2024 Week 16 Fantasy Football Rankings: TE, K, DEF

Hunter Henry wonders if this will finally be the spiked week, T.J. Hockenson battles his receiver teammates for targets, and Brenton Strange prepares to follow up his 11-catch outing.

Other positions: Quarterback | Running Back | Receiver

Week 16 Tight Ends

1	Trey McBride	ARI	at CAR
2	George Kittle	SF	at MIA
3	Brock Bowers	LV	vs. JAC
4	Jonnu Smith	MIA	vs. SF
5	Sam LaPorta	DET	at CHI
6	Travis Kelce	KC	vs. HOU
7	Mark Andrews	BAL	vs. PIT
8	T.J. Hockenson	MIN	at SEA
9	David Njoku	CLE	at CIN
10	Brenton Strange	JAC	at LV
11	Tucker Kraft	GB	vs. NO
12	Hunter Henry	NE	at BUF
13	Pat Freiermuth	PIT	at BAL
14	Dalton Kincaid	BUF	vs. NE
15	Jake Ferguson	DAL	vs. TB
16	Cade Otton	TB	at DAL
17	Kyle Pitts	ATL	vs. NYG
18	Juwan Johnson	NO	at GB
19	Chig Okonkwo	TEN	at IND
20	Dalton Schultz	HOU	at KC
21	Cole Kmet	CHI	vs. DET
22	Noah Gray	KC	vs. HOU
23	Stone Smartt	LAC	vs. DEN
24	Mike Gesicki	CIN	vs. CLE
25	Noah Fant	SEA	vs. MIN
26	Isaiah Likely	BAL	vs. PIT
27	Austin Hooper	NE	at BUF
28	Tyler Conklin	NYJ	vs. LAR
29	Grant Calcaterra	PHI	at WAS
30	Tyler Higbee	LAR	at NYJ
31	Dawson Knox	BUF	vs. NE
32	Foster Moreau	NO	at GB
33	Hayden Hurst	LAC	vs. DEN
34	Michael Mayer	LV	vs. JAC
35	Ja’Tavion Sanders	CAR	vs. ARI

TE Notes: Things have been far from ideal for Brock Bowers of late, though that appears poised to change with Aidan O’Connell (knee) set to return for Week 16. It’s never exactly good news when, uhh, the good news is Aidan O’Connell is going to play, but everything is better news than Desmond Ridder playing. … As expected, Jonnu Smith’s zero targets in Week 14 regulation was an anomaly. He immediately returned to 11 looks against the Texans. You can question the wisdom of that approach, but there is no reason to expect it to change against the 49ers, who admittedly do a strong job of policing the seam. … There’s never been a better time to point chase with Sam LaPorta, who has started playing his best football just as the rest of the Lions landed in the infirmary. That includes a two-score day against the Bears on Thanksgiving, who have permitted the fourth most TE fantasy points over the past month. LaPorta finally has volume to match his touchdown odds.

A struggling Travis Kelce will at least have Patrick Mahomes out there against the Texans. Kelce looks like he might be more banged up than Pat. … Although a warrior target magnet, David Njoku remains uncertain to suit up through his hamstring woes. If Njoku returns, the problem — other than a potential hamstring aggravation — is the quarterback aggravation. Passing spigot Jameis Winston has been turned off in favor of sacrificial lamb Dorian Thompson-Robinson. That makes Njoku a shaky fantasy semifinals option who nevertheless maintains upside. … Second-year second-rounder Brenton Strange has had a surprisingly easy time commanding looks whenever Evan Engram is sidelined this season. He’s not someone you are looking to force into lineups, but he’s producing, and he’s someone the Jags undoubtedly want to get a longer look at heading into 2025. Engram’s contract could have him on the way out. … A classic “touchdown or bust” tight end option, Tucker Kraft at least has an amazing semis matchup in the Saints.

Hunter Henry always somehow finds a way to square the circle of being startable but someone you never want to start. The Week 16 case is that the Patriots have literally no choice but to throw against the Bills, and no one else on the Pats is capable of commanding looks. … Pat Freiermuth has a great matchup, not that it’s mattered much this season. With George Pickens (hamstring) trending toward another inactive or decoy status, Freiermuth will probably be the closest thing Pittsburgh has to a No. 1 target. … Dalton Kincaid’s targets are trending upward just in time for the Bills not to have to really pass against the Patriots. Nevertheless, they have the week’s highest implied team total, and Kincaid is playing his best football. … Kyle Pitts, somehow, has 10 targets over the past two weeks. That is something to cling to as the Falcons throw their Michael Penix Hail Mary. … Mason Rudolph seems to really enjoy targeting Chig Okonkwo. The seam man has quietly notched three receptions in three straight starts. … Stone Smartt is over 50 yards in back-to-back games. It’s easy to spot the path to three in this target-starved offense, though Hayden Hurst is coming off I.R. Thursday evening.

Week 16 Kickers

1	Chase McLaughlin	TB	at DAL
2	Jake Bates	DET	at CHI
3	Tyler Bass	BUF	vs. NE
4	Brandon McManus	GB	vs. NO
5	Brandon Aubrey	DAL	vs. TB
6	Cade York	CIN	vs. CLE
7	Cameron Dicker	LAC	vs. DEN
8	Justin Tucker	BAL	vs. PIT
9	Matt Gay	IND	vs. TEN
10	Wil Lutz	DEN	at LAC
11	Chad Ryland	ARI	at CAR
12	Joshua Karty	LAR	at NYJ
13	Will Reichard	MIN	at SEA
14	Harrison Butker	KC	vs. HOU
15	Ka’imi Fairbairn	HOU	at KC
16	Jake Moody	SF	at MIA
17	Chris Boswell	PIT	at BAL
18	Jason Sanders	MIA	vs. SF
19	Jake Elliott	PHI	at WAS
20	Cairo Santos	CHI	vs. DET
21	Jason Myers	SEA	vs. MIN
22	Nick Folk	TEN	at IND
23	Cam Little	JAC	at LV
24	Daniel Carlson	LV	vs. JAC
25	Greg Joseph	WAS	vs. PHI
26	Anders Carlson	NYJ	vs. LAR
27	Eddy Pineiro	CAR	vs. ARI
28	Joey Slye	NE	at BUF
29	Riley Patterson	ATL	vs. NYG
30	Graham Gano	NYG	at ATL
31	Dustin Hopkins	CLE	at CIN
32	Blake Grupe	NO	at GB

Week 16 Defense/Special Teams

1	Green Bay Packers	GB	vs. NO
2	Atlanta Falcons	ATL	vs. NYG
3	Cincinnati Bengals	CIN	vs. CLE
4	Buffalo Bills	BUF	vs. NE
5	Minnesota Vikings	MIN	at SEA
6	Arizona Cardinals	ARI	at CAR
7	Detroit Lions	DET	at CHI
8	Kansas City Chiefs	KC	vs. HOU
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	TB	at DAL
10	San Francisco 49ers	SF	at MIA
11	Indianapolis Colts	IND	vs. TEN
12	Los Angeles Chargers	LAC	vs. DEN
13	Denver Broncos	DEN	at LAC
14	Baltimore Ravens	BAL	vs. PIT
15	Philadelphia Eagles	PHI	at WAS
16	Tennessee Titans	TEN	at IND
17	Houston Texans	HOU	at KC
18	Dallas Cowboys	DAL	vs. TB
19	Seattle Seahawks	SEA	vs. MIN
20	New York Jets	NYJ	vs. LAR
21	Las Vegas Raiders	LV	vs. JAC
22	Los Angeles Rams	LAR	at NYJ
23	Jacksonville Jaguars	JAC	at LV
24	Pittsburgh Steelers	PIT	at BAL
25	Miami Dolphins	MIA	vs. SF
26	New York Giants	NYG	at ATL
27	Carolina Panthers	CAR	vs. ARI
28	Chicago Bears	CHI	vs. DET
29	Cleveland Browns	CLE	at CIN
30	Washington Commanders	WAS	vs. PHI
31	New Orleans Saints	NO	at GB
32	New England Patriots	NE	at BUF