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Matt's tight end (TE) fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 1 of 2026. His TE lineups advice for Week 1 fantasy football start/sit decisions.
The tight end position can be one of the most frustrating spots in fantasy football. Every year managers spend countless hours debating matchups, target shares, and touchdown upside, only to watch a random waiver-wire tight end outscore their starter. That's why elite options are so valuable. If you drafted Trey McBride or Brock Bowers, congratulations—you can skip this article entirely and move on to worrying about the rest of your lineup. The rest of us, however, have work to do.
For fantasy managers, the tight end position becomes significantly more matchup-dependent. Talent matters, but opportunity and game script often matter even more. A tight end seeing seven or eight targets in a favorable matchup can easily outscore a more talented player stuck in a low-volume offense or facing an elite defense. That's especially true in Week 1, when fantasy managers are still trying to determine which offseason storylines were real and which were training camp hype.
With that said, let’s dive into the way-too-early Week 1 starts and sits.
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Week 1 - Potential Fantasy Football Booms
Kyle Pitts Sr.- TE, Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers
All we can really go off of at this point is the data from last season and what we have witnessed thus far in training camp and OTA’s.
Last season, only the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, and Arizona Cardinals surrendered more receptions to opposing tight ends than the 106 conceded by this Steelers defense. Pittsburgh also ranked in the bottom five in receiving yards allowed (1,121) and touchdowns allowed (11), pushing their fantasy points per game to 10.4, the fourth-highest.
Tua finds Kyle Pitts Sr. for a 37-yard gain!
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/se0K7iEgFs
— NFL (@NFL) August 28, 2026
Back on August 14, during a preseason game, Pitts was targeted on four of Tua Tagovailoa's five passing attempts. It may mean something; it may not. Tua has shown a willingness to use the position when the right player is available.
The clearest example is Jonnu Smith in 2024, when Smith received 111 targets, turning them into 88 receptions for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. That was by far the biggest target season of Smith's career, with 74 of those targets coming from Tagovailoa. Tua also has a history with Mike Gesicki, who received 143 targets from Tagovailoa during their time together, while Durham Smythe saw 121.
Atlanta could also be forced to throw as a road underdog, which would help Pitts’ volume. Pitts remains somewhat volatile because Atlanta has other major weapons, but the opponent is a positive matchup, not a reason to sit him.
The matchup should not be treated as a guarantee of a big game, since defensive rankings can be noisy and touchdowns fluctuate, but Pitts is a good start against Pittsburgh—roughly a low-end TE1/high-end TE2, depending on your league size and scoring. I would start him over touchdown-dependent or low-volume alternatives.
Dallas Goedert - TE, Philadelphia Eagles vs Washington Commanders
Philadelphia is already opening as strong 5.5-point favorites with a strong 47.5 total, along with Dallas Goedert’s target rate, which has historically improved substantially when A.J. Brown is absent, and we could be looking at Week 1’s TE1.
Goedert was already a top-7 fantasy tight end after recording 60 receptions, 591 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns, but when Goedert was out there last season without Brown, his targets per game increased by 1.2, his receiving yards went from 34.5 to 53.4 per game, and his fantasy points per contest increased by 3.8.
Looking back on last season's fantasy finishes, the Washington Commanders allowed the seventh-most receiving yards (1,040), the second-most receiving touchdowns (12), along with 9.29 highest yards per target, which was the highest in the NFL. When you punch that into the fantasy calculator, you are looking at 10.8 fantasy points per game, the second-most.
Gunnar Helm - TE, Tennessee Titans vs New York Jets
Easily the riskiest of the three tight end starts provided this week, but it’s a matchup game, and Gunnar Helm has one of the best fantasy matchups among his tight end peers.
Last season, the Jets allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to tight ends on a per-game basis at 9.7, largely because they surrendered 10 receiving touchdowns to the position, tied for the sixth-most.
Tennessee is a slight home favorite over the Jets, and for the Titans, that should mean they are more likely to sustain normal offensive drives. If that happens, Helm has a better chance of seeing designed early down and play-action routes.
.@Titans rookie TE Gunnar Helm scores his first NFL TD on National Tight Ends Day!
TENvsIND on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/uLFeGXdRmX
— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025
Helm has been clicking with Cam Ward during camp. That is meaningful for a young tight end: quarterback trust often shows up first on easy completions, play-action leaks, seams, and scramble-drill targets. Last season, Helm was fourth on the Titans' targets with 44, Chig Okonkwo was second on the team with 79, and he’s now in Washington.
If you know, you know. Throughout his college playing days, Ward targeted slot receivers and tight ends more often than many quarterbacks. Consider Helm a higher-upside, lower-floor dart throw.
Week 1 - Potential Fantasy Football Busts
Chig Okonkwo- TE, Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles
Speaking of Okonkwo, take a seat, pal. Philadelphia was an absolute nightmare for opposing tight ends last season. Only the Bills allowed fewer receiving yards than the 507 the Eagles gave up, while the Bills and Eagles were tied in touchdown futility, allowing just four receiving touchdowns. For Philadelphia, we are talking 4.4 fantasy points per game.
A month ago, one could put Okonkwo out there and hope for a big play, but since the Commanders added Stefon Diggs opposite Terry McLaurin, those potential opportunities may have significantly decreased. The path to consistent targets is now a muddy proposition.
Washington is a 5.5-point road underdog, so a negative script could create pass volume—but that volume may flow primarily to Diggs, McLaurin, and the Commanders’ backs. We also have word that Ben Sinnott is expected to play, creating additional competition for tight-end routes and targets.
Dalton Schultz- TE, Houston Texans vs Buffalo Bills
See essentially every comment from above. If the Eagles were 1A in defenses against opposing tight ends, the Bills were 1B. The only difference is that the Eagles allowed 4.4 fantasy points per game against, while the Bills allowed 4.9.
Schultz is typically a volume-dependent, low-ceiling TE. He does not offer much big-play upside, so a four-to-five-target game can easily produce a mediocre fantasy score, especially in a matchup with the Bills that likely reduces efficiency, as Houston struggles to sustain drives.
Bottom line, there are better matchups out there that feature tight ends who have shown similar production to that of Schultz. With Jayden Higgins lost for the season (ACL), Houston needs another playmaker in the passing game, but considering the matchup, Houston could turn to the recently acquired Kayshon Boutte to fill that void.
Tucker Kraft - TE, Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
The last time Tucker Kraft faced the Minnesota Vikings, he was held to two catches on three targets for 53 yards. Meanwhile, in the prior game, he caught six of nine targets for 53 yards and a touchdown. So, why the fade?
Tucker Kraft; “They’re going to take into account my rep range probably until halfway through the season, and then they’re going to just pat me on the ass and send me out there and send me to the wolves.” pic.twitter.com/5NtBqh0Cea
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) August 16, 2026
First, those numbers were from the 2024 season, back when Kraft was healthy. We know the Packers exercise more caution than most teams with players returning from ACL injuries, so the risk is that Kraft could find himself on a legitimate snap count 10 months post-surgery.
Secondly, we have a very stingy Vikings defense when it comes to matching up against tight ends. Last season, Minnesota allowed the sixth-fewest receptions (75), fifth-fewest receiving yards (719), as well as the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game against the tight end position.
Put the numbers together along with an anticipated snap count, and it’s best to leave Kraft on the bench this week.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Kyle Pitts, Dallas Goedert, Gunnar Helm, Chig Okonkwo, Dalton Schultz, Tucker Kraft. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 1.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 1 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 1 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 1 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 1 for Kyle Pitts, Dallas Goedert, Gunnar Helm, Chig Okonkwo, Dalton Schultz, Tucker Kraft:
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