Fantasy Football Week 14 Tight End Who Should I Start? Mark Andrews, Kyle Pitts, Harold Fannin, and More

Tight end Mark Andrews used to be a household fantasy name, but his stock is again dropping after a bounce back in 2024. That big performance last season was driven by 11 touchdowns, as Andrews finished with 55 receptions and 673 yards, not up to the standard set by his previous work.

Despite the drop in production, owners find it hard to ignore Andrews given his former status at a weak fantasy position. Now with a good matchup in Week 14, fantasy players are scrambling to decide if Andrews should be in lineups this week, something that has him showing up all over our FantasySP start/sit tool.

Let's look at Andrews and four tight ends who he has been compared to often on the start/sit tool. We'll do a head-to-head quick-hit exercise to determine the best starter in each situation. Most stats are from NFL.com.

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Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Among all the talk about Andrews' true top level at this point in his career, the Ravens gave their top tight end a three-year contract extension averaging around $13 million earlier this week. Either Baltimore sees what he does outside the passing game as super valuable, or they still see a top-line player who is being held back by other factors.

An offense built around Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry is always going to want to lean back into the run, but Andrews had success with his QB in the past. From 2019-2022 (Jackson's first four years as a starter), Andrews averaged 75.5 catches, 940.3 yards, and 7.8 touchdowns per season.

There's a chance that there's still something here that could push Andrews back into the 70-plus-catch, 900-plus-yard range, but we haven't seen it for three seasons now, making it tough to trust the tight end. He's better to play in the right matchups, though there's still a low floor.

The Steelers are right in the middle in yards per pass attempt allowed, but they have given up the sixth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends; Pittsburgh has been a victim of volume, giving up close to six receptions and 65 yards per game to the position with seven touchdowns in 12 contests.

Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders @ Minnesota Vikings

Jayden Daniels is back for this game, raising Ertz's ceiling along the way. The tight end is averaging just over four catches and 41 yards per game with four total touchdowns, OK numbers at his position. He is coming off a 10-catch, 106-yard performance against Denver last week, the most of either that he has had in a regular season game since 2019.

The Vikings have allowed the 13th-most yards per pass attempt and the 15th-most fantasy points per game to tight ends; this matchup is about as “in the middle” as could be. Just three tight ends have reached 50 receiving yards against Minnesota, most recently Sam LaPorta in Week 9.

Advice: Start Mark Andrews over Zach Ertz. This is a tough one, and I don't feel great about either guy in my lineup. Andrews might have the slightly better matchup, so while this is close to a 50/50 split, I'll give the small advantage to the Baltimore TE.

Harold Fannin, Cleveland Browns vs. Tennessee Titans

Where would Cleveland be if they didn't take Fannin in the third round? He leads the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, and he has even produced the most plays of 20-plus yards for the Browns. A team seriously lacking playmakers seems to have found a keeper in the middle rounds.

Tennessee has given up the second-most yards per pass attempt but the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. A lot of that positive fantasy performance comes from volume, as the Titans have faced the ninth-fewest pass attempts and just 10 more than the fifth-place team. They are a worse pass defense than the raw numbers might suggest.

Advice: Start Harold Fannin over Mark Andrews. Cleveland has a low-level pass attack, but Fannin is likely to be the top guy in that area, giving him an advantage on volume if nothing else.

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Johnson has been one of the few constants for the Saints, as they have traded for and away receivers, shuffled the offensive line, and dealt with plenty of injuries. Everyone knew New Orleans would be bad, but maybe they are finally ready to lean into the rebuild. That lack of weapons leaves Johnson involved regularly, as he has already set his career highs in receptions and receiving yards after just 12 games.

The Bucs have been sieve-like against the pass, allowing the fifth-most yards per pass attempt. They are in the middle in terms of fantasy points given up to tight ends, but Tampa can be beaten in the passing game, and with Johnson a major part of that attack, he is likely to at least reach his season averages (4.5 receptions, 48 yards per game).

Advice: Start Juwan Johnson over Mark Andrews. Baltimore's tight end has the better ceiling, but Johnson is more likely to be involved in any given game, making him a safer player with a good matchup here.

Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta Falcons vs. Seattle Seahawks

Pitts is on pace to easily set his career high for receptions, but he is doing is at super-low efficiency, averaging just 9.7 yards per reception when his career rate is 12.7 and he has never been below 12.6 in any season. The yards are coming slowly but surely (on pace for 766), and Pitts has only scored one touchdown, leaving him as a middling fantasy player at best.

The Seahawks are really tough against the pass, allowing the fewest yards per pass attempt, but they have been susceptible to tight ends, as they rank fifth in most fantasy points given up to the position. Seattle has held just three of 12 teams to fewer than 50 yards from their TEs and has given up an average of nearly seven catches and 70 yards per game.

Advice: Start Kyle Pitts over Mark Andrews. Pitts has the better matchup, and Drake London is out for this one, so there will probably be even more action heading the tight end's way. Pitts is especially valuable in PPR leagues.