Week 18 Tight End Preview: Juwan Johnson Primed For Strong Finish
Top Fantasy TEs for Week 18
Let's break down the key usage notes and matchups that are driving our Week 18 TE Rankings.
TIP
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1. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
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McBride broke the TE single-season reception record last week. He’ll try to build his lead in that category, and gets a boost with Marvin Harrison Jr. out for this game. McBride should see a healthy dose of targets and remains a must-start TE.
2. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
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Kittle should return from injury in a fight for the 49ers to get a bye in the playoffs. He ended up sitting last week, but TE Jake Tonges went 7-60-1 on 9 targets. With similar targets, Kittle could hit or even exceed that despite a tough Seahawks defense.
3. Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
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Loveland is coming off a big 6-94-1 receiving line on a season-high 85% route rate. The shackles are off this rookie, who closes the regular season against the Lions' 14th-ranked TE defense.
4. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
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Pitts' hot streak ended with a 2-16-0 dud in Monday night's win over the Rams. QB Kirk Cousins throwing it just 20 times was the biggest culprit. Pitts still ran a route on 86% of pass plays. He's a good bounce-back candidate in Sunday's finale vs. the Saints' 17th-ranked TE defense. Pitts needs 130 yards for his second career 1,000-yard season.
5. Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
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Johnson ran his streak of 4+ catches to seven straight games with a 4-95-0 line last week. He should get a target boost vs. Atlanta on Sunday with No. 1 WR Chris Olave out. The Falcons still rank third in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs on the season but are down to 20th over the last five weeks. Johnson posted a 6-46-0 line vs. Atlanta back in Week 12.
6. Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
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Henry enters Sunday’s finale vs. the Dolphins with scores in three of his past five games.
7. Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders
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Mayer has now posted 5-50-1, 1-10-0, and 9-89-0 receiving lines in three games without TE Brock Bowers this season. That 1-catch dud came against the Chiefs, but the Raiders ran a historically low 30 plays in that game. With a more normal runout, Mayer should put together a fine fantasy outing in Sunday's rematch.
8. Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
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Strange caught three balls for 45 yards and a TD in Week 13 against the Titans. Tennessee surrenders 13.1 PPR points per game to TEs, 15th-most in the league. The Jaguars will go all-out to beat the Titans and win the AFC South, so look for Strange to contend for top-10 fantasy numbers in the regular-season finale.
9. Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
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The Colts enter the finale as the ninth-most friendly TE matchup by our adjusted fantasy points allowed. That matchup produced a 7-55 receiving line for Schultz in the first meeting.
10. A.J. Barner, Seattle Seahawks
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Barner went 3-43-1 last week, catching all of his targets. He continues to dominate the snaps for Seahawks’ TEs with Elijah Arroyo on IR and has become the de facto No. 2 receiving option behind JSN. He can be started with confidence against a 49ers defense that struggled against Colston Loveland last week.
11. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
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Will the Chiefs look to feed Kelce in what may be his last game? Is QB Chris Oladokun capable of feeding him? Kelce has totaled just six catches for 42 scoreless yards sans Patrick Mahomes the last two weeks. Sunday's matchup is surprisingly tricky against a Raiders defense ranked sixth in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs.
12. Theo Johnson, New York Giants
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Johnson's catch totals have gone 3, 3, 3, 3, 0 over his past five. He'll carry elevated appeal if Wan'Dale Robinson (ribs) is sidelined.
13. Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams
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Parkinson has taken a backseat to Terrance Ferguson with Davante Adams out. Parkinson is still a reliable red zone target and could play the full game, even if the Rams rest some players. He is a TD-dependent option this week.
14. Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
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Okonkwo has seen 6+ targets in three consecutive games. In his last two, Okonkwo has found the end zone and scored 14+ PPR points. The Jaguars have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to opposing TEs. Okonkwo only managed 29 yards against them in Week 13, but he did catch 4-of-5 targets. That volume makes Okonkwo a good streaming option with top-12 upside in Week 18.
15. Greg Dulcich, Miami Dolphins
Greg Dulcich
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Dulcich has caught 13 balls on limited playing time over the last four games. He should get a big boost in routes on Sunday with TE Darren Waller out. And the matchup is good vs. New England's 21st-ranked TE defense.
16. Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
Warren has gone scoreless in four straight games, starting with Daniel Jones' injury week. Worse: His receiving lines in those games have gone 2-15, 3-19, 3-30, and 5-43. The previous meeting with Houston -- five games back -- found him just 3 catches for 22 yards on four targets. The rematch finds sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard making his first NFL start.
17. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
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Andrews has been held under 30 receiving yards in four straight games, a streak that started with a one-catch, nine-yard outing vs. the Steelers. Although motivation is not a concern for Andrews like it is with so many other players in Week 18, he remains a shaky fantasy play.
18. Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Freiermuth led the D.K. Metcalf-less Steelers with 63 receiving yards last week. Metcalf remains out for Sunday night's game vs. the Ravens and will be joined on the sidelines by TE Darnell Washington. That should mean more playing time for Freiermuth. The matchup is difficult, though, against Baltimore's fourth-ranked TE defense.
19. Terrance Ferguson, Los Angeles Rams
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Ferguson has stepped up with Davante Adams on the sideline. The Rams could get an extended look at the rookie if they rest some starters. He will be a TD-dependent option this week.
20. Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
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Likely posted a 4-25-1 line in the Week 14 meeting with the Steelers and very nearly had a second score. He's totaled just three catches for 27 yards in the three games since, though, leaving him as a shaky Week 18 fantasy bet.
21. Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Otton only caught two balls for 15 yards against the Panthers in Week 16. He doubled that output last week, with four receptions for 33 yards, but Otton hasn't scored a TD all season or topped double-digit fantasy points since Week 10. Carolina is league average defending TEs, but Otton's lack of upside makes him a middling TE2.
22. Josh Oliver, Minnesota Vikings
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Oliver will fill in for the injured TJ Hockenson this week. With J.J. McCarthy back and starting, Oliver could have some deep starter appeal if he can get into the end zone.
23. Ben Sinnott, Washington Commanders
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Sinnott managed a 3-29 line last week in his third game since Zach Ertz went down for the season. That followed a pair of 1-catch outings.
24. Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
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Gesicki's earned 2, 4, and 2 targets over his past three games. He remains a boom or bust TE2 vs. Cleveland.
25. Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills
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Knox would carry some upside this week if we could know the Bills are resting Dalton Kincaid and playing Knox at starter level. But the game plan figures to carry plenty of uncertainty until we actually watch it play out.
