Week 7 of the NFL season is here, and it’s time to get your fantasy football team into playoff position or make a push back into the hunt. The tight end position can be especially difficult to navigate if you don’t have one of the top five or six options, with weekly matchups often playing a major role in who you should start. Here are the tight ends you should consider fading in Week 7, along with better options to target.
Travis Kelce @ Seattle Seahawks
Sitting Travis Kelce? There may not have been a single week in the past decade when that idea made much sense. Times have changed, though, and so has the Kansas City offense. The Chiefs are no longer the high-flying, pass-heavy attack built around Patrick Mahomes airing it out. These days, Mahomes looks more like a game manager, and the offense runs through Kenneth Walker III. Kelce simply isn't the focal point he once was.
Outside of a big performance against the Colts in Week 2, Kelce has struggled to command consistent targets. He's averaging just four targets per game across his other four contests, turning those opportunities into only 11 receptions. That's a concerning trend heading into a matchup with the Seahawks, who have been the league's toughest defense against tight ends, allowing just 25.5 receiving yards per game to the position. And this isn't a case of Seattle benefiting from weak competition; they've already faced Trey McBride and George Kittle.
Kelce still has name recognition and touchdown upside, but his margin for error is shrinking. If he doesn't find the end zone, this could be a disappointing week for fantasy managers—and there may be better options available.
Check out the top waiver wire pickups at each position heading into Week 7!
Harold Fannin Jr. @ Tennessee Titans
Fannin’s floor has been far too low this season to put much faith in him in tough matchups. The Titans are not a great team, but that’s because of their weak offense. Their defense has actually been great against tight ends, allowing just 29.2 yards per game to the tight end position all season. Fannin has finished inside the top 12 at his position just once this season. He’s been outside the Top 30 three separate times. This looks likely to be another week where he’ll be closer to the latter in what should be an extremely low-scoring game with a current over/under of 38.5.
Colston Loveland @ New England Patriots
One of fantasy football’s biggest busts finally delivered a solid performance last week with Caleb Williams back in the lineup. Colston Loveland hauled in six catches for 65 yards and a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons, giving fantasy managers reason to feel optimistic. Could this be the start of a second-half breakout? Possibly, but I wouldn’t put too much faith in Loveland just yet. This is a week to seriously consider your other options.
The New England Patriots have been dominant against tight ends for most of the season, with one notable exception: their matchup against the Raiders. Las Vegas features one of the position’s elite playmakers in Brock Bowers, and New England ultimately won that game by 28 points. With a comfortable lead, the Patriots could afford to play softer coverage and allow some underneath completions over the middle while protecting their advantage.
Outside of that outlier, the Patriots haven’t allowed a touchdown to a tight end and have surrendered just 3.8 receptions and 31.6 receiving yards per game to the position over their other five contests. Loveland’s performance last week was encouraging, but this matchup makes him a risky fantasy start until he proves he can deliver consistently.
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