Ideally, you don’t have questions this week as to who you should start at tight end. Ideally, you listened to me and you are reaping the Mike Gesicki point storm last night (note to self, this goes out Friday, please don’t look stupid). However, only one player per league is lucky enough to roster my Large Adult Son, Michael J. Gesicki (the J stands for Just Scores Fantasy Points). You might have to take a look at some other options this week, so allow me to help you weigh your tight end options. Let’s decide who we should start or sit among Austin Hooper, Logan Thomas, or Dallas Goedert for week three.
Start or Sit Austin Hooper versus Washington?
Austin Hooper has a great matchup this week. He faces a Washington team that’s allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season, including 11 catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns in week one against the Eagles. They then faced the Dan Arnold Show last week and got to take a week off from bleeding fantasy points to tight ends. Through two games, Dan Arnold simply doesn’t garner the targets to make him someone to worry about. He has six targets in two weeks, so obviously he won’t put up fantasy points, no matter the matchup.
Through two games, Austin Hooper also has six targets through two games. He has just 37 yards to Dan Arnold’s 47 yards. He doesn’t even have a touchdown. Sit Austin Hooper. He’s Dan Arnold, but on 57% of rosters. Don’t just sit Austin Hooper, expunge him from your rosters entirely.
Start or Sit Logan Thomas at Cleveland?
Through three games, your tight end target leaders are Darren Waller (24), Travis Kelce (20), and… Logan Thomas (17)??? Through a couple of contests, Thomas and Goedert sit at a tie for the third-most targets to the position. Thomas hauled in a touchdown through blown coverage week one. The downside to Logan Thomas’s targets is that they come from Dwayne Haskins, so he has just eight catches and 63 yards on those targets. There’s a reason why he’s flown under the radar so far this season.
Luckily, he takes on the Browns this week. Remember Thursday Night Football? Drew Sample blew it out of the water against them. Through two games, the Browns have yielded three tight end touchdowns and at least 8.00 HPPR fantasy points to three tight ends. If you’re in a serious bind in a PPR league, you can start Logan Thomas, though you’re praying for a touchdown.
Start or Sit Dallas Goedert versus Cincinnati?
Things didn’t quite go as well as we had hoped, as Dallas Goedert managers, last week. He hauled in four catches for 30 yards and no touchdowns after turning nine targets into an 8/101/1 line in week one. Understandably, people are confused and upset. Allow me to take a page out of the politician platitude handbook and tell you: I hear your concerns.
Granted, I have no plans to do anything about them, but I hear them.
You need to focus on Goedert’s targets and receptions. Through two contests, he’s at 12/17 for 131 yards and a score. For the vast majority of tight ends, you would be over the moon for that two-game stretch. Goedert is one of those tight ends. He’s the #7 tight end on the year and is top-six in both receptions and yards. He just happened to jam most of those catches and yards into one game.
This week, he gets a much better matchup against the Bengals. Their defense is a mess, but they are middle-of-the-pack against tight ends. That’s a mirage; Austin Hooper had just four targets in week two, so it drags them down to middle-of-the-pack. In week one, Hunter Henry turned eight targets into five catches for 73 yards. If you’re not sure, Dallas Goedert is much closer to Hunter Henry than Austin Hooper from a talent perspective. Start Dallas Goedert with confidence this week (that is, if you didn’t already smash start Mike Gesicki… come on buddy, don’t let me down).
The Verdict
This one isn’t hard. Dallas Goedert will reach “set and forget” starter territory soon. Right now, you just need a little pat on the backside to get you there. Austin Hooper belongs on the waiver wire. Logan Thomas is a deeper option that can help you, especially given his matchup and opportunity.
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