Two weeks into the fantasy football season, tight end is already becoming exactly what fantasy managers expected: unpredictable.
Outside of the handful of obvious weekly starters, finding production at the position often comes down to matchups, target volume and touchdown opportunities. Week 3 provides several interesting streaming options, along with a few recognizable names who probably shouldn't be anywhere near your starting lineup right now.
Here are three tight ends to start and three to sit in Week 3.
Start ‘Em: Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
Dalton Schultz might have earned himself a much larger role in Houston's offense.
With Nico Collins sidelined against Cincinnati, Schultz became C.J. Stroud's security blanket and caught 12 of 14 targets for 140 yards. Houston couldn't establish anything on the ground, finishing with only 18 rushing yards, which forced Stroud to repeatedly put the football in the air.
Nobody should expect another 12 catches, but Schultz gets an excellent matchup against Indianapolis. The Colts just allowed Travis Kelce to turn back the clock with nine receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. Somewhere around five-to-eight receptions with a legitimate chance at a score feels completely reasonable for Schultz, especially if Collins remains unavailable.
Start ‘Em: Darren Waller, Carolina Panthers
Darren Waller is about as touchdown-dependent as a fantasy tight end can get right now. But he is also proving he can still be extremely dangerous near the end zone.
Waller caught all three of his targets for 33 yards against Atlanta, but two of those receptions went for touchdowns. He has only five targets through two games, so fantasy managers shouldn't suddenly expect consistent TE1 volume. What Carolina appears to have found, however, is a massive target Bryce Young can trust when the field gets smaller.
Against Cleveland, Waller is worth another shot. You're essentially starting him hoping for another red-zone opportunity, but at a position where touchdowns can completely change your week, there are worse bets to make.
Start ‘Em: T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
T.J. Hockenson's numbers haven't been spectacular, but the situation around him is about to improve.
Hockenson has seven catches for 65 yards and a touchdown through two games. He caught four passes for 36 yards and scored in Week 1 before Minnesota's entire offense struggled through miserable conditions against Chicago.
Now Kyler Murray is back. Murray has cleared concussion protocol and will start against Tampa Bay, giving Kevin O'Connell his QB1 again. Hockenson remains one of the safest underneath and red-zone options in this offense, and five-plus catches with a chance at a touchdown makes him an appealing Week 3 starter.
Sit ‘Em: Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
Colston Loveland might be fantasy football's biggest early-season disappointment at tight end.
Through two games, Loveland has exactly one catch for three yards. He didn't record a reception in Chicago's 59-point Week 1 explosion and caught just one of three targets against Minnesota. Now the quarterback situation makes things even worse.
Article Continues BelowCaleb Williams suffered a hamstring injury against the Vikings and is expected to miss time, leaving Chicago potentially turning to Tyson Bagent against Philadelphia. Loveland's talent hasn't disappeared, and dropping him after two weeks would be premature, but fantasy managers don't need to keep putting him into their starting lineups while waiting for the breakout.
Keep him on the bench until Chicago proves it knows how to use him.
Sit ‘Em: Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
Week 1 suddenly feels like a long time ago for Mike Gesicki.
Gesicki opened the season with five catches for 78 yards and a touchdown against Tampa Bay, making him look like one of the early steals at tight end. One week later, he completely disappeared against Houston and failed to record a catch.
That's the danger of starting a secondary option in an offense featuring Ja'Marr Chase and several other capable pass-catchers. Joe Burrow could always find Gesicki for a touchdown, but relying on that every week isn't sustainable.
The matchup with Pittsburgh isn't enough to change that. Gesicki belongs on fantasy benches unless injuries elsewhere in Cincinnati's offense create a more dependable target share.
Sit ‘Em: Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
Things are getting so bad along Green Bay's offensive line that Tucker Kraft apparently might have to lend a hand.
ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that Packers coaches discussed the possibility of using Kraft at one of the offensive line positions as Green Bay searches for answers up front. Whether Matt LaFleur actually goes that far Thursday night is another question, but the fact that it was even discussed tells fantasy managers plenty about Kraft's current situation.
The Packers need help protecting Jordan Love and somehow reviving a struggling running game. That could mean asking Kraft to spend more time blocking when fantasy managers desperately need him running routes.
Then there is Kraft himself. He's still working his way back after suffering a torn ACL last season, and it may take several weeks before we see the explosive receiving threat fantasy managers remember. Kraft remains an extremely talented tight end, but talent doesn't automatically equal fantasy production when circumstances are working against him.
Atlanta looks like a tempting matchup Thursday night, but give Kraft another week. Sometimes the smartest fantasy decision isn't abandoning a talented player. It's waiting until his situation finally catches up to his talent.