Last week when I updated my Dynasty tight end rankings, I speculated that Noah Fant could be the No. 2 Dynasty tight end by the end of the season. While that may sound outlandish, it probably doesn't sound as crazy as saying you could start both Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam in Week 9 against the Falcons. No matter how it sounds, they're both true.
The Fant discussion for Week 9 isn't much of a discussion. He's currently seeing about a 20% target share and the Falcons are the worst pass defense in the NFL. They've even surrendered the most Fantasy points to tight ends this season. That part is easy. But Okwuegbunam?
Well, 32.9% of Drew Lock's attempts have gone to tight ends this season. That includes 14 to Okwuegbunam over the past three weeks. The rookie has turned them into 10 catches for 114 yards and a score.
He ranks 13th in PPR points among tight ends in those three weeks. That brings us to our final point: Tight end is terrible. So bad, that a rookie tight end who only saw one target last week is a fine streamer if you missed out on whoever is starting for the 49ers this week. That's especially true if he's facing the Falcons.
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More Week 9 help: Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: All Positions | Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: QB | Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: RB | Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: WR | Biggest Questions | Waiver Wire | RB Preview | WR Preview | QB Preview | TE Preview |Trade Values | Cut List | Winners and Losers | Believe It or Not
Week 9 TE Preview
Numbers to Know
- 9.3% -- Evan Engram's drop rate. Only Chris Herndon's is higher.
- 10 -- Jimmy Graham's red-zone targets. Only Travis Kelce has more.
- 12.1 -- Mike Gesicki's aDOT, which leads tight ends.
- 27.7% -- The 49ers' tight end target rate. Whoever starts there will be relevant.
- 13.4 -- PPR Fantasy points per game for T.J. Hockenson in games Kenny Golladay has missed or left early.
Matchups that matter
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Waiver Wire Targets
He's in the touchdown-or-bust portion of the rankings, but he's facing the defense that has allowed the most touchdowns to opposing tight ends.
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DFS Plays
With George Kittle out, it's kind of a two-man show at the top of the tight end rankings. And Waller is 20% cheaper than Kelce on FanDuel, I just can't pass up that type of savings. If we get to the end of the week and it looks like we can trust DeeJay Dallas, I may pivot back to Kelce. But it's hard to fit his salary in.
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Heath's Projections
So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 9 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big-time last season.
