Updated Fantasy Football TE Rankings Week 9: Who to start, best sleepers at tight end

Mark Andrews has spent much of the 2024 season as the laughingstock of the tight end position. Naturally, he's now scored 15-plus points in each of the last three weeks. Andrews is officially making a push to be ranked inside the top 12 tight ends each week.

Speaking of weekly tight end rankings, The Sporting News' fantasy team has expertly crafted our rankings for Week 9. We've thoroughly examined each tight end's matchup and fantasy outlook to set you up for fantasy success this week.

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Fantasy TE Rankings Week 9: Who to start, sit at tight end

Rankings based on PPR scoring. These rankings were updated on Nov. 1 and will be updated throughout the week, so check back often. 

Those who have played already are listed in italics.

Who are the best fantasy TEs for Week 9?

The TE1 ranks will be missing a familiar face this week with George Kittle on bye. But the position is still in good hands nonetheless. Trey McBride and Brock Bowers, two young studs at tight end, top our ranks this week. Both are high-volume receivers who are tremendous assets in PPR leagues.

Cade Otton and Evan Engram both got off to slow starts, for very different reasons, but are looking like every-week starters. Injuries to both Chris Godwin and Mike Evans have catapulted Cade Otton into a role where he's effectively Tampa Bay's WR1. He's led the team in targets, receptions, and yards in each of the last two games. Until Evans returns, it appears Otton will be the engine of the passing attack.

Evan Engram is another tight end who has assumed a voluminous role in recent weeks. He's been targeted 20 times in his last three games, catching 19 of them. He's been a top-10 tight end in two of these three games as well. With injuries brewing in the Jacksonville receiver room, Engram should continue to hold a strong role in the Jaguars' offense.

Who are the TEs on byes in Week 9? 

San Francisco 49ers: Fantasy managers will unfortunately be without George Kittle this week. He's been the only tight end to score 20-plus points three times this year and offers a ceiling that few tight ends can reach. He'll be welcomed back to starting lineups in Week 10.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Pat Freiermuth has offered some serviceable weeks but falls into the "touchdown or bust" category of tight ends. He can be dropped for teams in a roster crunch this week.

Who are the best fantasy TE waiver pickups for Week 9?

Tyler Conklin has now delivered three TE1 weeks this season and can be a pickup for teams without Kittle this week. He's put together his top-12 weeks in multiple ways, both by racking up receptions and finding the end zone. The Jets have surprisingly been one of the league's most pass-heavy offenses, and Conklin stands to benefit from this offensive philosophy.

The Jaguars dealt with a slew of injuries to receivers in Week 8 and turned to backup tight end Brenton Strange as a result. He finished the day with five targets for five receptions and 59 yards. Jacksonville heavily utilized 12 personnel with Strange and Evan Engram on the field together and we could see this happen once again if they're thin at receiver in Week 9. Even still, Strange is nothing more than a desperation waiver pickup.

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Who are the best fantasy TE sleepers for Week 9?

Taysom Hill is always a good selection for those looking to play the touchdown lottery. His role in red zone and goal line packages can allow him to find the end zone in any given week. The odds may be in his favor in Week 9; the Carolina defense allows the most touchdowns per game of any team in the NFL. At nearly four touchdowns allowed per game, New Orleans is a spot to get back on track offensively and Hill is always a candidate to be involved around the goal line.

It seems strange to write about Mark Andrews as a sleeper, but there was a point this year when Andrews was dropped in a good number of leagues and was ranked well outside of the top 12 tight ends. Andrews has had a resurgence in recent weeks, scoring four touchdowns and accounting for 50.3 fantasy points in his last three games. He's emerged as a prominent red zone threat in one of the league's top offenses, which warrants consideration as a fantasy starter at tight end.

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What are the biggest TE injuries for Week 9?

Thankfully, there weren't any significant tight end injuries during play in Week 8. The only injuries for fantasy managers to monitor are lingering from previous weeks. The most notable is T.J. Hockenson, who was activated from IR on Friday afternoon and is expected to make his season debut this week. His return will be welcomed by fantasy managers and Minnesota fans alike.

Dallas Goedert hasn't practiced in two weeks due to a hamstring injury. His lack of participation in any capacity last week is concerning for his availability as we head into Week 9. His practice reports should be quite telling of his status.