Week 7 Fantasy Football TE Start/Sit: Tucker Kraft, Travis Kelce, and More

Tight end start/sit often brings a wide array or variance from week to week. There aren't many weekly fantasy starters at the position, so many of the best and worst defenses against the position often have guys worth mentioning in this column. That's not the case at every position, leaving this as one of the most informative pieces of the week.

Let's look at three tight ends to start and three to sit in Week 7 of the NFL season. Most stats are from NFL.com, and fantasy points and rankings are from FantasyPros.

Use FantasySP's start/sit tool to compare players and help make your toughest lineup decisions each week!

Start

Evan Engram, Denver Broncos @ Arizona Cardinals

It has been a tough start to the season for the entire Denver offense, and Engram has been part of that struggle. He had 43 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against the Chiefs and four catches for 55 yards against the Chargers in Week 5, but Engram has otherwise combined for just four catches and 36 yards in four other contests, making him hard to trust.

Those four games came in very tough matchups against the Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, and Jaguars; Jacksonville is more of a middling tight end matchup, but the other three are coincidentally the three teams that we are avoiding in the “Sit” portion of the column this week.

This matchup is much better, as the Cardinals have allowed the most yards per pass attempt and the fifth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Arizona has given up at least 50 yards and a touchdown to opposing tight end groups in each of the past four games, leaving big upside.

Engram is a lower-level streamer due to the struggles of himself and his team so far, but the matchup is pointing toward a better performance, making him a player worth considering.

Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams @ Las Vegas Raiders

Higbee has been the most productive tight end in Los Angeles by far this season, collecting 24 receptions, 246 yards, and a touchdown. The next closest is nine receptions and 63 yards, and that comes from two different players. I trust Higbee the most out of the Rams' tight ends.

Parkinson is listed here because he was better last season and led the position last week against the Cardinals with five catches, 31 yards, and a touchdown (Higbee had four receptions and 22 yards). Parkinson has some intrigue here, but I'm recommending Higbee as the top option from LA.

Either way, the matchup is fantastic, as the Raiders have allowed the fifth-most yards per pass attempt and the seventh-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Vegas gave up at least eight receptions to tight ends in three of their past four games, and in two of those, the players went over 80 yards. New Orleans got four total touchdowns from two different players in Week 3.

It's not a definite that Higbee will lead the Rams' tight ends in production, but he has been the guy so far. With the matchup heavily in his favor, Higbee (and even Parkinson) is a good streaming option here.

Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions

Some might see Kraft as close to a must-start player, but that hasn't been the case this season. He has been fine, averaging around four catches and 40 yards per game, but Kraft has only scored one touchdown and ranks outside the top 12 tight ends in both standard and PPR. For those questioning Kraft (as I am), this is maybe the best matchup he could have.

The Lions have allowed the 10th-most yards per pass attempt and by far the most fantasy points per game to tight ends. In all five games, Detroit has given up at least seven receptions and 56 yards to the opposing team's TEs to go with nine total touchdowns. They haven't faced that tough of competition, either, as Trey McBride is the only weekly fantasy starter that they've played.

Kraft has the upside of the top tight end in Week 7. He is unquestionably a must-start player and should have a strong day with a great matchup.

Sit

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs @ Seattle Seahawks

Kelce has started the season strong. He's on pace for over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns, both of which would be his best numbers since 2022. At 37 years old, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him slow down as we get further into the season, but Kelce has been a fine fantasy player through his first five games.

The problem here is the matchup. Seattle has allowed the fewest yards per pass attempt and the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. I'm not keen on trying anyone except the best fantasy players against the Seahawks, and though Kelce is a former superstar and has looked decent so far, this has the outlook of a slow game for the future Hall of Famer.

While some owners won't bench Kelce because of his name and because they might not have another option, I recommend seeing what you can do about finding another TE for Week 7. This has the makings of a possible low-scoring game.

Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Rams

You wouldn't generally consider a team's TE2 for your fantasy lineup, but Mayer has remained productive even with Brock Bowers in the lineup, topping 80 yards or scoring a touchdown in three of his past four games. I made a case several times early this week that you should leave Mayer on the waiver wire despite his recent success because the upcoming matchups are brutal, and that starts here.

The Rams have allowed the second-fewest yards per pass attempt and the second-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. McBride had seven catches for 58 yards last week against LA, but prior to that, no team had gotten more than five receptions or 33 yards combined from their TEs.

If Mayer is currently on your roster, I would recommend dropping him. He won't have a good matchup until around Thanksgiving, and he will always be a secondary option behind Bowers, even if the star acts more like a wide receiver at times. Mayer belongs on your bench if nothing else.

Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta Falcons vs. San Francisco 49ers

After three anonymous games to start the season, Pitts has been much better since Michael Penix returned. He racked up 13 catches, 149 yards, and three touchdowns over the past three weeks, though two of those games were very good matchups against the Saints and Bears.

The matchup in this one is much tougher. San Francisco has given up the eighth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the third-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. McBride had a big game in Week 3, and Chig Okonkwo unfathomably had seven catches for 69 yards last week, but no other team got more than four catches or 31 yards from the position, and the 49ers haven't allowed a touchdown to any TE yet.

While things have looked better recently, and Pitts is worthy of a spot on a fantasy roster, he doesn't have a good outlook in this game. He will probably be dependent on a touchdown for a successful week, and that's always risky to count on for any fantasy player.