The 2023-24 NFL season has been outstanding so far. Already there have been a ton of breakout players and fantasy duds that have made the game so entertaining. Bye weeks are officially over. This means that playoffs have begun in your fantasy leagues. During the playoffs Fantasy Managers will have full utilization of their roster and need to make sure they have backup options on their roster incase their stars get hurt. There have plenty of injuries this season to crucial players that make the pool of players to choose from on waivers that much thinner. It’s always a great idea to evaluate backup options so that way fantasy managers are prepared if star players miss time. Here are the fantasy football week 16 tight end rankings.
*Ratings are subject to change due to injury reports or possible move to the Injured Reserve List
(Check out the section below for details on players already rumored to possibly miss this week and how their replacement options rank for the week)
Key:
Must Start- a player who is in your lineup regardless of the matchup or most circumstances. They Will likely finish near the top of the league in points that week and in most weeks.
Starting TE1- a player who makes fantasy owners comfortable starting week after week. Regardless of the matchup, this player has a solid floor.
TD Dependent Starter- a player who may not be a lock to start for a team every week, but will start more times than not because of depth at the position. Their production is based on whether they can get in the end zone or not. It can be the difference between a top 10 performance or a top 25 performance
Deep League Starter- a player whose ceiling isn’t high but should put up enough production to be started in deep leagues. When a player like this is started it is because their production though it will likely be low, will be better than a few options.
Leave on the Bench- a player who should be avoided in all lineups that week. Many times this player could even be left on waivers.
Rankings
| Category | Name | Opponent | Ranking |
| Must Start | Travis Kelce | vs Las Vegas Raiders | TE1 |
| Must Start | T.J. Hockenson | vs Detroit Lions | TE2 |
| Starting TE1 | David Njoku | vs Houston Texans | TE3 |
| Starting TE1 | Trey McBride | vs Chicago Bears | TE4 |
| Starting TE1 | Jake Ferguson | vs Miami Dolphins | TE5 |
| Starting TE1 | Sam LaPorta | vs Minnesota Vikings | TE6 |
| Starting TE1 | Evan Engram | vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers | TE7 |
| Starting TE1 | George Kittle | vs Baltimore Ravens | TE8 |
| Starting TE1 | Darren Waller | vs Philadelphia Eagles | TE9 |
| Starting TE1 | Isaiah Likely | vs San Francisco 49ers | TE10 |
| Starting TE1 | Cole Kmet | vs Arizona Cardinals | TE11 |
| Starting TE1 | Dallas Goedert | vs New York Giants | TE12 |
| Starting TE1 | Pat Freiermuth | vs Cincinnati Bengals | TE13 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Dalton Kincaid* | vs Los Angeles Chargers | TE14 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Tucker Kraft | vs Carolina Panthers | TE15 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Kyle Pitts | vs Indianapolis Colts | TE16 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Hunter Henry* | vs Denver Broncos | TE17 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Dalton Schultz | vs Cleveland Browns | TE18 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Taysom Hill | vs Los Angeles Rams | TE19 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Chigoziem Okonkwo | vs Seattle Seahawks | TE20 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Gerald Everett | vs Buffalo Bills | TE21 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Tanner Hudson | vs Pittsburgh Steelers | TE22 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Tyler Conklin | vs Washington Commanders | TE23 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Cade Otton | vs Jacksonville Jaguars | TE24 |
| Deep League Starter | Logan Thomas | vs New York Jets | TE25 |
| Deep League Starter | Michael Mayer | vs Kansas City Chiefs | TE26 |
| Deep League Starter | Tyler Higbee* | vs New Orleans Saints | TE27 |
| Leave on the Bench | Jonnu Smith | vs Indianapolis Colt | TE28 |
| Leave on the Bench | Juwan Johnson | vs Los Angeles Rams | TE29 |
| Leave on the Bench | Noah Fant | vs Tennessee Titans | TE30 |
| Leave on the Bench | Dawson Knox | vs Los Angeles Chargers | TE31 |
| Leave on the Bench | Noah Gray | vs Las Vegas Raiders | TE32 |
| Leave on the Bench | Kylen Granson | vs Atlanta Falcons | TE33 |
| Leave on the Bench | Jeremy Ruckert | vs Washington Commanders | TE34 |
| Leave on the Bench | Adam Trautman | vs New England Patriots | TE35 |
| Leave on the Bench | Colby Parkinson | vs Tennessee Titans | TE36 |
| Leave on the Bench | Jimmy Graham | vs New York Giants | TE37 |
Players that are could miss this week’s game
TE12 Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
Dalton Kincaid was limited in practice Wednesday with a shoulder injury. He was limited in practice last week because of this injury as well. If Kincaid misses Week 16 against the Los Angeles Chargers Dawson Knox moves up to TE22 between Tanner Hudson and Tyler Conklin.
TE17 Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
Hunter Henry missed practice on Wednesday with a knee injury. It is unclear if Henry will miss time because of the injury. If Henry misses Week 16 against the Denver Broncos Mike Gesicki becomes the TE25 between Logan Thomas and Michael Mayer. Pharaoh Brown becomes the TE35 between Jeremy Ruckert and Adam Trautman.
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- Source: https://thegamehaus.com/fantasy-football/fantasy-football-week-16-tight-end-rankings-3/2023/12/21/
