Who Should I Start for Fantasy Football Week 12? Juwan Johnson, A.J. Barner, Hunter Henry, Dallas Goedert, Travis Kelce, Pat Freiermuth, Cade Otton, Noah Fant, Luke Musgrave, David Njoku

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was the focal point of his team's passing offense in their 22-19 Week 11 loss to the Denver Broncos. Kelce was targeted a team-high 13 times, recording nine catches for 91 yards and a touchdown. The 36-year-old has now recorded 50 receptions for 631 yards and four scores on 66 targets across 10 games so far this season.

Kelce has played some of his best football of late, recording 19 catches for 256 yards and two touchdowns on 26 targets over his last three games. Even with star wideout Rashee Rice back in the lineup after missing the first six games of 2025 due to suspension, Kelce has still been a priority target-earner for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Kelce profiles as a must-start fantasy tight end heading into a Week 12 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry has momentum on his side ahead of Sunday's favorable matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12. Henry bounced back from a Week 10 dud by catching four of his six targets for 45 yards in Week 11. He is one of Drake Maye's favorite targets, establishing himself as a fringe top-12 tight end in fantasy football. Henry is an intriguing option in the Patriots' offense, but his ceiling has arguably never been higher than it is this week against the Bengals.

Cincinnati has the league's worst defense against tight ends, and it's not particularly close. They have allowed the most receiving yards, the most touchdowns, and the most fantasy points to tight ends in 2025. The gap in fantasy points allowed by the Bengals and the second-worst defense against tight ends is actually greater than the gap between the second-worst defense and the league median. Meanwhile, Cincy's 12 touchdowns allowed to tight ends are five more than the next-highest. Time and time again, tight ends have feasted against the Bengals.

Now, it's Henry's turn. He ranks as a mid-to-high TE1 with an extremely favorable matchup on tap.

New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson scored in back-to-back games before the team's Week 11 bye, establishing a good connection with former college teammate Tyler Shough. It's been a strong four-game stretch for the 29-year-old, totaling 17 receptions for 255 yards and two touchdowns on 23 targets. With Rashid Shaheed dealt to the Seattle Seahawks at the trade deadline, Johnson has the opportunity to establish himself as the No. 2 target earner behind top wideout Chris Olave.

Johnson was the TE2 in PPR points per game (14.2) in the first three weeks of the season before cooling off in the following three contests. However, the Saints' offense is trending up with Shough playing decently well, and Johnson is back on the map as a potential low-end TE1 moving forward. Owned in 35% of ESPN leagues, he is worth adding in 12-team leagues if he is still available.

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that tight end David Njoku (knee) is considered day-to-day with a knee injury and is "working hard to be able to play" in Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders, per Scott Petrak of BrownsZone. Across nine games this season, the 29-year-old has hauled in 30 receptions for 288 yards and three touchdowns on 45 targets.

However, Njoku's usage has trended down in recent weeks, as he's hauled in just three catches for 28 yards on four targets over his last two games. If Njoku is unable to play in Week 12, it could mean a boost in playing time and target share for Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. Over his last five games, Fannin Jr. is averaging seven targets per game and could profile as a low-end fantasy TE1 if Njoku is out.