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 starting to take place. This means that tight ends like David Njoku and Noah Fant will be out this week. On top of that injuries have started to mount up at this point of the season. It is 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 5 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.
| Category | Name | Opponent | Ranking |
| Must Start | Travis Kelce | vs Minnesota Vikings | TE1 |
| Must Start | T.J. Hockenson | vs Kansas City Chiefs | TE2 |
| Starting TE1 | Mark Andrews | vs Pittsburgh Steelers | TE3 |
| Starting TE1 | Evan Engram | vs Buffalo Bills | TE4 |
| Starting TE1 | Zach Ertz | vs Cincinnati Bengals | TE5 |
| Starting TE1 | Darren Waller | vs Miami Dolphins | TE6 |
| Starting TE1 | George Kittle | vs Dallas Cowboys | TE7 |
| Starting TE1 | Sam LaPorta | vs Carolina Panthers | TE8 |
| Starting TE1 | Jake Ferguson | vs San Francisco 49ers | TE9 |
| Starting TE1 | Hunter Henry | vs New Orleans Saints | TE10 |
| Starting TE1 | Dallas Goedert | vs Los Angeles Rams | TE11 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Luke Musgrave* | vs Las Vegas Raiders | TE12 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Cole Kmet | vs Washington Commanders | TE13 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Dalton Schultz | vs Atlanta Falcons | TE14 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Tyler Higbee | vs Philadelphia Eagles | TE15 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Kyle Pitts | vs Houston Texans | TE16 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Irv Smith Jr.* | vs Arizona Cardinals | TE17 |
| TD Dependent Starter | Dalton Kincaid | vs Jacksonville Jaguars | TE18 |
| Deep League Starter | Tyler Conklin | vs Denver Broncos | TE19 |
| Deep League Starter | Jonnu Smith | vs Houston Texans | TE20 |
| Deep League Starter | Logan Thomas | vs Chicago Bears | TE21 |
| Deep League Starter | Chigoziem Okonkwo | vs Indianapolis Colts | TE22 |
| Leave on the Bench | Hayden Hurst | vs Detroit Lions | TE23 |
| Leave on the Bench | Kylen Granson | vs Tennessee Titans | TE24 |
| Leave on the Bench | Durham Smythe | vs New York Giants | TE25 |
| Leave on the Bench | Dawson Knox | vs New York Giants | TE26 |
| Leave on the Bench | Juwan Johnson | vs New England Patriots | TE27 |
| Leave on the Bench | Mike Gesicki | vs New Orleans Saints | TE28 |
| Leave on the Bench | Darnell Washington | vs Baltimore Ravens | TE29 |
| Leave on the Bench | Drew Ogletree | vs Tennessee Titans | TE30 |
| Leave on the Bench | Taysom Hill | vs New England Patriots | TE31 |
| Leave on the Bench | Jeremy Ruckert | vs Denver Broncos | TE32 |
| Leave on the Bench | Noah Gray | vs Minnesota Vikings | TE33 |
Possible Changes that can occur before Sunday
TE12 Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers
Luke Musgrave suffered a concussion last week against the Detroit Lions. He was at practice Tuesday. If Musgrave misses Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders Josiah Deguara becomes TE26 between Dawson Knox and Juwan Johnson. Tucker Kraft becomes TE34 behind Noah Gray.
TE17 Irv Smith Jr., Cincinnati Bengals
Irv Smith Jr. missed the past two games with a hamstring injury. If Smith Jr. misses Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals Tanner Hudson, Michael Wilcox, and Drew Sample will all split reps at tight end.
TE26 Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills
Dawson Knox was limited in practice on Wednesday with a quad injury. If Knox misses Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars Dalton Kincaid moves up to TE16 between Tyler Higbee and Kyle Pitts.
TE27 Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Juwan Johnson missed practice on Wednesday with a calf injury. If Johnson misses Week 5 against the New England Patriots Foster Moreau becomes the TE27 between Dawson Knox and Mike Gesicki. Taysom Hill moves up to TE30 between Darnell Washington and Drew Olgletree.
Players that are currently not expected to play
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pat Freiermuth is expected to miss time with a hamstring injury. It is unclear how much time Freiermuth will miss. Darnell Washington is expected to be Pittsburgh’s leading tight end while Freiermuth is out.
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- Source: https://thegamehaus.com/fantasy-football/fantasy-football-week-5-tight-end-rankings-3/2023/10/05/
