Fantasy TE PPR Rankings Week 9: Who to start, sit at tight end in fantasy football

Few positions are as frustrating as tight end, and the bye weeks make it even tougher to find reliable starters and legitimate sleepers. That’s especially true this week, but don’t worry — our Week 9 fantasy TE PPR rankings can help you figure out who to start at this aggravating position. 

Fortunately, we’re able to welcome back must-starts Mark Andrew (vs. Vikings) and Darren Waller (@ Giants) and say a temporary good bye to Ricky Seals-Jones, T.J. Hockenson, and Rob Gronkowski. We might also be welcoming back George Kittle (calf), which would really beef up the rankings.

WEEK 9 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | D/ST | Kicker

We know guys like Dalton Schultz (vs. Broncos) and Kyle Pitts (@ Saints) have emerged as must-starts, but it is worth noting their matchups are some of the toughest of the week. Pitts’ upside is too high to ever bench, and Schultz’s high PPR floor is well established. 

WEEK 9 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

As we look at streaming options this week, Tyler Conklin (@ Ravens), Jared Cook (@ Eagles), Pat Freiermith (vs. Bears), and C.J. Uzomah (@ Browns) are all worth consideration. Freiermuth doesn’t necessarily have a great matchup, but he’s taken the JuJu Smith-Schuster role in the slot for Pittsburgh. That makes him an attractive PPR commodity moving forward. Uzomah’s matchup isn’t spectacular either, but his overall TE1 upside is inching him closer to a must-start option. At the very least, he’s a streaming option week in and week out now.

Conklin and Cook actually do have favorable matchups and are both tethered to capable pass-catchers. Evan Engram (vs. Raiders) always looks like a solid play because of his consistent target share, but it’s worth noting he’s been rumored to be a trade candidate. If he’s still in New York come Tuesday’s trade deadline, he can take advantage of a favorable matchup, least in PPR leagues.

To be honest, most of the guys with worrisome matchups on the start-or-sit bubble are players that haven’t been all that attractive this season. It’s not going to hurt anyone’s feelings to say Dan Arnold (vs. Patriots), Jonnu Smith (@ Panthers), and David Njoku/Austin Hooper (@ Bengals) should be benched this week. Tyler Higbee (vs. Titans) is the toughest call, but his disappointing track record suggests you can survive without considering him.

Again, Washington is on a bye, but if someone has grown impatient with Logan Thomas (hamstring) in your league, he’s worth picking up, as he should be back relatively soon. The same goes for George Kittle (calf), who’s eligible to return this week, though he’s unlikely to be on the waiver wire. Perhaps consider him a trade target, though.

Note: We’ll be updating these TE PPR rankings as needed throughout the week, so check back for the latest changes and analysis.

Fantasy TE PPR Rankings Week 9: Who to start at tight end

Rankings based on full-point PPR scoring