Week 1 Fantasy Football TE Report: Starts, Sits and Streams
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports Pictured: Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle (84) is congratulated by teammates.
- Rob Gronkowski leads the way as The Action Network's best fantasy football play at tight end in Week 1.
- With Vontaze Burfict out due to a suspension, the Colts' tight ends also provide interesting upside.
- We also explain why owners should think twice before starting Kyle Rudolph against the 49ers.
Which tight ends have the most favorable fantasy matchups? Which ones should you fade?
Here's a breakdown of five of the top fantasy football tight ends, as ranked by Sean Koerner, Chris Raybon and Matthew Freedman in their Week 1 fantasy football rankings.
The No. 1 TE
Rob Gronkowski
Given the wide gap in tight-end usage and production, Gronk's FantasyLabs median projection beats out every tight end by at least six points, with the exception of Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz.
The Most Favorable Matchups
Jack Doyle
The Bengals struggled to defend tight ends last season, ranking 30th in Football Outsiders’ Pass Defense Adjusted Value Over Average against the position.
They might be even worse in Week 1 since Vontaze Burfict, the Bengals' best linebacker in pass coverage, is suspended for the first four games of the season, and they lost safety George Iloka to free agency.
>> All odds as of 12 p.m. ET. Download The Action Network App to get real-time odds and track your bets.
Delanie Walker
The Dolphins are weak on the interior, allowing 8.1 targets and 60 yards per game to opposing tight ends last year.
Walker has an average rank of sixth among our rankers, and he boasts the fourth-best projection among tight ends in our models for Week 1.
The Fade
Kyle Rudolph
Rudolph is a touchdown-dependent option, and the 49ers were excellent at defending tight ends last season with safeties Adrian Colbert and Jaquiski Tartt.
San Francisco allowed just 6.7 targets and 43.3 yards per game to opposing tight ends in 2017, and Rudolph will have to fight for target share with Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen.
The Best Stream
Eric Ebron
I'm fond of Ebron for the same reasons I like Doyle.
Ebron checks in with an average rank of 15.3 among our rankers, and he should be available in most leagues if you're looking to stream.
His average rank is right on par with his projection in the FantasyLabs player models.
Want another edge? Be sure to keep up with the week's news on FantasyLabs.
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