Fantasy Football Week 9 Start 'Em Sit 'Em TEs feat. Dalton Kincaid, Cole Kmet and Kyle Pitts

In Week 9 of the 2023 fantasy football season, we have some major tight-end issues due to the loss of George Kittle, Evan Engram, and Sam LaPorta to bye weeks.

This means many players will have to go to the waiver wire or their benches. With this posing more questions than answers, let's take a look at who to start and who to sit.

Fantasy Football Week 9 Start 'Em Tight Ends

Washington Commanders v Atlanta Falcons

1] Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons offense will have a different look to them this week. Taylor Heinicke will take over QB duties after Desmond Ridder turned the ball over one too many times. Drake London will also be missing from the lineup, which makes Kyle Pitts the most logical beneficiary of extra targets.

Pitts has seen an average of five targets a game for the past three weeks and could easily see that bumped up to the seven to eight range. His ability to stretch the field is tied in with having a QB that can move the ball.

The Vikings are very middle of the road against the tight end position, allowing 5.9 fantasy ppg. This along with the elevated targets smells like a great week for Pitts.

2] Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders

Fantasy Football Week 9 Start 'Em Tight Ends

Logan Thomas has developed a solid repertoire with Sam Howell this season. Four of his seven weeks have yielded TE1 numbers and over the past two weeks, he's seen 14 targets. Thomas has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy managers who didn't pay up for a top-tier TE.

The New England Patriots have been a tough team to play for tight ends, allowing 5.4 fantasy ppg. That might be a little misleading because, in the last five weeks, the Pats have allowed three top-10 TE performances. In just about each of those weeks they gave up seven catches and 70 yards.

This week, Thomas will most likely be the third option in coach Bill Belichick's defensive playbook and that should allow him the opportunity to stay a top-10 TE.

3] Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills

The Bills have found a stud in Dalton Kincaid and they have been putting him in great situations over the last two weeks. A couple of stats for Kincaid over the last two weeks: 15 targets (3 in the red zone), 16.5 fantasy/game during that period, and two top-10 TE weeks.

The Bengals present the easiest challenge to the tight end position this year allowing an NFL-high 9.9 fantasy ppg. Last week George Kittle put 149 yards on 9 catches, allowing for him to be TE3 overall. Go ahead and start Kincaid this week.

Our Start/Sit optimizer also likes Dalton Kincaid this week.

Dalton Kincaid vs Cole Kmet fantasy projection for Week 9

Fantasy Football Week 9 Start 'Em Tight Ends: Must Starts

• Travis Kelce
• Mark Andrews
• Dallas Goedert
• T.J. Hockenson

DFS Picks: Tight Ends

• Taysom Hill

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Fantasy Football Week 9 Sit 'Em Tight Ends

Minnesota Vikings v Chicago Bears

1] Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears

Kmet has been up and down, but since Justin Fields went down he's been mostly non-existent in fantasy. He had back-to-back weeks of being outside the top 24 before going off last week.

The Saints' defense is going to pose a challenge to the entire Bears offense and that makes Kmet a sit.

2] Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Fantasy Football Week 9 Sit 'Em Tight Ends

Cade Otton hasn't panned out quite as well this season for fantasy managers. He only has two weeks in the top 12, has yet to break 50 yards in a game and only has three games with five or more targets.

The matchup against the Houston Texans looks good on paper with them allowing 8.4 fantasy ppg, but they have been playing offenses that feature their tight ends. Not to say the Bucs won't take this info and use it, but Otton sometimes feels like the fourth option on this team.

This is why he's yet to get more than 50 yards in a game or only one TD on the season. This week Otton should remain on your bench.

3] Tyler Conklin, New York Jets

Tyler Conklin is a mid-level tight end at best on fantasy managers teams, but in weeks like this, some will look to him to fill in. You, however, should look elsewhere. Conklin has cracked the top 12 once this season and his best game was 10.7 fantasy points.

The Chargers are a bad team against the tight end position, but the Jets are a bad team when it comes to moving the ball downfield through the air. Conklin just doesn't seem to have an enticing ceiling or a safe floor. That makes him a sit for me this week.

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