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Matt's tight end (TE) fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 9 of 2026. His TE lineups advice for Week 9 fantasy football start/sit decisions.
Matchups matter more than brand recognition in fantasy football, especially at tight end. Too often, fantasy managers chase familiar names instead of spotting the opportunities right in front of them. Week 9 offers some intriguing matchup advantages, and a few lesser-known options could easily outperform the big-name tight ends we're used to seeing in our starting lineups.
Sam LaPorta is finally coming off the sit list, and I expect a bounce-back performance against a Miami defense that's been extremely generous to opposing tight ends. Mike Gesicki is riding a touchdown streak that nobody saw coming, while Greg Dulcich is quietly emerging as an intriguing streaming option in a juicy matchup against Detroit. These are the types of opportunities fantasy managers need to recognize before everyone else catches on.
On the flip side, we're not unquestioningly trusting talent this week. Dalton Kincaid draws a brutal matchup against Minnesota, Isaiah Likely faces an Eagles defense that has consistently shut down opposing tight ends, and Dalton Schultz has a difficult path to fantasy relevance against the Chargers. The names might be familiar, but the matchups tell a different story. Let's find the right tight ends to start, the ones to sit, and the edges that could make a difference in Week 9.
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Week 9 - Potential Fantasy Football Booms
Sam LaPorta- TE, Detroit Lions at Miami Dolphins
Finally, LaPorta is coming off the “sit list." It's time to get LaPorta back into your starting lineup. Two quiet performances against Green Bay and Minnesota may have fantasy managers questioning his consistency, but I'm not backing away. This is a terrific opportunity for a bounce-back against a Miami defense that has struggled to contain opposing tight ends.
After back-to-back contests in which LaPorta failed to top seven fantasy points, some may have forgotten how good he was before the Lions bye. From Week 1 through Week 5, LaPorta was the TE3 in fantasy, averaging 15.3 fantasy points per game. Even with the recent subpar performance, LaPorta remains the TE6, averaging 12.3 fantasy points per contest.
Despite a bad matchup last week, LaPorta still saw a 20% target share. If that happens again this week, LaPorta would be well positioned to finish as the TE1 overall, considering the Dolphins allow roughly 19 fantasy points per game to the position.
SAM LAPORTA WIDE OPEN TD ON 4TH DOWN
@DETvsAZ on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/917KQRTeOv— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026
I'm not overthinking this one. LaPorta is a weekly TE1, and this matchup gives him legitimate top-five upside. Get him back in your lineup.
Mike Gesicki - TE, Cincinnati Bengals at Atlanta Falcons (Madrid)
From the things nobody predicted back in August. Gesicki now has a touchdown reception in five straight contests and has six in total on 17 receptions heading into Week 9. After last week’s 17.6 fantasy-point breakout, Gesicki is 1 of 13 tight ends this season averaging (11) double-digit fantasy production.
5th straight game with a TD for Mike Gesicki! Bengals retake the lead.
TENvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/XWMIU61Bfn— NFL (@NFL) November 1, 2026
Gesicki is finally giving fantasy managers a reason to get excited, and I'm riding the momentum into Week 9. Coming off his best performance since Week 1, Gesicki hauled in four of five targets for 76 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee. That's a significant jump from his previous two outings, when he managed just one reception in each game. More importantly, his snap rate increased, and he's getting more opportunity.
The matchup against Atlanta is another reason to like him. The Falcons have surrendered 439 receiving yards and four touchdowns to opposing tight ends through eight games, allowing 9.1 standard fantasy points per game to the position.
This is not an elite matchup, but it's certainly one Gesicki can exploit, especially with Joe Burrow coming off a five-touchdown performance against Tennessee. Gesicki is still a touchdown-dependent fantasy option, but his recent increased involvement, combined with his incredible scoring consistency, makes him a legitimate streaming TE1 candidate.
Greg Dulcich - TE, Miami Dolphins vs. Detroit Lions
Back to the Lions-Dolphins matchup, we have to look at the other tight end in this contest: Greg Dulcich. Dulcich doesn’t have the same brand-name recognition as LaPorta, but he is just as well positioned to produce this week.
Against the Patriots, Dulcich had a 75% route share, 22% target per route run rate, 1.59 yards per route run, a 5.7 average depth of target, and was as involved in the passing game as the other Dolphins pass catchers. Dulcich came away from that contest with four receptions on six targets along wth 43 receiving yards. That volume and production bode well for him this week.
Detroit has been among the worst teams this season in defending opposing tight ends; that’s no secret. Minnesota had 15 points and 210 passing yards last week, yet T.J. Hockenson scored a touchdown and produced 58 receiving yards on four catches for 15.8 fantasy points.
Dulcich has 22 receptions on 28 targets for 256 yards this season, averaging 7.1 fantasy points per game, but he hasn't scored a touchdown. I'm not calling him a must-start or pretending he's suddenly an elite option. He's a matchup-driven streamer with a path to his best fantasy performance of the season. If you're looking for a tight end in a deeper league or need a replacement, I'm willing to roll the dice on Dulcich against Detroit.
Week 9 - Potential Fantasy Football Busts
Dalton Kincaid - TE, Buffalo Bills at Minnesota Vikings
Coming off a big four-catch, 86-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Ravens, one would assume you would ride that fantasy momentum into Week 9. Not so fast, my friends. As much as I would like to fire up Kincaid every week, I’m also a realist, and I don’t mess with the Vikings defense, especially in fantasy and as it pertains to the tight end position.
Josh Allen. Dalton Kincaid. All Buffalo in this one.
BALvsBUF on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/StHo4EOPvC— NFL (@NFL) November 1, 2026
This is one of those matchups where I'm willing to go against the grain and put Kincaid on the bench. Minnesota has been incredibly difficult for opposing tight ends to produce against, and the numbers are hard to ignore. Through Week 8, the Vikings have allowed just 22 receptions for 273 yards and zero touchdowns to opposing tight ends. That's 6.9 fantasy points per game.
The Vikings have consistently limited tight end opportunities, and Kincaid's weekly target volume hasn't been consistent enough to ignore. I'm not saying he's an automatic bench in every format, but if you have another dependable option with a better matchup, I'm pivoting. This is a matchup-based fade, not a talent-based one.
Isaiah Likely - TE, New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
Likely has been productive this season, so this isn't a talent issue. Through seven games, he's recorded 41 receptions for 395 yards and five touchdowns. However, that production has been inconsistent. After exploding for 11 catches, 94 yards and two touchdowns against Washington, followed by six catches for 99 yards and a score against New Orleans, Likely came crashing back to earth with just two catches for 12 yards against Houston.
Look, fantasy football is all about the matchups. Just a couple of weeks ago, Likely was on this same list and performed poorly in a difficult matchup (3.2 fantasy points). In Week 9, Likely faces an Eagles defense that ranks among the best at limiting tight end production.
Against Chig Okonkwo last week, the Eagles held the Commanders tight end in check, holding him to two receptions on four targets for 32 yards. Even without the lost fumble, Okonkwo would have finished with just 5.3 fantasy points.
Bottom line: pump the brakes on Likely this week, and the matchup is the biggest reason. Philadelphia has been one of the toughest defenses in the NFL against tight ends. Through eight games, the Eagles have allowed just 33 receptions for 333 yards and two touchdowns on 47 targets. They're surrendering only 5.4 standard fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, among the league's lowest marks.
Dalton Schultz - TE, Houston Texans at Los Angeles Chargers
After a couple of bold takes, I’ll take the low-hanging fruit here. It’s not that Schultz has been terrible this season. He has caught 33 of 43 targets for 322 yards, but zero touchdowns. That's a real problem in fantasy.
Schultz is averaging 4.7 catches and 46 receiving yards per game, which gives him a reasonable PPR floor, but the ceiling hasn't been there. His monster Week 2 performance against Cincinnati (12 catches for 140 yards) accounts for much of his season production.
The bigger concern is that Schultz is playing just 57% of offensive snaps, down from 70% last season, with Foster Moreau taking a larger role, particularly in the red zone. The Chargers have allowed 28 receptions for 345 yards and one touchdown to opposing tight ends through seven games.
That's a respectable defensive profile, allowing just 6.8 fantasy points per game to the position, compared with the NFL average of 8.5. This isn't an overwhelmingly difficult matchup, but it does not make me want to force Schultz into my lineup.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Isaiah Likely, Dalton Schultz, Sam LaPorta. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 9. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help you make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we'll tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 9 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players -- Isaiah Likely, Dalton Schultz, Sam LaPorta. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 9.
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's name. In the second box, search for the second player's 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, enhanced search results with data to compare, and 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 circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 9 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 9 (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 9 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 9 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Isaiah Likely, Dalton Schultz, Sam LaPorta compared to others:
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