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Dan's tight end start 'em, sit 'em picks for fantasy football Week 2 lineups (2025). Read his expert TE start/sit advice for Hunter Henry, Travis Kelce, Kyle Pitts, others.
Tight end is one of the few positions you can consistently stream in fantasy football because it is one of the most volatile positions. Sure, we can expect to see some names at the top of the scorers board each week, but for the most part, tight end comes down to nailing a player’s usage and touchdown upside.
Each week, my goal is to provide you with tight ends that are worth starting or fading as streaming options in your redraft leagues. As a result, you’ll never see the top names in this article. That group is locked into a steady target share.
We learned a lot about some new faces in Week 1. Are any of them worth starting in Week 2? Check it out below.
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Week 2 Starts- Potential Fantasy Football Booms
David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens
Let’s start it off with a two-for-one special! The Browns found a way to get both of their tight ends involved in the offense in Week 1. Given how much head coach Kevin Stefanski likes to run his 12 personnel (two tight end formations), there isn’t much reason to expect that to change.
In Week 1, that benefited both David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. Both players played at least 70% of the team’s offensive snaps. Fannin (nine targets, seven receptions, and 63 yards) out-produced Njoku (six targets, three receptions, and 37 yards), but it isn’t hard to see a world where they flip depending on how defenses play them.
Harold Fannin Jr. is so cool https://t.co/0ZnG3UHdhO pic.twitter.com/el1nWIGafL
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) September 8, 2025
Baltimore has a strong defense, but it struggled against the tight end position in Week 1, giving up seven receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown to Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox. They enter Week 2 with the second-most fantasy points surrendered to the tight end position (15.7).
If you have either Njoku or Fannin, you should start them going forward. They should continue to be the focal point of Cleveland’s passing attack regardless of the quarterback under center.
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals
Brenton Strange had a productive Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, catching all four of his targets for 59 yards. Strange was well behind both Travis Hunter (eight targets) and Brian Thomas Jr. (seven targets) in the passing attack, but still carved out a consistent role in the passing attack despite participating in just 64.5% of the routes run.
Brenton Strange led all TEs in total EPA and was 6th among all pass-catchers in WK 1.
Fantastic start for the #Jaguars young TE.
pic.twitter.com/qIHkcsLwr5— Daniel Griffis (@DanDGriffis) September 9, 2025
Strange finished as the TE8 in average depth of target (9.0), the TE 11 in yards after the catch (23), and the TE2 in yards per route run (2.95). He is set to take on a Bengals team that allowed 10 receptions for 100 yards (10.3 PPR points) to the Browns in Week 1.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
Hunter Henry isn’t the most exciting name in fantasy football, but he keeps on producing. Henry caught four of eight targets for 66 yards in Week 1, finishing with 10.6 PPR points (TE15). However, it is his advanced metrics that give reason for hope.
Henry finished as a top-5 tight end in routes run (37), air yards (117), average depth of target (14.6), deep targets (two), and yards per reception (16.5). Based on his usage, he was expected to finish as the TE4 in PPR points (14.3).
The Patriots are still feeling their way through the new pieces of their offense, but it was clear in Week 1 that the early-season passing attack will feature a steady dose of Henry. That is ideal against a Dolphins defense that allowed eight receptions for 96 yards to the tight end position against the Colts in Week 1.
Week 2 Concerns- Potential Fantasy Football Busts
Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
Many expected the Bears to lean on Colston Loveland heavily in the passing attack after the Bears drafted him with the 10th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, it appears that the Bears' offense will gradually integrate him as the season progresses.
Loveland logged just a 47.8% snap share in Week 1, catching his two targets for 12 yards. More importantly, the rookie played behind Cole Kmet (81.2% snap share). That will almost certainly flip as the season goes on, but for now, it is enough to stash Loveland on the bench and wait for better days.
Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings
Fantasy managers who went back to the well with Kyle Pitts in 2025 were rewarded with a solid performance against the Buccaneers. The veteran tight end caught seven of eight targets for 58 yards, finishing as the TE7 in PPR points (12.9). The Falcons seemed committed to getting the ball to him, allowing him to play in the slot on 40% of his 37 routes run.
great snag by Kyle Pitts before picking up some tough yards after the catch pic.twitter.com/80Jh298Bsi
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 10, 2025
However, Pitts also benefited greatly from injuries. Not only did Darnell Mooney miss the game with a shoulder injury, but Drake London was knocked out of the game late as well. That allowed Pitts to become the focal point of the passing offense while the Falcons were pushing for a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation.
Both Mooney and London are set to play in Week 2, pushing Pitts down the pecking order for targets. That, combined with a difficult matchup (the Vikings allowed 4.3 PPR points to tight ends in Week 1), makes it hard to trust Pitts for a second straight week.
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles
Rashee Rice is suspended for five more weeks. It seems unlikely that Xavier Worthy will be active in Week 2 as he continues to heal from the dislocated shoulder he suffered in Week 1. On paper, it seems like Travis Kelce would be set to smash in a high-volume role for the Chiefs.
However, at this stage, it is hard to see that outcome for the veteran tight end.
Kelce caught just two of four targets for 47 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers in Week 1. However, 10.7 of his fantasy points came on one reception where he was able to get loose down the field thanks to a blitz.
The Eagles held Jake Ferguson to just five receptions for 23 yards in their Week 1 victory over the Cowboys, thanks to the ability of linebackers Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell to cover the middle of the field. It is hard to imagine Kelce doing much better, even with poor target competition around him in Week 2.
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