If I've said it once, I've said it...probably more than that: Tight end is the most fickle position in fantasy sports. The highs can be high, but damn can those lows be cripplingly low. Even Rob Gronkowski, arguably the greatest tight end of all time -- fantasy or otherwise -- has been more miss than hit this season. (He's fallen outside the top 15 in PPR formats 3 out of 5 weeks.) When something that seemingly inexplicable happens, it's important to take a deep breath and try not to overreact. Gronk is an exceptional football player. He will bounce back. And this week's matchup against the 2nd-highest scoring offense in the league should help. That's why I'm not afraid to put him atop my Week 6 tight end rankings.
Target Monsters
If you had any doubts about Eric Ebron's beastliness as a solo tight end, that was put to rest with his insane 9-105-2 stat line on 15 targets against the Patriots last week. Andrew Luck loves his tight ends, and you should expect Ebron to see double digit targets for as long as Jack Doyle is out. (As of now, Doyle doesn't look like he'll suit up on Sunday, but track his injury over the weekend.)
Where did you come from, Austin Hooper? The third-year tight end hadn't seen more than 5 targets in a game before amassing 12 in last week's shootout against Pittsburgh. I expect the Falcons to air it out just as much against the Bucs, making Hooper a clear-cut TE1 this week.
David Njoku and Jimmy Graham both saw double-digit targets for the first time last week. Graham's was mostly due to the obscene lack of experienced wide receivers in the lineup, while Njoku should have been getting that number from the get-go.
The Jaguars clearly don't care who's in at tight end. With Leonard Fournette out, they're going to get targets. Last week Niles Paul stepped up to the plate, catching 7 of his 9 targets for 65 yards. He's an intriguing option if you're desperate for help at the position.
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| Rank | Player | Team | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rob Gronkowski | NE | KC |
| 2 | Travis Kelce | KC | @NE |
| 3 | Zach Ertz | PHI | @NYG |
| 4 | George Kittle | SF | @GB |
| 5 | Jimmy Graham | GB | SF |
| 6 | Cameron Brate | TB | @ATL |
| 7 | Eric Ebron | IND | @NYJ |
| 8 | Jared Cook | OAK | SEA |
| 9 | Jordan Reed | WAS | CAR |
| 10 | Austin Hooper | ATL | TB |
| 11 | Trey Burton | CHI | @MIA |
| 12 | Kyle Rudolph | MIN | ARI |
| 13 | David Njoku | CLE | LAC |
| 14 | Greg Olsen | CAR | @WAS |
| 15 | C.J. Uzomah | CIN | PIT |
| 16 | Vance McDonald | PIT | @CIN |
| 17 | Geoff Swaim | DAL | JAC |
| 18 | Niles Paul | JAC | @DAL |
| 19 | Ricky Seals-Jones | ARI | @MIN |
| 20 | Charles Clay | BUF | @HOU |
| 21 | Dallas Goedert | PHI | @NYG |
| 22 | Antonio Gates | LAC | @CLE |
| 23 | Hayden Hurst | BAL | @TEN |
| 24 | Jeff Heuerman | DEN | LAR |
| 25 | Mike Gesicki | MIA | CHI |
| 26 | Gerald Everett | LAR | @DEN |
| 27 | Jesse James | PIT | @CIN |
| 28 | Ryan Griffin | HOU | BUF |
| 29 | Rhett Ellison | NYG | PHI |
| 30 | Logan Paulsen | ATL | TB |
