Free tool · Nov 3 – Nov 9
Week 9 TE start or sit
Outside the top handful of tight ends, the position is a touchdown lottery. That makes matchup a bigger tiebreaker at TE than at any other spot: red-zone defense and offensive quality are most of the signal.
Week 9 · Nov 3 – Nov 9
Start these TEs — week 9
Biggest positive matchup swing at tight end this week.
| # | Player | Matchup | Proj | Swing | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travis KelceTE · KC | vs NYJ | 12.7 | +1.8 | vs NYJ grades smash spot — worth about 1.8 points above a normal week. |
| 2 | George KittleTE · SF | vs LV | 13.1 | +1 | vs LV grades good matchup — worth about 1 points above a normal week. |
| 3 | Sam LaPortaTE · DET | @ MIA | 12.4 | +0.9 | @ MIA grades neutral — worth about 0.9 points above a normal week. |
| 4 | Dallas GoedertTE · PHI | vs NYG | 9.8 | +0.9 | vs NYG grades good matchup — worth about 0.9 points above a normal week. |
| 5 | Colston LovelandTE · CHI | vs TB | 8.3 | +0.2 | vs TB grades neutral — worth about 0.2 points above a normal week. |
| 6 | Evan EngramTE · DEN | @ CAR | 9.5 | 0 | @ CAR grades neutral — worth about 0 points above a normal week. |
| 7 | Jake FergusonTE · DAL | @ IND | 7.6 | 0 | @ IND grades neutral — worth about 0 points above a normal week. |
| 8 | T.J. HockensonTE · MIN | vs BUF | 9.6 | -0.4 | vs BUF grades tough — about 0.4 points below a normal week. |
| 9 | David NjokuTE · CLE | @ NO | 6.9 | -0.4 | @ NO grades neutral — about 0.4 points below a normal week. |
| 10 | Hunter HenryTE · NE | vs GB | 6.3 | -0.5 | vs GB grades tough — about 0.5 points below a normal week. |
Sit or downgrade — week 9 TEs
The schedule works against these names. Elite players still start; use this to settle close calls.
| # | Player | Matchup | Proj | Swing | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trey McBrideTE · ARI | @ SEA | 11.5 | -1.7 | @ SEA grades nightmare — about 1.7 points below a normal week. |
| 2 | Tucker KraftTE · GB | @ NE | 7.7 | -0.9 | @ NE grades nightmare — about 0.9 points below a normal week. |
| 3 | Brock BowersTE · LV | @ SF | 13.2 | -0.7 | @ SF grades tough — about 0.7 points below a normal week. |
| 4 | Mark AndrewsTE · BAL | vs JAX | 9.9 | -0.6 | vs JAX grades nightmare — about 0.6 points below a normal week. |
| 5 | Hunter HenryTE · NE | vs GB | 6.3 | -0.5 | vs GB grades tough — about 0.5 points below a normal week. |
| 6 | T.J. HockensonTE · MIN | vs BUF | 9.6 | -0.4 | vs BUF grades tough — about 0.4 points below a normal week. |
| 7 | David NjokuTE · CLE | @ NO | 6.9 | -0.4 | @ NO grades neutral — about 0.4 points below a normal week. |
| 8 | Evan EngramTE · DEN | @ CAR | 9.5 | 0 | @ CAR grades neutral — worth about 0 points above a normal week. |
| 9 | Jake FergusonTE · DAL | @ IND | 7.6 | 0 | @ IND grades neutral — worth about 0 points above a normal week. |
| 10 | Colston LovelandTE · CHI | vs TB | 8.3 | +0.2 | vs TB grades neutral — worth about 0.2 points above a normal week. |
Week 9 TE rankings
Every tight end ranked by matchup-adjusted projection for this week.
| # | Player | Matchup | Proj | Swing | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brock BowersTE · LV | @ SF | 13.2 | -0.7 | @ SF grades tough — about 0.7 points below a normal week. |
| 2 | George KittleTE · SF | vs LV | 13.1 | +1 | vs LV grades good matchup — worth about 1 points above a normal week. |
| 3 | Travis KelceTE · KC | vs NYJ | 12.7 | +1.8 | vs NYJ grades smash spot — worth about 1.8 points above a normal week. |
| 4 | Sam LaPortaTE · DET | @ MIA | 12.4 | +0.9 | @ MIA grades neutral — worth about 0.9 points above a normal week. |
| 5 | Trey McBrideTE · ARI | @ SEA | 11.5 | -1.7 | @ SEA grades nightmare — about 1.7 points below a normal week. |
| 6 | Mark AndrewsTE · BAL | vs JAX | 9.9 | -0.6 | vs JAX grades nightmare — about 0.6 points below a normal week. |
| 7 | Dallas GoedertTE · PHI | vs NYG | 9.8 | +0.9 | vs NYG grades good matchup — worth about 0.9 points above a normal week. |
| 8 | T.J. HockensonTE · MIN | vs BUF | 9.6 | -0.4 | vs BUF grades tough — about 0.4 points below a normal week. |
| 9 | Evan EngramTE · DEN | @ CAR | 9.5 | 0 | @ CAR grades neutral — worth about 0 points above a normal week. |
| 10 | Colston LovelandTE · CHI | vs TB | 8.3 | +0.2 | vs TB grades neutral — worth about 0.2 points above a normal week. |
| 11 | Tucker KraftTE · GB | @ NE | 7.7 | -0.9 | @ NE grades nightmare — about 0.9 points below a normal week. |
| 12 | Jake FergusonTE · DAL | @ IND | 7.6 | 0 | @ IND grades neutral — worth about 0 points above a normal week. |
| 13 | David NjokuTE · CLE | @ NO | 6.9 | -0.4 | @ NO grades neutral — about 0.4 points below a normal week. |
| 14 | Hunter HenryTE · NE | vs GB | 6.3 | -0.5 | vs GB grades tough — about 0.5 points below a normal week. |
Comparing two specific names? Run them through the start/sit optimizer or check injury impact before you lock the lineup.
Week 9 TE matchup heatmap
Green is a matchup that adds points to a normal week, red is one that takes them away. The number is the average swing in points for that team's TE starters.
Biggest TE upside
- KC vs NYJLead option: Travis Kelce · 12.7 pts+1.8
- SF vs LVLead option: George Kittle · 13.1 pts+1
- DET @ MIALead option: Sam LaPorta · 12.4 pts+0.9
- PHI vs NYGLead option: Dallas Goedert · 9.8 pts+0.9
- CHI vs TBLead option: Colston Loveland · 8.3 pts+0.2
Biggest TE downside
- ARI @ SEALead option: Trey McBride · 11.5 pts-1.7
- GB @ NELead option: Tucker Kraft · 7.7 pts-0.9
- LV @ SFLead option: Brock Bowers · 13.2 pts-0.7
- BAL vs JAXLead option: Mark Andrews · 9.9 pts-0.6
- NE vs GBLead option: Hunter Henry · 6.3 pts-0.5
Built from the same matchup grades as the week 9 TE start/sit board, so a hot cell and a start call always agree.