Week 4 Fantasy Football TE Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Key Matchups to Target and Avoid

Tight end is different from other offensive fantasy positions mostly because of the lack of top-tier players. While you can find quarterback fantasy points from a lot of different players on any given week, there are still a few top guys who stand out among the best (obligatory Josh Allen reference).

At tight end, though, outside of Trey McBride and Brock Bowers currently, you're looking at a few consistent performers, some weekly starters, and a lot of guys who are essentially the same from a fantasy value perspective. That makes start/sit assessments imperative because we are often looking at matchups to identify the guys worth playing.

Let's look at three tight ends to start and three (plus a few) to sit in Week 4 of the NFL season. Most stats are from NFL.com, and fantasy points and rankings are from FantasyPros.

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Start

Isaiah Likely, New York Giants vs. Arizona Cardinals

Likely had a huge Week 1, catching eight passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys (more on them in a minute). His decline in production has been directly tied to Jaxson Dart's absence, as Likely has combined for just 46 yards on seven catches in the past two weeks with Jameis Winston struggling to put up numbers.

I listed Winston as an intriguing fantasy streamer this week at quarterback because of the matchup, though, and I'll do the same with Likely. The Cardinals have allowed the most yards per pass attempt and the fifth-most fantasy points to tight ends through three weeks. AJ Barner of the Seahawks only had one catch for eight yards in Week 2 but also scored on a Tush Push; the guys in Weeks 1 and 3 were more effective through the air, combining for 13 receptions, 172 yards, and two touchdowns.

Even though things haven't been pretty since Dart went down, this is a chance for the Giants to find a groove on offense given the matchup. Likely is a worthy player to put in your lineup if you don't have a weekly starter.

Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans vs. Dallas Cowboys

See, I told you we'd talk more about the Cowboys in a minute! Dallas has given up the 12th-most yards per pass attempt and the sixth-most fantasy points to tight ends. We mentioned their struggles against Likely above, but they have been better since, shutting down Washington's TEs in Week 2 while allowing six catches, 61 yards, and a score against Baltimore's group last week.

Schultz was listed here as a guy to start last week with a good matchup against the Colts and coming off a huge Week 2 (12 catches, 140 yards). He had a “meh” performance, catching just three passes for 30 yards, but we'll go back to the well again with the matchup in his favor.

Nico Collins missed the past two games and is questionable this week. He did practice in a limited capacity Wednesday, but it's far from certain that he'll be in the lineup. Collins' status directly affects Schultz (and all other Houston pass catchers), but Schultz can still have a decent outlook even if the star receiver is on the field.

Darren Waller, Carolina Panthers vs. Detroit Lions

Waller has had a decent start to the season, averaging close to three catches and 40 yards per game while scoring two touchdowns. He has played less than 50% of the snaps, and that might continue, but Waller will be a target in the passing game, including in the red zone. That makes him worthy of consideration in the right matchups.

This is one of those right matchups, as the Lions have allowed the eighth-most yards per pass attempt and the most fantasy points to tight ends. The Saints, Bills, and Jets each got two touchdowns from their TEs against Detroit over the first three weeks while averaging close to 10 receptions and 120 yards per game. We will keep targeting the Lions with tight ends until they show any kind of resistance.

Waller is a lower-floor player because he won't be on the field as much as most of the other guys we talk about, but he also has a good ceiling because he is such a receiving threat. This is one of the best matchups any tight end can have based on 2026's numbers.

Sit

Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson, and Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams @ Philadelphia Eagles

There are a few problems with considering any of the Rams' tight ends this week, but let's start with the defense. Though they are just a little better than average with yards per pass attempt allowed, Philadelphia has given up the fewest fantasy points to tight ends; they held the same distinction last year. Linebackers and safeties generally line up with tight ends, and the Eagles are strong at both positions.

Another issue is that with multiple tight ends often on the field, it's hard to know who will get the ball the most or find the end zone in any given game. Higbee leads this group in targets, receptions, yards and touchdowns (tied with Ferguson), but he only played 28 snaps over the first two games and did most of that damage in Week 3, when both Parkinson and Ferguson suffered injuries.

Parkinson is listed as questionable and Ferguson doubtful, so there's a lot of risk around both those guys even if they take the field. That would seem to leave Higbee as the guy, and with him leading the tight ends statistically, you might think that he's a player that makes sense in your lineup. Higbee is a middling player, though, and with the matchup far against him, I'm not interested in testing fate. Leave these Rams tight ends on your bench this week (or the waiver wire).

Oronde Gadsden, Los Angeles Chargers @ Seattle Seahawks

Gadsden was an intriguing fantasy name coming off a successful rookie season as a fifth-round pick, but it has been a rough start to 2026, as Gadsden has just four catches and 50 yards (though he did find the end zone in Week 2). As the entire Chargers team has faltered, Gadsden has been part of the struggle.

Things aren't likely to get better against one of the best defensive teams in football. The Seahawks have allowed the fewest yards per pass attempt of any team in the league. Though they have been a little worse than average in fantasy against tight ends, most of that damage came against Trey McBride in Week 2, as Seattle has otherwise allowed just six catches and 39 yards to TEs in the other two games (and a touchdown).

With a player who has struggled to make a statistical impact against one of the best defenses in football, I'm not excited about counting on Gadsden this week. He will have much better chances later in the season to produce.

Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears vs. New York Jets

It has been a rough start for Loveland, who caught just one pass for three yards over the first two weeks before four receptions and 31 yards on Monday night against the Eagles. You could try to blame some of that on Caleb Williams suffering an injury, but Williams was on the field for most of Loveland's toughest stretch, and he did best with Case Keenum on the field.

There are likely much better times ahead for the 2025 first-round pick, but this might not be one of them. The Jets have allowed the fourth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the second-fewest fantasy points to tight ends, not allowing a touchdown to the position with only Sam LaPorta reaching 30 yards (he had 44 on three catches).

This is a case of a player who has struggled mightily to put up numbers against a team that has held down tight ends every week. I don't want any part of Loveland in my lineup unless I just don't have another reasonable option.