Fantasy Football Week 9 Tight End Start/Sit: T.J. Hockenson, Cade Otton, Noah Fant and More
Three tight ends to start and three to sit in Week 9 of the NFL season.
Last Sunday was National Tight End Day; if you watched NFL RedZone, you heard Scott Hanson say it approximately 26,487 times. There must have been something in the air, though, as tight ends blew their previous performances in 2024 out of the water as a group.
The 10th-ranked tight end of the week in standard leagues scored double-digit fantasy points for the first time all season. Two players topped 20 standard points, and four players hit 15 for the first time also. It was, indeed, a day for tight ends.
The unfortunate part is that fantasy points probably won’t be as freely available again in any week this year, so it’s going to take more work to find productive options if you don’t have a weekly starter.
Let’s look at three tight ends to start and three to sit in Week 9 of the fantasy season. I used NFL’s defensive stats and our FantasySP defensive fantasy rankings to identify the toughest matchups at each position. I will reference those numbers often.
Start
Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams
So much attention has been paid to LA’s offensive injuries and the recent returns of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp that we’ve glossed over how bad their defense has been. On top of Aaron Donald retiring in the offseason, this team is relying on a lot of young players and has felt the effects.
The Rams have given up the fourth-most yards per pass attempt and second-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. They’ve been just a little better against the run, but the Rams are a bottom-five team by defensive DVOA.
Fant has shown fantasy usability at times: He’s had at least 60 yards in three games. His other five outings have peaked at 26 yards, though, showing a low floor that has been a theme throughout his career.
Fant is a low-end streamer, but this matchup puts him on the radar in Week 9. While he could still be anonymous even given the circumstance, there won’t be a much better chance to get him into your fantasy lineup.
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings vs. Indianapolis Colts
It looks like Hockenson will play his first game of the season in Week 9 against the Colts. There’s always risk with a player coming back from a major injury, but Hockenson has been one of the best tight ends in fantasy football since arriving in Minnesota.
The matchup gives him the chance to start out with a bang, as Indianapolis has allowed the 10th-most yards per pass attempt and fourth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Over the past two weeks, Jonnu Smith first had seven receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown against the Colts, then Dalton Schultz had four catches and 52 yards.
Minnesota’s passing game has also been good without tight ends making any impact catching the ball. Johnny Mundt caught 14 passes for 93 yards and Josh Oliver just seven for 72; combined they averaged three catches and 23.6 yards over their first seven games, though they have scored three touchdowns.
Hockenson has a chance to super-charge and already successful offense. Again, there is risk, but grabbing Hockenson and putting him in your lineup right away is a good move at such a light position.
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Kansas City Chiefs
There are two things in Otton’s favor: the matchup and his team’s circumstances. The matchup is the easy part, as the Chiefs have allowed the most fantasy points per game to tight ends. While KC’s defense has been good overall, they have regularly been beaten by this position.
Otton was suddenly bumped into something of a WR1 role when both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin were lost for extended stretches. Otton led the team in Week 8 in targets (10), receptions (nine), yards (81), and touchdowns (two). He’s likely to keep a major role at least until Evans returns.
With a player in position to rack up volume against a team who hasn’t been able to stop his position, Otton is a must-start tight end in Week 9. He might not have a game as good as last week, but he will be involved with a chance to excel.
Sit
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets vs Houston Texans
Conklin has had a few nice games this season:
- Week 3 vs Patriots: 5 catches, 93 yards
- Week 5 vs Vikings: 6 catches, 55 yards
- Week 8 @ Patriots: 3 catches, 42 yards, 1 touchdown
He also caught a touchdown in Week 7, though his four receptions in that game gained just seven yards. Conklin is firmly in the streaming group, able to fill in when the matchup is right. Well, in Week 9 the matchup is wrong.
The Texans are suddenly dealing with tons of injuries on offense, but their defense has been one of the best in the league. They have allowed the least fantasy points per game to tight ends and the second-fewest yards per pass attempt. Houston has the second-best defensive DVOA behind only the Vikings, who lead the league in interceptions and are tied for fifth in sacks.
Conklin is a fine streaming tight end, but this isn’t the week to count on him. The bad matchup gives him a low floor and not much of a ceiling.
Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars @ Philadelphia Eagles
Engram had one catch for five yards in Week 1 then missed the next four games with an injury. He returned in Week 6 and hauled in all 10 of his targets for 102 yards. Engram has combined for 71 yards on nine catches over the past two weeks and scored a touchdown. He’s not the PPR prince that he was last year, but Engram is a fine fantasy option most weeks.
The Eagles have found their way on defense after an oddly unproductive 2023. Philly has allowed the seventh-least yards per pass attempt and third-least fantasy points per game to tight ends.
While Engram will be involved in the pass attack, Jacksonville has struggled mightily against tougher defenses. Lawrence has thrown for 300 twice this season but has been under 200 in four of eight games.
With Philadelphia playing good defense and Jacksonville an uneven offensive team, Engram isn’t a good streaming option in Week 9.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots @ Tennessee Titans
Drake Maye suffered a concussion last week and is questionable for this game. Jacoby Brissett would play otherwise, so there will be a functional player under center; that might be more than the Titans can say.
Defensively, the Titans have been a much better team, allowing the third-fewest pass yards per attempt and the fifth-least fantasy points per game to tight ends. Tennessee is also in the top 10 in defensive DVOA.
Last week was really weird: The Titans gave up 52 points to the Lions despite allowing just 94 passing yards. Detroit did run for 164 yards, but this was a product of ineffective offense and (especially) special teams setting the team up for failure. Detroit scored five touchdowns on drives that started within 26 yards of Tennessee’s end zone; all they had to do was finish, as most of the work was already done for the offense.
In a more standard football game, Tennessee will have a better chance to succeed on defense. Henry is another guy who has been a good fantasy player some weeks but struggled to produce in others. He fits right into the streaming group.
With a tougher matchup in Week 9 and uncertainty around the quarterback position, this is a week to skip Henry. He will have his moments throughout the rest of the season but don’t tempt fate in this one.
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