Week 18 Fantasy Football TE Start/Sit: Kyle Pitts, Pat Freiermuth, Brock Bowers, Trey McBride and More

If you’re like me (and everyone else), you’re ready for the NFL playoffs to start. Most teams are out of the playoff race, and only a few of the possible seeding scenarios seem to have real consequences (like the No. 5 seed in the AFC heading to Houston in the first round while the No. 6 seed will likely have to travel to Baltimore).

For those still active in fantasy football, though, there is one more week to navigate. You might be playing for a fantasy championship, and you might be trying to avoid a punishment, but whatever the case, those setting a lineup in Week 18 are stuck scrambling to find the right matchups with some teams sitting starters.

Let’s look at three tight ends to start and three to sit in Week 18 of the NFL season. I used stats from NFL.com and our FantasySP defensive fantasy rankings to help determine the best and worst matchups. I will reference those numbers often.

Start

Will Dissly, Los Angeles Chargers @ Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders obliterated their top draft position by winning back-to-back games against the Jaguars and Saints. It probably feels great for the locker room, but it likely takes them out of position from being able to have their pick of rookie quarterback without a costly trade.

The Raiders are actually a little better than average in yards per pass attempt allowed, but they have still allowed the second-most fantasy points to tight ends. That trend continued last week, when middling players Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau combined for nine catches, 113 yards, and a touchdown.

Dissly has been involved, but the Chargers are a low-volume passing offense, capping his ceiling. He is still an OK fantasy option on the right weeks if you don’t have a regular starter, and Week 18 is one of those instances. Dissly is a low- to mid-level streamer, fine as a fill-in.

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

With a good Week 18, Freiermuth could set or tie his career highs in receptions (63, he has 57) and touchdowns (seven, he has six). He probably won’t get there in yards (732 versus his current 568), but Freiermuth is having a season to put him back on the fantasy map after an anonymous 2023 due to injury and Kenny Pickett.

The Bengals have allowed the most fantasy points per game to tight ends. They are right in the middle in yards per pass attempt allowed, but TEs have been able to excel against Cincinnati all season.

Freiermuth is a good streamer in the final week. His quarterback, Russell Wilson, is also a good fantasy option, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see those guys hook up a few times.

Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers

It’s been a tough year for Pitts, a guy who was supposed to excel with Kirk Cousins as his new quarterback. Instead, Pitts will probably finish with less receptions and yards than last season, when we labeled him a disappointment. (He does have four TDs versus last year’s three.)

The Panthers are one of the worst teams in the league, including when they defend the pass. Carolina has allowed the sixth-most yards per pass attempt and fifth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends.

Throw Pitts into your lineup for the last week of the season. He’s still a tough player to trust, but the matchup is in his favor in this one.

Sit

Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Bowers is a weekly starter, no questions asked at this point. He has broken the records for catches by a rookie and yards by a rookie tight end, and he might enter next season as fantasy TE1.

(Sam LaPorta’s regression in his second year might give some owners pause, but it’s different with Bowers. LaPorta’s level of excellence was surprising, but Bowers just feels like he is doing his regular thing.)

The matchup is against the star rookie in this one. The Chargers give up the fifth-least yards per pass attempt and the fifth-least fantasy points per game to tight ends. LA might be able to move up to the fifth seed depending on what happens Saturday, and things will probably be a lot tougher on the rookie if the Chargers are fighting for that spot.

Bowers is pretty much a no-brainer to start every week. I’m not telling you to bench him. Don’t be surprised if this is one of his slowest weeks of the season, though.

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers

We’re shooting for the moon a little bit with these picks. I don’t feel good picking against Bowers or McBride; I’m simply going by the matchups. Many owners will start Bowers and McBride, and I can’t argue. They are fantasy stars at their position.

The matchup is against the Arizona tight end here, though, as San Francisco has allowed the fourth-least yards per pass attempt and sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to TEs. Their season has been decimated by injuries on offense, but the defense has kept up their side; this team should be back in Super Bowl contention next year with better health luck.

McBride is a tough guy to bench, but this is a matchup that creates a low floor. When these teams played in Week 5, McBride had a nice but inefficient day: six receptions on nine targets for 53 yards.

Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans

Tennessee has allowed the ninth-least yards per pass attempt and fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. From an outside perspective, this is a must-lose game for the Titans: they are 3-13, tied for the worst record in the league and within sniffing distance of the top overall pick. (Don’t tell that to their players and coaches.)

The Texans are locked into the fourth seed and can sit starters if they want. Coach DeMeco Ryans spoke as if everyone will be out there playing, but that could be a temporary thing just for a quarter or a few drives, like in the preseason. It’s risky to trust Schultz without knowing how much he will be on the field.

Given the circumstances and the tough matchup, Schultz isn’t a guy to put into your fantasy lineup. You can find a better option.