Week 5 Fantasy Football Rankings: TE, K, DEF

Darren Waller aims to get on track vs. the Dolphins, George Kittle begs for targets against the Cowboys, and Hunter Henry scrounges for red zone work opposite Juwan Johnson.

Other positions: Quarterback | Running Back | Receiver

Updated 10/6 at 6:00 PM ET. Moved Sam LaPorta up with Amon Ra St. Brown doubtful.

Week 5 Tight Ends

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TE Notes: I’ll run it back with T.J. Hockenson as the TE2 despite last week’s dud. There is almost no universe where Kirk Cousins attempts fewer than 40 passes against the Chiefs. … Mark Andrews has 18 total targets … and is the TE1 by average PPR points. That’s how bad this position is right now. With a ghastly 38 over/under, this year’s first Ravens/Steelers grudge match projects as the poorest of offensive environments. … The Bills are allowing almost zero tight end production … after facing Tyler Conklin, Durham Smythe and whoever the Raiders and Commanders’ tight ends were that week. I’ll place a scoring environment bet on Evan Engram, whose 25 receptions lead the position. … Third in tight end catches is Sam LaPorta, who has yet to post fewer than four grabs. These are the straws we are forced to grasp right now. Fourth in TE targets, LaPorta is a more distant 18th in routes. A slump is probably inevitable at some point.

Speaking of slumps, Darren Waller’s is hellacious. I’m giving him the Week 5 rankings edge over George Kittle by simple virtue of the Giants’ pass-game necessity in Miami. Kittle is stuck in defensive hell for 49ers/Cowboys. Kittle’s lone pop-up effort came with Brandon Aiyuk on the bench for Week 3. … Dallas Goedert’s slump feels unsustainable, though it sure is deep. Only Tyler Higbee has run more tight end routes. We have to keep betting on the breakout until it happens. … Running routes, commanding targets and occasionally catching passes, Hunter Henry is being used as a TE1, if not necessarily producing as one. … Jake Ferguson has earned seven targets in 3-of-4 appearances, but he is a distant 30th in tight end routes. With Michael Gallup finally coming on and Brandin Cooks getting healthier, Ferguson has potentially already had his usage high-water mark. … No team is surrendering fewer tight end fantasy points than Washington. It feels fluky, but makes it difficult to bet on back-to-back plus Cole Kmet offerings.

Kyle Pitts really is out there. Only six tight ends have run more pass routes. The problem — “problem” doesn't feel strong enough — is that 21 tight ends have more catches. 18 have more yards. Teammate Jonnu Smith has more of each, for instance. The ESPN broadcast booth casually mentioned in Week 4 that Pitts isn’t believed to be all the way back from last year’s knee injury, information we haven’t gotten from the Falcons’ lightly-populated press corps. It all feels insane, but TE1 Pitts production can no longer be believed until it is seen. … Garbage time was Zach Ertz’s best friend in Week 4. It’s also likely to be a weekly phenomenon for this overachieving but still 1-3 team. … The Tyler Higbee cheapo looks gravy train is going to dry up if Cooper Kupp (hamstring) actually returns this week. … Tyler Conklin is a “see what happens” streamer vs. the Broncos’ historically bad defense. … There was summer intrigue over Steelers third-rounder Darnell Washington, but this offense is struggling too much to take a TE2 flier during Pat Freiermuth’s (hamstring) absence.

Week 5 Kickers

Week 5 Defense/Special Teams