fifth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. In four of their eight games, the opposing team's tight ends have had at least eight catches and 82 yards against New England, and they scored two touchdowns apiece in two of those four.

This is a middling tight end with a great matchup; that's what streaming is all about. Again, he's a better PPR player, but Pitts has a little value in standard leagues as well this week.

Sit

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons

On the other sideline from Pitts will be Henry, a man facing a night-and-day difference in matchup from his tight end counterpart. Where the Patriots are giving, Atlanta has been the opposite, allowing the second-fewest yards per pass attempt and the fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends.

The Falcons have shown themselves to be one of the best pass defenses in football this year. Henry was listed here in the “Sit” portion last week as well against a tough Browns defense, and while he scored a touchdown, that seven-yard catch was his only one of the day.

Henry had a few better games early in the season, but over the past five weeks, he has topped out at four receptions and 46 yards, averaging 2.4 and 30.4, respectively, during that time.

With modest production and a tough matchup here, Henry should only be considered if you're in desperation mode. Drake Maye continues to play great, but tight end isn't the position shining often in New England.

Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Kincaid is averaging just 3.5 receptions, but he has shown efficiency, gaining 51.7 yards per game and scoring three touchdowns. His longest reception has been at least 18 yards in every game and at least 20 yards in five of six (he missed one game with injury).

Kincaid is a player to consider in most matchups, especially playing in a high-level offense with a high-level quarterback. The Bills do a lot of damage on the ground, though: they have 221 team carries and 203 pass attempts, the only team in the league to have more rushes than passes.

The matchup is also against him in this one, as the Chiefs have allowed the ninth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. Only three teams have topped 32 yards from the TE position against Kansas City, and one of those was last week, when Washington's Zach Ertz had just four catches for 16 yards, but two backup Commanders tight ends each had one reception for 22 yards.

This is a decent player in a bad matchup; I'm looking elsewhere in Week 9. There's always a chance at a touchdown in Buffalo's offense, but I'd prefer a better outlook.

Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Okonkwo is a low-level fantasy player, but he has had some decent games this year, catching at least four passes for at least 46 yards in four of their eight contests. He still hasn't scored a touchdown, lowering his fantasy value even more.

He also hasn't topped 66 yards and had a game with four yards and another with zero yards. There is both a low floor and a low ceiling, and that is reinforced by his low-level quarterback; there's not a lot to like about Okonkwo most weeks.

The Chargers also present a really tough matchup, giving up the fifth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. It has been two straight years of absolutely shutting down the position.

There's not much else to say: we have a weak fantasy player against a strong defense. Bench Okonkwo and consider doing the same with every other Titans player in this one.