Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings: TE, K, DEF

T.J. Hockenson aspires to keep compiling against the Chargers, Kyle Pitts hunts for signs of life in Detroit, and Taysom Hill continues to exist in fantasy managers’ tight end spots.

Other positions: Quarterback | Running Back | Receiver

Week 3 Tight Ends

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TE Notes: Travis Kelce drew nine targets and scored a touchdown in his Week 2 debut. Same as it ever was. … Mark Andrews’ 2023 unveiling was a similar success, with the seam man catching five balls and finding the end zone on eight looks. With the Ravens’ supposedly deeper receiver corps already dealing with injury issues, Andrews’ target share is not under threat. … I was just dead wrong about T.J. Hockenson. The junk volume not only remains, it could be increasing. The Chargers’ pathetic pass defense represents a Week 3 smash spot. Brandon Staley’s unit has yet to be tested up the seam. … George Kittle and Darren Waller square off Thursday evening. As the player not facing the 49ers, I will give Kittle the rankings advantage despite his frustratingly slow start. The Giants could not contain Zach Ertz’s empty-calorie compiling in Week 2. … Dallas Goedert’s looks returned in Week 2. The production did not. Week 3 opponent Tampa Bay has allowed usable days to both Cole Kmet and T.J. Hockenson.

Evan Engram has gone at least 5/49 each time out. Perhaps that sounds like damning with faint praise, but it’s more than most tight ends have done through two weeks. The Texans are a plus matchup. … Sam LaPorta has turned in back-to-back five-grab performances, albeit on 11 total looks. The only real concern for Week 3 against the Falcons is that Atlanta slows the game to a crawl and limits Lions volume. … Hunter Henry is the TE2 overall on the strength of two touchdowns. His 11 grabs are also fourth at the position. With Bill O’Brien calling the offense, Henry is looking dangerously close to “back.” … Kyle Pitts typically does well with “shares,” whether it be targets, air yards, etc. Actual production? Not so much. We have no clue if it’s actually his fault. We have all too much clue that it is not going to be sustainable in the top 12 for much longer. Pitts has to do something against a Lions defense permitting the third most tight end fantasy points through dates with the Travis Kelce-less Chiefs and Seahawks.

Pat Freiermuth and David Njoku are both off to disappointing starts, though only one of them is losing looks to Harrison Bryant and Jordan Akins. Both players have get-right Week 3 spots in awful pass defenses. … Cole Kmet is tied for sixth in tight end receptions (nine) and third in tight end targets (13). As horrific as Justin Fields has been, Kmet volume — even if it is empty — seems all but assured for Sunday against the Chiefs. … Dawson Knox refuses to go away, but Dalton Kincaid is off to a nice compiling start. He is going to have plenty of spiked week opportunities in this offense. … Jake Ferguson has been bubbling under. He might remain that way with the Cardinals yet another non-competitive Cowboys opponent. … With no Jamaal Williams (hamstring), Taysom Hill seems poised to remain involved as a rusher after Monday’s 9/75 outing. For some reason, Taysom Hill is listed as a tight end on multiple fantasy services.

Week 3 Kickers

Week 3 Defense/Special Teams