Week 9 Tight End Preview: Can Dalton Kincaid Solve The Vikings?
Top Fantasy TEs for Week 9
Let's break down the key usage notes and matchups that are driving our Week 9 TE Rankings.
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1. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
Brock Bowers is coming off his second overall TE1 finish of the season and has delivered four top-3 finishes in six games. Next up is a 49ers defense that ranks a middling 14th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs. The only high-level TE they’ve faced this season was Trey McBride, who caught 9 of 11 targets for 75 yards.
2. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
This week’s rematch with Seattle pits Trey McBride against the fifth-toughest TE defense by our numbers. Seattle held him to 5.1 yards per catch back in Week 2, his second-smallest average of the year, but he still caught eight balls and scored in that contest. McBride has yet to finish a game with fewer than 7 receptions this season.
3. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
WRs Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel remain out this week, which should mean another busy outing for George Kittle. He’s topped a 22% target share in three straight games, totaling 18 catches on 24 targets over that span. Kittle gets a Raiders defense on Sunday that ranks 28th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs, boosting production by 36.4%.
4. Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
After failing to reach a 20.0% target share in each of the first three weeks, Colston Loveland has commanded at least that in four of his past five games. That stretch includes a 40.0% target share in Week 7, making him one of just three TEs to hit that mark this season. Loveland projects as a high-end TE1 facing a Buccaneers defense reducing TE points by 4.3%.
5. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
Sam LaPorta has cooled off considerably, managing just 4 catches for 51 yards over his past two games. That's quite a drop from the 8-84-1 and 5-88-1 lines he posted in Weeks 4-5. Fortunately, Miami offers an excellent rebound spot, ranking 24th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs. Keep LaPorta in your lineup.
6. Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
Tucker Kraft finished as TE6 in Week 8, catching all 6 targets for 53 yards and a TD. He’s averaging 6.1 targets per game, 10th among TEs, in the league’s most pass-heavy offense. He also ranks 10th among TEs with 5.3 yards after catch per reception. The Patriots have allowed the ninth-fewest schedule-adjusted fantasy points to TEs, but Kraft’s role keeps him a solid TE1.
7. Isaiah Likely, New York Giants
Isaiah Likely set season lows for targets (4) and receiving yards (12) in J.J. McCarthy’s first start while matching his season low at 2 catches. We’ll need more evidence before deciphering whether that’s a blip or a worrying trend. McCarthy’s relief appearance the week before that, though, found him connecting with Likely on three of four tries, including a TD and a 2-point conversion. So we’re not worrying too much for this week. Philadelphia has remained a negative scoring matchup for TEs, but we’d bet on the Giants getting Likely more involved than he was in Week 7.
8. Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns
Harold Fannin exploded in Week 8, catching 10 of 12 targets for 154 yards to finish as TE2. He owns a 20.6% target share, sixth among TEs, and ranks third at the position with 6.7 yards after catch per reception. Shedeur Sanders will start at QB this week, and Fannin has a 32% target share with Sanders at the helm. The Saints have allowed the seventh-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to TEs. Fannin is a strong TE1 this week.
9. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Kyle Pitts managed just 2 catches for 6 yards last week, but he still earned a 21.7% target share. He's now drawn at least 15% of Atlanta's targets in five straight games. That usage looks especially promising against a Bengals defense allowing 7.0 catches and 88.7 yards per game to TEs. Pitts brings top-10 upside despite his recent dud.
10. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Travis Kelce has provided a relatively high weekly floor this season, finishing as a top-20 PPR TE in 6 of 7 games, including three top-12 finishes. Next up is a Jets defense sitting 17th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs. The Chiefs’ 28.75-point implied total is tied for the week's second-highest.
11. Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
Tyler Warren returned from a two-week groin injury to match his season high and lead the team with 10 targets in last week’s loss to Jacksonville. Indy’s offensive struggles keep the TE from climbing higher in our ranks, but Warren sports a decent reception floor with five straight outings of 4+ catches.
12. Greg Dulcich, Miami Dolphins
Greg Dulcich has quietly emerged as a useful fantasy option, posting 4+ catches in four straight games. He now gets a Detroit defense allowing a league-high 27.1 PPR points per game to TEs and 11 TDs to the position. Consider Dulcich a fringe TE1 with a shot at boosted volume given the Lions’ implied point total of 28.75.
13. T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
T.J. Hockenson ranks as the TE10 this season with 11.2 PPR points per game. It’s his highest output since 2023, when he averaged 14.6 PPR points per game to rank as the TE2. He’s one of just seven TEs this season to account for at least a 20% target share. Facing a Bills defense reducing points to TEs by 14.3%, Hockenson projects as a fringe TE1 in Week 9.
14. Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
Played Thursday night.
15. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
Dalton Kincaid is producing as the TE8 on the year with 11.3 PPR points per game. But Week 9 brings a Vikings defense allowing the fewest points to TEs and reducing their scoring by a staggering 42.7%. They’ve also yet to allow a TE1 finish this season despite already facing three TE1s in Sam LaPorta, T.J. Hockenson, and Tucker Kraft. Kincaid projects just outside of TE1 range.
16. Chigoziem Okonkwo, Washington Commanders
Chig Okonkwo has commanded a 20.0% target share since Week 5, ranking 10th among all TEs over that span. He’s topped a 70.0% route share each week since, posting a 79.2% route share that only 11 other TEs have beaten over the past four weeks. Okonkwo projects just outside TE1 range in Week 9 against a Rams defense ranked third in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs.
17. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Goedert has caught 4+ passes in four straight games since returning from his knee injury. Last week’s target-share dip to its lowest level among his five healthy outings is a concern, and this week adds the challenge (plus unknown) of QB Joe Milton making his first career start.
18. Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders
Michael Mayer finished TE13 in PPR points last week and now has four top-13 finishes among six games with Brock Bowers this season. Next up is a middling 49ers TE defense that ranks 14th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to the position.
19. Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
Since fellow TE Terrance Ferguson landed on IR ahead of Week 4, Tyler Higbee has led Rams TEs with a 69.1% route share. His 7.0 PPR points per game rank as the TE27 among all TEs over that span. With Ferguson out with a new hamstring injury, Higbee projects as a mid-range TE2 against a Commanders defense allowing the second-most points to TEs.
20. Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
Mike Gesicki turned 6 targets into 76 yards and a TD last week, marking his best yardage output since the opener. More importantly, his route rate climbed to nearly 74%, potentially signaling a larger role going forward. Still, his season-long 9% target share makes him tough to trust as a weekly starter. Consider Gesicki a high-variance TE2 against Atlanta.
21. Eli Raridon, New England Patriots
Eli Raridon caught just 1 of 4 targets for 5 yards in Week 8, finishing as TE51. But he’ll get a playing-time boost this week if Hunter Henry misses with his foot injury. Raridon is averaging 2.9 targets per game and ranks TE33 in points per game. The Packers have been one of the toughest TE matchups, allowing the third-fewest schedule-adjusted fantasy points to the position. Raridon is a TD-dependent, low-end TE2 this week.
22. Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
Dalton Schultz has caught 33 balls for 322 yards this season, but his lack of TD production has limited his fantasy impact. He's also topped 45 receiving yards just once in his past five games. He catches the Chargers without S Derwin James, who’s on IR with a hamstring injury. Still, Schultz isn’t a recommended TE1.
23. Mason Taylor, New York Jets
Mason Taylor followed a big Week 7 with a 3-16-0 line last Sunday. He’s topped 7.3 PPR points just once all season. WR Garrett Wilson’s absence this weekend frees up 26.4% of Jets targets, and Taylor gets a plus matchup against the Chiefs’ 30th-ranked TE defense. But he simply hasn’t done enough this year to be a reliable TE1 play.
24. AJ Barner, Seattle Seahawks
AJ Barner has logged 5 targets in two straight games after reaching that number just twice over the season’s first six weeks. There’s some upside to this week’s matchup with an Arizona D that’s played the run much tougher than the pass. But there’s also a chance Seattle looks to pass less with Drew Lock in for Sam Darnold. Ultimately, Barner still falls well short of being an attractive fantasy option.
25. Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Juwan Johnson comes out of the bye ranked TE15 in points per game. He’s averaging 5.3 targets per game, but his 4.6-yard aDOT ranks 41st among TEs, limiting his ceiling. The Browns have allowed the 10th-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to TEs, which helps, but Johnson’s snap count has been trending down in recent weeks. That leaves him as a sketchy play this week and a fringe TE2 who will likely need a TD to pay off.
