You have lineup questions, we have lineup answers -- at least we hope so. Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is here to help fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. And you know what is a good move? Starting Christian McCaffrey. But that's too obvious, so you won't see such simple analysis here. Instead, we're exploring more debatable situations. And if you can't find a player you are looking for, please check out the latest NFL Fantasy lineup rankings.
NOTE: Unless otherwise indicated, all stats come from NFL Pro, Next Gen Stats or NFL Research.
Start 'Em
As we saw with Hunter Henry last week and seemingly every week before that, you play the tight end facing the Bengals in fantasy. Cincy has allowed the most receiving yards, touchdowns and fantasy PPG to tight ends this season, plus the second-most catches. Andrews has scored four touchdowns in the four games since Lamar Jackson returned from injury, averaging 11.2 fantasy PPG in that span. Plus, he has a history of success in this matchup, having produced at least one touchdown in seven of his 13 career games against the Bengals.
Schultz ended a hot streak with a flop last week, when he failed to top eight fantasy points in a game for just the third time since Week 3. He has topped 11 in five of his last seven games, so he brings some upside. He gets a great matchup this week against the Colts, who have allowed the third-most yards, sixth-most catches and sixth-most fantasy PPG to tight ends. If you are not one of the lucky seven or eight teams with a set-it-and-forget-it TE, Schultz is in play for you.
Two-for-one special! Johnson is the more attractive play here, proving to have been a very safe fantasy option, scoring double-digit fantasy points in eight of 11 games, including his past five. Now he gets to face Miami, which has allowed the sixth-most receiving yards, second-most touchdowns and fourth-most fantasy PPG to tight ends. So where does Hill come in? Last week, Saints RB Alvin Kamara was lost to injury -- and Hill ended up leading the team with 10 carries. New Orleans had four goal-line snaps in Week 12, and Hill played all of them. The Dolphins have allowed the fourth-most rushing yards in the NFL. Hill also threw two red-zone passes and ran five routes in Week 12. He might be a QB playing RB, but he is tight end-eligible in fantasy football, making him a sneaky streaming option this week.
This is more of a streaming option, but Barner is in play this week. He gets to face the Vikings, who have allowed the ninth-most fantasy PPG to TEs in the last month. They’ve allowed the second-most yards to tight ends since Week 8. Barner’s usage has been up-and-down, but he has been more utilized as of late, logging the second-most targets in Seattle since Week 5. Additionally, he has a great fantasy playoff schedule, facing the Colts, Rams and Panthers in Weeks 15-17. The Colts and Panthers are in the top 10 in fantasy PPG allowed to tight ends, while the Rams have allowed the seventh-most in the last month. For those streaming weekly, this is a chance to get out in front of things.
IF YOU NEED A STREAMER: Browns' Harold Fannin Jr. (vs. 49ers); Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo (vs. Jaguars).
Sit 'Em
As discussed in the wide receiver section, the Eagles' passing attack is funneled through their top two receivers. That leaves Goedert fighting for scraps as the third target, reflected by his per-game mark of less than four targets over his past five games. He did not top 50 yards in any of those contests and reached double-digits in fantasy points just once. If he's held without a touchdown, you are looking at single-digit fantasy points -- potentially under five. The floor is low, and we have not seen the ceiling much when both Eagles WRs are on the field. The Bears are not a matchup to avoid, necessarily, but given the recent usage and production, I would look to get away from Goedert.
Loveland is certainly coming on as of late. The issue is, he is still splitting opportunities with Cole Kmet. Plus, his recent numbers are inflated by a huge performance against the Bengals. He has reached double figures in fantasy points just twice all year, and he needed a touchdown to do so in both of those games. This week, he faces the Eagles, who have allowed the second-fewest yards and fantasy PPG to tight ends. They have allowed two touchdowns to the position all year. Given the opponent, I would look to get away this week.
Even with Shedeur Sanders taking over at QB, Njoku continues to be utilized behind Harold Fannin Jr. Last week, Njoku ran just seven routes and did not see a target. He played just 49 percent of the Browns' offensive snaps. He has seen four targets, three catches and 38 yards in his last three games combined -- combined! The 49ers are a good matchup on paper, but there is absolutely no way you can trust Njoku right now. He is more droppable than startable, at least until we see signs of life.
Ertz has averaged 7.2 fantasy PPG in the five games he's played with Marcus Mariota as his starting QB this season. He has not scored in double figures in any of those games. Touchdowns were able to make him fantasy relevant in the first half of 2025, but the well has gone dry. He has topped 50 yards just twice all season. I do not expect him to break this cold streak against the Broncos, who excel at getting after the QB and have allowed just four touchdowns to tight ends this season. There are better streaming options out there.
