2025 Fantasy Football TE Start/Sit: Week 1

Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Carolina Panthers: Playing the young tight end in Week 1 takes a small leap of faith, and you can find yourself in a bizarre spot if Carolina takes an unexpected step forward. Last year's unit was unable to keep the position from scoring, yielding a TD every 7.5 catches, which was the highest frequency in the league. The rest of the stats actually were neutral, though, so the idea here is to chase a touchdown if you have a usual starter in a tough spot. Strange takes over from Evan Engram and should benefit from two dangerous wideouts in Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter. Expect tepid results if he doesn't score, though.

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots vs. Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders have retooled on defense to such a degree that relying on last year's data is a fool's errand. Should you care, though, this was the second-weakest group vs. TEs in 2024 and feeble across the board. So much change at once can take time to form a cohesive bond, but Henry is still a good play even if Vegas is markedly improved. He knows the offensive system, has a blossoming quarterback looking his way, and is the most stable option year over year among New England targets.

Week 1 Fantasy Football Sit 'em: Tight Ends

Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions: The Lions endured an endless stream of injuries in 2024, so placing a lot of confidence in the stats against is a dicey deal, but through all of the setbacks Detroit manhandled tight ends. Only three of 68 catches went for six, and no defense gave up fewer PPR points. Kraft posted lines of 4-34-0 and 3-41-1 in his two games last year, so it's not like he was terrible against his division rival. A healthy Lions defense and more weapons around Kraft make him a tough sell in the opening week, even with a new defensive coordinator installed.

Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles: Generally speaking, when a team is strong in the secondary, savvy quarterbacks tend to check down more than usual to incorporate their tight ends. That wasn't the case vs. Philadelphia last year. Now, it's important to note the Eagles have undergone key personnel changes at cornerback, safety, and linebacker. Ferguson probably isn't on too many fantasy radars this week, especially after snagging 59 passes without a touchdown grab in 2024, but he was especially futile vs. Philly in his two tries (7-42-0 total).