Updated Fantasy Football TE Rankings Week 5: Who to start, best sleepers at tight end

Michael OHara

Ed Williams

Updated Fantasy Football TE Rankings Week 5: Who to start, best sleepers at tight end image

It's only Week 5, and people are already calling for tight ends to be abolished in fantasy football. This may be a step too far, but we feel your pain. Just about every tight end that came off the board in Rounds 3-6 has been a disappointment. Yes, we're looking at you, Kyle Pitts and Mark Andrews.

No matter how disappointed you may be, the tight end position isn't going away, and you'll need to fill that roster slot for the rest of the season. The only thing you can do is stay on your toes, evaluate matchups, utilize the waiver wire, and start the best option each week.

Simply "starting the best option" may be a tall order. Thankfully, we've got you covered with weekly tight end rankings. If you're not interested in scouring the waiver wire and evaluating matchups every week, these rankings should suffice. Be sure to check back in regularly - these rankings will be updated throughout the week!

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Fantasy TE Rankings Week 5: Who to start, sit at tight end

Rankings based on PPR scoring. These rankings were updated on Oct. 6 and will be updated throughout the week, so check back often

If a player already played this week, they are listed in italics. 

RANKPLAYER NAMETEAMOPPONENT
1Travis KelceKCvs. NO
2George KittleSFvs. ARI
3Jake FergusonDALat PIT
4Trey McBrideARIat SF
5Brock BowersLVat DEN
6Dalton KincaidBUFat HOU
7Pat FreiermuthPITvs. DAL
8Cole KmetCHIvs. CAR
9Cade OttonTBat ATL
10David NjokuCLEat WAS
11Hunter HenryNEvs. MIA
12Mike GesickiCINvs. BAL
13Tucker KraftGBat LAR
14Isaiah LikelyBALat CIN
15Kyle PittsATLvs. TB
16Brenton StrangeJACvs. IND
17Colby ParkinsonLARvs. GB
18Zach ErtzWASvs. CLE
19Mark AndrewsBALat CIN
20Tyler ConklinNYJat MIN
21Dalton SchultzHOUvs. BUF
22Juwan JohnsonNOat KC
23Jonnu SmithMIAat NE
24Noah FantSEAvs. NYG
25Greg DulcichDENvs. LV
26Erick AllCINvs. BAL
27Austin HooperNEvs. MIA
28A.J. BarnerSEAvs. NYG
29Foster MoreauNOat KC
30Theo JohnsonNYGat SEA
31Darnell WashingtonPITvs. DAL
32Tommy TrembleCARat CHI
33Johnny MundtMINvs. NYJ
34Gerald EverettCHIvs. CAR
35Dawson KnoxBUFat HOU
36Ja'Tavion SandersCARat CHI
37Luke MusgraveGBat LAR
38Kylen GransonINDat JAC
39Elijah HigginsARIat SF

Who are the best fantasy TEs for Week 5?

We've reached the point in the season where there may only be four consistently reliable tight ends in fantasy football. Unless you're rolling out Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, Jake Ferguson, or George Kittle, you're probably feeling uneasy about your tight end.

Given the state of the tight end position, this quartet is made up of weekly starters, regardless of the matchup. All four hold strong roles within their respective offenses and see steady work that provides them with a non-zero floor, unlike many other tight ends.

It feels strange to say, but Travis Kelce is currently not among the group of tight ends that you can rely on for consistent production. He has cleared double-digit points just once and has failed to score eight PPR points in two games. However, he may be able to drive his value up in the coming weeks. Kansas City's top receiver Rashee Rice suffered what seemed to be a serious knee injury last week and could miss extended time. If this is the case, Kelce will have to step up and take on a high-volume role once again.

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Who are the TEs on byes in Week 5? 

Philadelphia Eagles: After a quiet first couple of weeks, with injuries to A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, Dallas Goedert has turned into a focal point of the Eagles' passing attack. Goedert managers will have to struggle like the majority of the other fantasy managers in Week 5 to find a serviceable option.   

Detroit Lions: While Sam LaPorta was drafted as the TE1 in many leagues, he hasn't performed like one. Still, it's a big hole to try and plug this week.  

Los Angeles Chargers: There hasn't been much tight end production coming from the Chargers' offense, so there's really not much to see here as Will Dissly and Hayden Hurst rest up for Week 6.   

Tennessee Titans: The Titans' passing attack has been pretty anemic thus far, but it's been even worse from the TE position. Chig Okonkwo is the biggest name impacted here, but hopefully you weren't relying him. 

WEEK 5 DFS ADVICE
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Who are the best fantasy TE waiver pickups for Week 5?

Bengals rookie tight end Erick All continues to carve out a larger role in the Cincinnati offense as the weeks ware on. All posted a season-high 61-percent snap share in Week 4 and played more snaps than Mike Gesicki. All was able to draw four targets in his expanded role, turning them into 28 yards for 6.8 fantasy points. He remains a speculative add in leagues with deep benches for the time being. He'll have to be targeted at a higher rate to be impactful on fantasy rosters, but he's trending in the right direction.

For much of the offseason, the expectation was that Luke Musgrave would assume TE1 duties after Tucker Kraft suffered a torn pec before training camp. Through four weeks, it's been Kraft operating as the starting tight end. He's played more snaps and run more routes than Musgrave in every game this season. Now that Jordan Love is back under center, Green Bay is no longer using an ultra-run-heavy offense. The return to a balanced game plan benefitted Kraft, who scored 17.3 PPR points in Week 4. Kraft is a solid bench stash for teams with no reliable TE1.

Who are the best fantasy TE sleepers for Week 5?

Some fantasy rosters are struggling to find a reliable starter this season. Even with the lack of steady production, sleepers are still out there. One of those sleepers is Zach Ertz. It's never fun to rely on a 33-year-old in fantasy, but Ertz is a key piece of Washington's offense and has given fantasy managers two top-12 weeks on the season already. Ben Sinnott isn't coming for Ertz's job anytime soon, and the 7.8 PPG that he provides should be just fine for teams without a stable TE.

What are the biggest TE injuries for Week 5?

There are a couple of injuries to tight ends that are carrying over from previous weeks. Trey McBride suffered a concussion that forced him to exit the game in Week 3 and remain sidelined in Week 4. He's been at practice this week and is expected to suit up, so he's been put back into the rankings at TE4.

David Njoku (ankle) and Evan Engram (hamstring) have both missed three consecutive games with injuries. While both got in practice time this week, David Njoku will be active for the Browns, but Engram will sit out again for the Jaguars.  

Fortunately, there was not a significant injury to a tight end during Week 4 action. George Kittle was banged up (ribs) at one point, but he was able to return to the game. It does appear that he will be suiting up in Week 5. 

There have been an inordinate number of practice injuries this season, so keep an eye out for any reports coming out of practice sessions this week. Or just check back here often, as we'll be keeping you in the loop on every injury to fantasy-relevant players.

Michael OHara

Michael OHara Photo

Michael O'Hara is a Fantasy Sports Intern at The Sporting News, with a focus on fantasy football. Michael has been a fan of the NFL since childhood and began writing for fantasy football websites as a student at Ohio State University, including the Roto Street Journal and Fantasy Football Today.

Ed Williams

Ed Williams Photo

Ed Williams is a Fantasy Sports Editor at The Sporting News. A two-time Sports Emmy Award winner, he brings two decades of experience in sports media including a 16-year run at NBC Sports/Rotoworld, most recently as the Sr. Director of Content for Fantasy Sports and Sports Betting. He is also the founder of Macklyn Sports Media Consulting.