Fantasy football Week 1 TE preview: Kyle Pitts primed to start hot, plus TE2 to scoop on waivers now — SkimNews
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- Heath projects 19 tight ends to score at least 9.5 PPR Fantasy points in Week 1, with six — Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, Colston Loveland, Sam LaPorta, Kyle Pitts, and Tyler Warren — projected for at least 12 points.
- George Kittle is flagged as a risky Week 1 start after his 2024 return from a torn Achilles saw him play 80% of snaps but catch zero passes on two targets, compounded by a matchup against a Rams defense Heath calls possibly the best of the last decade.
- Kyle Pitts is positioned to benefit from coaches Kevin Stefanski and Drew Petzing, whose offenses have funneled 27% of targets to tight ends over the past three seasons; Sam LaPorta falls into the same scheme-watch bucket.
- Isaiah Likely averaged 8.1 yards per target across his career and becomes a must-start tight end if he locks in as Jaxson Dart's No. 2 target.
- Tucker Kraft is the only non-running back with at least 150 targets since 2023 while averaging more than 9 yards after the catch per reception, though Heath notes uncertainty over whether Kraft will play a full snap share.
- Colston Loveland averaged 12.5 PPR points per game in the second half of last season and was even better in the playoffs.
- Dalton Schultz drew 106 targets last year and faces less target competition in 2026, while Dalton Kincaid led tight ends with 2.83 yards per route run in 2025 and could finish top 10 with more snaps.
Why it matters: Six TEs projected for 12-plus PPR in a single week is an unusual depth projection that gives managers real start/sit flexibility, while the Kittle warning gives anyone who drafted a backup tight end a concrete reason to bench a high-draft pick in Week 1 against a brutal Rams defense.
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