Updated Fantasy Football TE Rankings Week 12: Who to start, best sleepers at tight end

Fantasy managers are treated to a "Taysom Hill Week" nearly every year. The 2024 iteration of the Taysom Hill game was one of epic proportions. Hill finished Week 11 with 248 all-purpose yards, highlighted by 138 yards as a rusher and 42 yards as a returner. On top of his lofty yardage totals, three of Hill's seven carries ended with him in the end zone. It was truly a sight to behold.

Brock Bowers was the only other tight end to hit 30 PPR points last week. He did it in a much more traditional fashion with 13 receptions, 126 yards, and a score. He was outshined by Hill on the week, but it was the best game of the rookie's promising career.

While it would be exciting, we're not going to have multiple tight ends score 30-plus points every week. Most fantasy managers would be pleased with 15 points out of their TE slot. Regardless of your expectations for your tight end, the best way to set your team up for success is with a thorough set of rankings.

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Fantasy TE Rankings Week 12: Who to start, sit at tight end

Rankings based on PPR scoring. These rankings were updated on Nov. 21 and will be updated throughout the week, so check back often. 

Who are the best fantasy TEs for Week 12?

Fantasy managers have been treated to vintage Travis Kelce in the last month. He's scored 20-plus points in three of his last four games and has been a weekly threat to command a 30-percent target share. The mind meld between Kelce and Patrick Mahomes has been at its peak in recent weeks, and they have shown no signs of slowing down. Against a porous Carolina defense, this duo should be connecting for big plays all day long.

Trey McBride has been garnering the targets that keep fantasy managers happy and pulling off hurdles that excite fans. Despite not having a single receiving touchdown on the year, McBride is still averaging 12.9 PPG on the back of 7.2 targets per game. Given his consistent volume and playmaking ability, McBride is one of fantasy's premier options at tight end.

Along with McBride, Brock Bowers is carrying the next generation of tight ends. Bowers is fresh off a 31.3-point performance and is making a strong push for the TE1 title as a rookie. Following the departure of Davante Adams, Bowers and Jakobi Meyers have regularly combined for 50 percent of the team's targets. Even if the offense as a whole struggles, Bowers can succeed thanks to elite volume.

Who are the TEs on byes in Week 12? 

Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts' season has been full of extreme highs and lows, but he's still been a TE1 on the year. His athleticism and ability to win on the vertical plane make him an appealing option every week. He should be rostered during Atlanta's bye.

Buffalo Bills: Dalton Kincaid has largely been a disappointment for fantasy managers this year, but he's still in starting consideration due to the lack of depth at the position. Kincaid is recovering from a knee injury and could be stashed in the IR slot of many leagues during the Bills' bye.

Cincinnati Bengals: Mike Gesicki has found himself on plenty of sleeper lists over the last few weeks. The return of Tee Higgins muddies his future outlook, so he can be dropped for a streamer in Week 12.

New Orleans Saints: The injuries to the Saints' skill players have led to OC Klint Kubiak heavily utilizing Taysom Hill. There isn't a clear return date for Chris Olave, meaning Hill could continue playing a large role. He's worth holding on to for teams with no true TE1 and an expendable bench player.

New York Jets: With Davante Adams in the picture, Tyler Conklin has been an afterthought in the Jets' offense. He's likely on waivers already and should remain there.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Without Christian Kirk in the lineup, Evan Engram is almost a shoo-in to see 7-10 targets every week. The Jaguars' offense has been in shambles without Trevor Lawrence, but this sort of volume can sustain TE1 production in PPR leagues.

Who are the best fantasy TE waiver pickups for Week 12?

Taysom Hill was doing his usual thing last week, completing passes, handling carries, and drawing targets through the air. The only difference is that Hill was ridiculously productive with his opportunities this week. He finished with 206 combined passing, rushing, and receiving yards and added on 42 return yards just for fun. Oh, he also hit paydirt three times for a grand total of 41.52 points in leagues that don't count return yardage. Without Chris Olave or Rashid Shaheed in the lineup, Hill is a key piece of the New Orleans offense, and he needs to be rostered due to his diverse usage.

One thing that we did not see very often in the Miami offense last season was tight end usage. Jonnu Smith has completely changed that, and he's drawn 6+ targets in five of his last six games. Smith has required a touchdown to make a push for the weekly top-10 tight ends, but his steady volume has allowed him to regularly eclipse seven PPR points. With a handful of fantasy-relevant tight ends on bye this week, 7-10 points can be enough to just get by without your starter.

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Who are the best fantasy TE sleepers for Week 12?

J'Tavion Sanders has carved out a meaningful role in the Carolina offense in recent weeks. He's scored at least 8.0 PPR points in four of his last five games and drew 5+ targets in three of those contests. The metrics regarding fantasy points allowed to tight ends can be noisy, but Sanders plays the Chiefs who rank 31st in fantasy points allowed to the position. If Sanders can maintain a steady role in the Panthers' offense, he can be a solid replacement for one of the many starting TEs on bye this week.

Sam LaPorta did not practice last week while dealing with a shoulder injury. Considering he did not take the practice field in any capacity, there's a real chance that he remains sidelined for another week. If that's the case, fantasy managers can play the touchdown lottery with Brock Wright. The Lions can score 30 points at will, and they've shown a propensity to get Wright involved at the goal line. He's a desperation option in hopes that he gets involved in the red zone once again.

What are the biggest TE injuries for Week 12?

Dalton Kincaid was held out of Week 11 after suffering a knee injury the previous week. Buffalo is on bye this week, so Kincaid will have plenty of time to recover before the Bills are back in action in two weeks.

Sam LaPorta was absent from the Lions' lineup in Week 11 while dealing with a shoulder injury. He did not practice in any capacity leading up to the game, but he's been practicing in full all week, so it should be all systems go for the tight end.

George Kittle missed his second game of the season in Week 11 due to a hamstring injury. Kittle was able to practice in a limited capacity last Thursday and Friday, so he has a good shot of returning to action in Week 12. While Kittle is still working through the injury, he said on Wednesday that he would be playing this week. For now, we're taking his word for it, so we've added him back into the rankings.