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Matt's tight end (TE) fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 4 of 2026. His TE lineups advice for Week 4 fantasy football start/sit decisions.
The tight end position is always full of surprises, and Week 4 is no different. We’ve got veterans like Travis Kelce looking rejuvenated, Darren Waller seeing his role grow, and Tucker Kraft sitting in a dream matchup despite the Packers’ passing game making me nervous. Plenty of reasons suggest these tight ends can deliver—but the numbers will tell us where the real opportunities are.
On the other side, I’m making some uncomfortable calls. Colston Loveland has struggled to turn playing time into production, Sam LaPorta draws a difficult Panthers matchup, and Dalton Kincaid? That one hurts. I’ve been pounding the table for Kincaid since July, but sometimes you have to trust the matchup, even when the player has been producing.
Let’s break down the Week 4 tight ends you should start, the ones you should sit, and a few bold calls that could make or break your fantasy matchup.
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Week 4 - Potential Fantasy Football Booms
Darren Waller - TE, Carolina Panthers vs Detroit Lions
Waller is in a strong position to deliver in Week 4 against a Detroit Lions defense that has struggled to contain opposing tight ends.
Darren Waller with his SECOND TD of the game 😤
📺: FOX/FOX One pic.twitter.com/7l0FAG8guo
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 20, 2026
Detroit is allowing 29.4 fantasy points per game to the position while surrendering 2.45 fantasy points per opportunity, with that metric accounting for dropbacks, designed carries, and targets while excluding kneels and spikes. That creates an appealing setup for Waller, who is averaging 11.1 fantasy points per game and has totaled 28.4 over his last two contests.
What makes this matchup even more interesting is Waller’s increasing involvement in the Panthers’ passing game. His route share has climbed from 37% in Week 1 to 56% in Week 2 and a preliminary 57% in Week 3. He also led Carolina with eight targets in the latest game, suggesting his role could continue to expand despite the team’s committee approach at tight end.
Jalen Coker's potential absence with an ankle/quad injury could create even more opportunity for Waller. With his usage trending up and Coker potentially missing time, Waller could see another jump in routes and targets against a vulnerable Detroit defence. He’s also available in 86% of Yahoo! leagues, making him an intriguing waiver-wire option heading into Week 4.
Travis Kelce - TE, Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders
Kelce is in a terrific spot in Week 4, especially after what the Saints’ tight ends just did against the Raiders. Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant combined for 12 receptions, 86 receiving yards, and four touchdowns last week. That performance came against a Las Vegas defense that had done a good job limiting fantasy production from opposing tight ends. Still, the 44.6 fantasy points allowed shows how quickly that matchup can turn favorable.
THAT'S A TK TD 🏹 pic.twitter.com/YN9CtJhjkD
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 27, 2026
Kelce, meanwhile, looks like he’s found the fountain of youth. While plenty of people joked about a potential “honeymoon season,” the veteran has been producing like an elite fantasy tight end again.
He has caught 14 of 19 targets for 231 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 16.4 fantasy points per game, second only to Trey McBride at the position. Kelce has also led Kansas City in targets, first-read target share, yards per route run, and fantasy points per game.
The underlying numbers make the resurgence even more convincing. Kelce owns a 21.6% target share, 23.2% air-yards share, and an impressive 2.87 yards per route run.
He has accounted for 30.4% of the Chiefs’ receiving yards while averaging 10.75 yards per target and 14.3 yards per reception. With the Raiders coming off a disastrous performance against opposing tight ends and Kelce commanding this much of the Kansas City passing attack, he should be treated as a high-end fantasy starter in Week 4.
Tucker Kraft - TE, Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I know I’m out on Jordan Love, and honestly, I’m out on the Packers passing game as a whole—but I can’t quite quit Kraft. Kraft has averaged just 6.5 fantasy points per game and sits around TE27 territory, but this matchup against Tampa Bay could be exactly what fantasy managers need to get him back on the radar.
The Buccaneers have been extremely generous to opposing pass catchers, allowing 15 receptions for 172 receiving yards and two touchdowns to tight ends this season. That has translated to 22.1 fantasy points per game allowed to the position, the second-most in the NFL.
Tampa Bay is also surrendering 2.33 fantasy points per opportunity, including dropbacks, designed carries, and targets, a figure that ranks among the league’s top 10 in fantasy production allowed. Given how often Love has been forced to drop back this season, Kraft should get more opportunities.
The biggest reason I’m interested is that his role appears to be growing. Kraft’s route participation has reportedly jumped from 47.8% to 75%, and he has played every offensive snap in a recent game.
That kind of increased involvement is exactly what you want to see before attacking a favorable matchup. I’m still skeptical of the Packers' passing game, but Kraft’s rising role and Tampa Bay’s defensive tendencies make him an intriguing Week 4 fantasy option.
Week 4 - Potential Fantasy Football Busts
Colston Loveland - TE, Chicago Bears vs New York Jets
Even before Loveland takes the field on Monday Night Football, I already have him firmly planted on my Week 4 sit list against the Jets. Honestly, Loveland hasn't given fantasy managers much reason to believe otherwise. Heading into the Eagles matchup, he was sitting all the way down at TE87—I stopped scrolling somewhere around TE70, so I’m not even sure how accurate that ranking is. The production, unfortunately, backs it up.
Despite playing more than 86% of Chicago’s offensive snaps and running a route on 72% of the team’s dropbacks, Loveland has managed just a 6.3% target share and an ugly 0.05 yards per route run. The opportunity is there, but the production hasn't followed.
Colston Loveland Gets Sturdy After Appearing To Score A Touchdown! I Do Not Know If He Actually Got In, But He Sure Looked Like It With How Hyped He Was 😂 pic.twitter.com/9muXpp0PuS
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) September 29, 2026
Chicago also has plenty of competition for targets with Cole Kmet, Luther Burden III, Rome Odunze, and the running backs. Loveland's role can also become more blocking-oriented when defenses generate pressure, further limiting his fantasy ceiling.
Then comes a matchup against a Jets defense that has been extremely stingy against tight ends. New York is allowing just 6.0 fantasy points per game to the position, the fourth-fewest in the NFL, while surrendering only 1.22 fantasy points per opportunity.
Combine Loveland's limited production and modest target share with one of the league's toughest tight-end matchups, and there isn't much to get excited about. For a tight end who is already seeing precious few fantasy opportunities, the only thing Loveland should see in Week 4 is your bench.
Sam LaPorta - TE, Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers
Carolina has quietly been one of the toughest matchups for fantasy tight ends this season, and that puts LaPorta in a spot where fantasy managers need to temper expectations.
The Panthers are allowing just 9.0 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, the seventh-fewest in the NFL, while their 1.38 fantasy points allowed per opportunity also ranks seventh-best. Through three games, Carolina has surrendered only five receptions for 70 yards and one touchdown to the position.
Now, I know LaPorta is LaPorta, and the weekly upside is always there. His role is about as secure as it gets. LaPorta ranks third among tight ends in snap share (88.9%) and first in route participation (85.9%). That kind of usage gives him a much safer floor than the touchdown-dependent tight ends we’re often forced to consider.
But you all wanted bolder starts and sits—and once again, I am a man of the people. The matchup is difficult, and while LaPorta's elite role makes him tough to fade completely, this is a week where I’m lowering expectations and looking elsewhere if I have another strong option.
Dalton Kincaid- TE, Buffalo Bills vs New England Patriots
This one stings a little because I’ve been banging the Dalton Kincaid drum since July. Despite just two receptions on three targets for 38 yards in his latest game, Kincaid has been one of the best fantasy tight ends in football. He’s averaging 14.8 fantasy points per game and enters Week 4 as the TE4.
The underlying numbers are even more impressive: a 23.3% target share, 4.89 yards per route run, 0.30 targets per route run, a 12.14 average depth of target, and a massive 39% share of Buffalo’s receiving production. He’s also averaging 16.07 yards per target and 19.75 yards per reception.
So why am I fading him? The 71% snap share and 65.7% route participation aren't ideal, but I can live with those numbers if they keep trending up. The bigger issue is the matchup. New England is allowing just 1.24 fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends, the fourth-fewest in the league, while surrendering only 6.2 fantasy points per game, the fifth-fewest.
For a player whose fantasy value is built on elite efficiency and heavy involvement, that defensive environment can seriously dent his ceiling.
Kincaid has absolutely been good enough to overcome tough matchups before, so this isn't a statement that he suddenly isn't a good fantasy tight end. It’s simply a week where the matchup and his current playing-time numbers give me pause. If we’re being bold with these starts and sits, this is the kind of call that hurts—but I’m fading Kincaid in Week 4.
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