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DraftKings NFL: Week 16 lineup

By Joe Romano

ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 22: Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys signals first down in the second half of a game against the Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium on November 22, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys defeated the Redskins 31-23. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 22: Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys signals first down in the second half of a game against the Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium on November 22, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys defeated the Redskins 31-23. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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CARSON, CA – SEPTEMBER 30: Tight end George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates his touchdown in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on September 30, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
CARSON, CA – SEPTEMBER 30: Tight end George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates his touchdown in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on September 30, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

Tight Ends

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers vs Chicago Bears – $6000

There may not be a player carrying an offense more than George Kittle. His coach understands that Kittle is the best player on offense and is using him accordingly. It is no surprise to see him atop the fantasy ranks at tight end anymore. With the Bears coming to town, Kittle will be needed more than ever. Khalil Mack and company will be roaring down on Nick Mullens, leaving Kittle as the safety blanket to save the day.

Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles vs Houston Texans – $5900

Nick Foles took over last week and Zach Ertz had his worst fantasy performance of the season despite Philadelphia scoring 30 points. That is not a good sign for anyone looking to roster Ertz this weekend. He will still be a factor but Foles does seem to look elsewhere in critical spots. This week they play a Texans defense that has given up the third most yards to tight end over the last four weeks and ranks seventh in points per game on the season. Ertz will see a lot of Tyrann Mathieu and may struggle in this game without Carson Wentz force feeding him targets.

Eric Ebron, Indianapolis Colts vs New York Giants – $5700

A player that should be comfortable in lineups this weekend is Eric Ebron. The budding star at tight end has lived up to his new contract with Indianapolis and been Andrew Luck’s favorite target this season. The offense remains at home, where they are at their best, against a lowly Giants defense. New York is the ninth-ranked defense against tight ends over the last four weeks. With the Colts still pushing for the playoffs, Ebron will continue to dominate.

Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots vs Buffalo Bills – $5600

After a great performance against Miami, Rob Gronkowski struggled in Pittsburgh. To be fair, the entire Patriots offense did as well. However, Gronkowski has looked like a shell of himself and cannot be trusted as a plug-and-play fantasy star anymore. A tough matchup awaits for Gronkowski with the Bills coming to town. Buffalo held him to just 46 yards in the teams’ first matchup this season. Buffalo’s got a very talented and athletic secondary that can neutralize Gronkowski.

Evan Engram, New York Giants at Indianapolis Colts – $4600

A big drop off comes between Gronkowski and Evan Engram. The talented second year tight end has been injured most of the season. However, he is coming off back-to-back 70-plus yard performances. This week he gets a Colts defense that has given up the fourth most yards to tight ends over the last four weeks. With Odell Beckham still battling an injury, Engram becomes the third option in the Giants passing attack that will be needed this weekend.

Value Tight Ends

Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys – $3900

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense is mind-boggling. They are one of the most prolific passing attacks in NFL history but have been tormented by turnovers. Jameis Winston is as talented as they come but just can’t keep the ball. Now with O.J. Howard on injured reserve it leads Cameron Brate to fill a bigger role. A role that should see plenty of opportunities Sunday. With the Dallas secondary playing well on the outside, Winston will turn to Brate over the middle to attack the tough Cowboys defense. Brate is a touchdown or bust player still that carries risk.

David Njoku, Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals – $3800

This is not a running bit but David Njoku seems to continue to make the cut. Partially because of the lack of consistency from any tight end but also because he keeps getting good matchups. This week Njoku will see the lowly Bengals defense. Cincinnati has looked lost in the last few weeks defensively, despite a win a week ago. Njoku is the team’s best red zone option still and should see plenty of work as the Browns claw as close to .500 as we’ve seen in what feels like a decade.