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USATSI

I would often joke in the offseason that, "Hey, maybe tight end won't be so bad this year" is the Fantasy Football equivalent of famous last words, and it sure looks like optimism was misplaced this season. Entering Monday's games, only five tight ends are averaging more than 11 PPR points per game so far, and that includes three who have only played one game; 

 And that's without even getting into disastrous showings from Dallas Goedert, George Kittle and Kyle Pitts in the first two weeks. 

Sam LaPorta has been pretty good, though even that's relative -- he had 10 catches on 11 targets for 102 yards, ranking as TE4 through two weeks mostly because the position has been kind of a disaster. 5.5 targets per game isn't great, but he's emerged quickly as a dependable option for Jared Goff, and his after-the-catch skills give him opportunities to break some big plays even when he isn't being targeted down the field. I feel very good about LaPorta as my starting TE right now if he needs to be.

Otherwise? Well, much ballyhooed rookie Dalton Kincade has been fine, with nine catches on 10 targets, though for only 69 yards, while teammate Dawson Knox has been more involved near the goal line. HE hasn't been bad, but he's just been fine, nothing more. And that's more than we can say for Luke Musgrave, who flashed a solid downfield role in Week 1 but was a non-factor in Week 2. Greg Dulcich had a limited role in Week 1 before going on IR with a hamstring injury, while Jake Ferguson has turned 11 targets into 22 yards, testing the limits of how bad a Cowboys TE can be while still having Dak Prescott's trust; Ferguson started ceding some routes and snaps to Luke Schoonmaker and Peyton Hendershot in Week 2, and it wouldn't surprise me if that trend continued. 

Here are my rankings for Week 3 at the tight end position: 

  1. Travis Kelce vs. CHI
  2. TJ Hockenson vs. LAC
  3. Mark Andrews vs. IND
  4. Dallas Goedert @TB
  5. Sam LaPorta vs. ATL
  6. Evan Engram vs. HOU
  7. David Njoku vs. TEN
  8. Kyle Pitts @DET
  9. Zach Ertz vs. DAL
  10. Dalton Kincaid @WAS
  11. Juwan Johnson @GB
  12. Gerald Everett @MIN
  13. Hunter Henry @NYJ
  14. Pat Freiermuth @LV
  15. Luke Musgrave vs. NO
  16. Cole Kmet @KC
  17. Tyler Higbee @CIN
  18. Hayden Hurst @SEA
  19. Adam Trautman @MIA
  20. Durham Smythe vs. DEN
  21. Chigoziem Okonkwo @CLE
  22. Cade Otton vs. PHI
  23. Jake Ferguson @ARI
  24. Dalton Schultz @JAX