Week 5 Start ’Em, Sit ’Em: QB | RB | WR | TE | Team D/K
Start ’Em, Sit ’Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups in fantasy football leagues based on a full-point PPR scoring system. This column will not cover elite NFL players like Josh Allen, Bijan Robinson, Ja’Marr Chase or Trey McBride. Instead, it will focus on players who could exceed or fall short of their statistical expectations at each position. For all your final lineup decisions, check out my weekly player rankings, which are updated daily.
Note: Streamers listed are players started in fewer than 50% of Sleeper fantasy leagues.
Byes: Chiefs, Panthers
Fabs’s Top 10 Fantasy Tight End Rankings For Week 5
- Trey McBride vs. Lions
- Brock Bowers at Patriots
- George Kittle at Seahawks
- Sam LaPorta at Cardinals
- Tyler Warren at Steelers
- Juwan Johnson vs. Vikings
- Harold Fannin Jr. at Jets
- Tucker Kraft vs. Bears
- Isaiah Likely at Commanders
- Colston Loveland at Packers
Complete Week 5 tight end rankings
Week 5 Start ’Em Tight Ends
Start of the Week
Sam LaPorta at Cardinals (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): LaPorta has been either amazing (17-plus points in two games) or very “mid,” as the kids would say (fewer than 10 points in two games). I’m expecting the Lions tight end to smash this week, though, given his plus matchup against the Cardinals. In the last two games, their defense has allowed 26.2 fantasy points to George Kittle and 13.6 points to Isaiah Likely. Only the Lions and Chiefs have allowed more points to tight ends.
Start ’Em
Colston Loveland at Packers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Loveland might actually be waking up from his early-season statistical slumber, scoring 18.8 points over his last two games. The Bears tight end also saw a season-high nine targets and had six catches in his first game with quarterback Tyson Bagent, who will get the call again this week against the Packers. So while this week’s matchup against Green Bay doesn’t scream start ’em, I do have Loveland back in my top 12 among tight ends.
Isaiah Likely at Commanders (1 p.m. ET, Fox): I was down on this Giants tight end last week, but a game against the Cardinals cured what ailed him. He has another great matchup this week, facing a Washington defense that has allowed two tight ends (Dallas Goedert, Jake Ferguson) to post 20-plus points in the first four weeks. The Commanders have surrendered the fifth-most points to tight ends overall, so as long as QB Jameis Winston doesn’t implode, Likely should produce.
Mike Gesicki at Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Gesicki has quietly posted 12.7 or more fantasy points in three of his first four games, and he’s averaging 11.1 points for the season. I like the Bengals tight end as a streamer against his former team, the Dolphins, who already have allowed three tight ends to score 13.9 or more points. The Bengals also have injuries to wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, so Gesicki could be in line for a solid target share this week.
More Starts
- Harold Fannin Jr. at Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
- T.J. Hockenson at Saints (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
- Kenyon Sadiq vs. Browns (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
Tight End Streamers
- Jake Ferguson vs. Buccaneers (39%): Ferguson has scored three touchdowns in the last three weeks, and the Bucs have allowed the eighth-most points to tight ends.
- Hunter Henry vs. Raiders (19%): Henry scored a season-high 11.2 fantasy points in Week 4, and the Raiders have allowed two tight ends to score 19-plus points in 2026.
- Greg Dulcich vs. Bengals (1%): The Bengals have allowed the sixth-most points to tight ends, and the position has the fourth-highest target share percentage against them.
Week 5 Sit ’Em Tight Ends
Sit of the Week
Dalton Kincaid at Rams (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Kincaid was my top tight end sit a week ago, and he caught one pass for seven yards in a loss to the Patriots. He now has scored just 5.5 points in his last two games combined, and a matchup against the Rams is formidable. In their first four games, their defense has held George Kittle and Isaiah Likely to fewer than 8.4 fantasy points. While the projected points total in this game is high, Kincaid is still a risk in fantasy.
Sit ’Em
Kyle Pitts Sr. vs. Ravens (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Starting Kyle continues to be the Pitts for fantasy managers. After four weeks, the Falcons tight end has been held to 7.7 or fewer points in every game. He has also seen no more than three targets in any contest, which will get him dropped in many fantasy leagues. The matchup isn’t great either, as no tight end has beaten the Ravens for more than 10.6 fantasy points, and only two have scored double digits against them in 2026.
Brenton Strange vs. Eagles (London, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network): Strange was one of my top tight end streamers last week, and the Jaguars veteran made good on the matchup with 95 yards and 16.5 fantasy points. However, I wouldn’t chase the points against Philadelphia. The Eagles have a lot of issues right now, but stopping tight ends has not been one of them. In fact, only one (Tyler Higbee) has beaten them for more than 7.1 fantasy points. I’d put Strange back on the bench.
Pat Freiermuth vs. Colts (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Freiermuth has been held to single digits in two of his last three games, and he’s losing targets to Steelers teammate Darnell Washington. In fact, the big tight end has seen more targets than Freiermuth in the last two weeks. The Colts did give up a huge stat line to Travis Kelce in Week 2, but he’s the lone tight end to beat them for more than 8.9 points after four weeks. I’d keep Freiermuth on the sidelines unless you’re desperate.
More Sits
- AJ Barner vs. 49ers (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox)
- Michael Mayer at Patriots (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
- Evan Engram at Chargers (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS)
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