Fantasy Football Divisional Round TE Start/Sit: Travis Kelce, Sam LaPorta, Mark Andrews and More

The second week of the playoffs features eight teams with nine tight ends worth considering for fantasy purposes. That doesn’t mean every player is a realistic option, but the starting guy on every team in the playoffs is at least worth a thought in Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) leagues.

Let’s look at the nine fantasy relevant tight ends in action in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. I used stats from NFL.com and our FantasySP defensive fantasy rankings and will reference those numbers often. Those numbers are from the regular season unless otherwise noted or linked.

Fantasy scores and rankings are from FantasyPros. Players are listed alphabetically in each section, and the full rankings are listed at the bottom.

Start

Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills

Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills

Andrews and Likely are both able to contribute in the Baltimore offense, not something every attack could handle. Andrews was the more productive half of that duo during the regular season, but together they become a super tight end: 97 receptions, 1,150 yards, and 17 touchdowns combined.

Buffalo was right in the middle in both yards per pass attempt allowed and fantasy points allowed to tight ends. It’s about as middling as a matchup can get. That doesn’t always mean a lot in the regular season, but when things tighten up in the playoffs, playing a defense in the middle can be something of a relief.

Last week against the Steelers, Andrews had two receptions for 27 yards and Likely three for 53. Despite those modest totals, they were the top two receivers on the team. Lamar Jackson only threw 21 times as the team led the whole game, and volume stats suffered as a result.

Andrews is pretty much a must-start guy at this point; he was a top-six fantasy TE in all formats. In a game that will probably be closer, these guys will again be among the top targets, which would lead to a good stat line. Likely is an OK low-cost player, but I’d rather go for Andrews if choosing a Baltimore tight end.

Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Los Angeles Rams

Goedert missed nearly eight full games, so it’s hard to really analyze his season, especially because those absences happened in two separate stretches. His per-game numbers (4.2 receptions, 49.6 yards) were close to his career rates (3.8 receptions, 43.9 yards per game). Goedert is more of a middling fantasy player than a guy to count on.

He’s worth consideration in the right matchups, though, and Goedert has a good matchup in this one: LA gave up the sixth-most yards per pass attempt and fourth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Matchups this juicy don’t come around often in the playoffs.

He’s not on the level of the top guys, but Goedert is a cheaper DFS play who might have a big game. I’m OK with spending big on quarterback and going with Goedert at tight end.

Somewhere in the Middle

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans

Kelce caught 97 balls this year. It might seem at first glance like he had another great season in a career full of them. Looking just a bit further, though, we see that Kelce’s 823 yards were the least of his career, and his 8.5 yards per reception were a full two yards lower than any other season and well below his career average (12.1).

Houston allowed the sixth-least yards per pass attempt and 11th-least fantasy points to tight ends. They held Will Dissly of the Chargers to two receptions and 16 yards last week. Houston’s defense has been their driving force all season.

And yet, I can’t quite call Kelce a player to sit. We know what his ceiling looks like, and I have to imagine he’ll turn it on now that things really matter. That doesn’t mean he will reach his peak, but it might mean he returns to being Patrick Mahomes’ de facto WR1 in big spots.

Kelce is more of a middling option. He has a ceiling, but it’s realistic to be wary of his slow 2024, especially considering that he only scored three touchdowns.

Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions vs. Washington Commanders

We thought LaPorta might be TE1 this season. He and Kelce did battle for position, but it was between the TE5 and TE8 range rather than at the top of the position. While there’s nothing wrong with finishing as a weekly fantasy starter, LaPorta’s season has to be considered a disappointment given where he was drafted.

Washington turned their pass defense around in just one season to the point where they are a team to avoid in fantasy. The Commanders were right in the middle in yards per pass attempt allowed, but they gave up the ninth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends.

This is an OK matchup in the playoffs, but we wouldn’t be looking to attack Washington during the regular season. Detroit’s offense is so good that scoring opportunities are going to come; it’s impossible to ignore LaPorta.

I see him more as a middling player than someone to really target, though, especially since he’s probably not coming cheap. I’m still calling him a “start” because of the upside, but you can probably find a better option.

Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs

Schultz hasn’t blossomed after showing promise early in his career in Dallas. His 2021 season, in particular, stands out (78-808-8), as he has otherwise been between 53-63 catches for 532-635 yards. Those are OK numbers, but they don’t stand out in fantasy.

Kansas City offers a surprisingly decent matchup. They gave up the 12th-least yards per pass attempt, but they were torn apart by tight ends, giving up the fifth-most fantasy points to the position.

When these teams played right before Christmas, Schultz caught five passes for 45 yards and a touchdown. There is hope for success again this week.

I can’t recommend Schultz as more than a middling option, though. His floor is super low; Houston’s offense has struggled at times. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Kansas City show up at a higher level coming off a bye week in their first game that truly matters in about a month.

Sit

Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders @ Detroit Lions

While Detroit has been operating on offense all year, the defense isn’t always up to the same standards. They gave up the 12th-most yards per pass attempt and allowed both quarterbacks and wide receivers to do well in fantasy.

Tight ends were a different story, though. The Lions allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to TEs during the season. Only three teams allowed fewer touchdowns to the position.

Ertz had a nice season after two straight years being injured and somewhat ineffective. He turned 66 catches into 654 yards and seven touchdowns; the former two numbers are his highest since 2021, and the TDs are the second-highest number he has ever hit (he twice had eight).

The matchup isn’t in his favor in this one, though. While Washington’s offense has been fun, there’s a better chance for the receivers to succeed (along with Jayden Daniels, who is a story all his own).

Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams @ Philadelphia Eagles

We don’t need to spend much time here: Higbee left last week’s game with a chest injury, but it looks like he is going to play. That makes him a risky proposition to start with. He also has the toughest matchup around, as the Eagles allowed the fewest yards per pass attempt and second-least fantasy points per game to tight ends.

If Higbee ends up not playing, don’t consider Colby Parkinson, either. Offensive players don’t have good games against the Eagles.

Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens

I keep making the rounds of eating crow after projecting Kincaid to make a huge jump in his second season. He was very, very average, dependent on the matchup for his value.

The Ravens are an OK matchup based on season-long numbers: they gave up the 12th-most yards per pass attempt and the 12th-most fantasy points to TEs. They were much better over the final month of the season, though, and allowed just three catches and 15 yards to Pat Freiermuth in the Wild Card Round.

The matchup might be a little worse than middling, and the same can be said about the player in question. That doesn’t sound like big fantasy production. I’m staying away from Kincaid this week.

Divisional Round TE Rankings

1. Mark Andrews, BAL
2. Dallas Goedert, PHI
3. Sam LaPorta, DET
4. Travis Kelce, KC
5. Isaiah Likely, BAL
6. Dalton Schultz, HOU
7. Zach Ertz, WSH
8. Dalton Kincaid, BUF
9. Tyler Higbee, LAR