Two weeks of the 2026 NFL season are officially in the books, which means the fantasy football overreactions are coming fast and furious.
A couple of disappointing performances from players like Colston Loveland and Kyle Pittsmay have fantasy managers ready to pull the plug, but remember we’re still dealing with an extremely small sample size. Fantasy football is a marathon, not a sprint, and one or two bad weeks shouldn’t automatically determine a player’s value for the rest of the season.
Plenty of reasons for optimism also emerge heading into Week 3. Brock Bowers could make his 2026 debut after missing the first two games, potentially adding another elite option to an already volatile tight end landscape. Meanwhile, George Kittle has rewarded
fantasy managers who trusted him in his return from an Achilles injury.
With another full slate ahead, it’s time to separate the legitimate concerns from the early-season noise. Here’s a look at the tight ends to start and sit in Week 3.
WEEK 3 FANTASY RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | D/ST
Fantasy football start 'em: Week 3 TEs
Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers vs. Falcons ('Thursday Night Football')
Kraft’s two-catch, 15-yard performance last week may discourage managers, but the underlying usage tells us to keep him in lineups. His route rate jumped from 48% in Week 1 to an impressive 84% in Week 2. That kind of opportunity is exactly what you want to see before starting him against the Atlanta Falcons. Wide receiver Jayden Reed is out this week so even more looks could go Kraft's way.
Kraft also has the efficiency to turn limited volume into a big fantasy day. Before tearing his ACL last season, he averaged 16.2 PPR points per game and ranked second among tight ends in yards per route run. Green Bay is throwing at a high rate with little run game behind a beaten-up offensive line. Matt LaFleur loves to dial up screens for Kraft because he's so explosive after the catch. Don't be surprised if the "Cheeseheads" serve up some Kraft-mac-n-TDs in Week 3.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers vs Bengals
We'll keep targeting the Bengals' defense with the opposing tight end until they show us they can stop one.
Cincinnati allowed the most receptions to opposing tight ends in 2024 and followed that up with an historically bad 2025, allowing the most receptions again and a staggering 17.45 fantasy points per game to the position. Freiermuth is the top streamer of Week 3. For squads who plan to taxi a tight end off waivers most weeks, 'Muth should be your target this week.
Cincinnati just allowed Dalton Schultz to go off for 12 receptions and 140 yards. Freiermuth has caught nine of his 10 targets and currently leads Pittsburgh with 78 receiving yards through two games. Aaron Rodgers will likely lean on the pass in order to keep pace with the high-powered Bengals offense.
Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns vs Panthers
From one AFC North tight end to another. Fannin Jr. is a strong Week 3 start candidate after showing much better chemistry with Deshaun Watson in the Browns’ Week 2 win. Watson looked comfortable and confident, completing 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, while Fannin caught five of six targets for 54 yards.
The matchup with Carolina is appealing, too. The Panthers had a favorable spot against Atlanta in Week 2, but Chicago torched their defense in Week 1, including a productive outing from Bears tight end Cole Kmet. Fannin is Cleveland’s clear top tight end, and with Watson playing competent football, Fannin can be inserted back into lineups in 12-person leagues.
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills vs. Chargers
This is likely the final time we'll mention Kincaid as a start. The 26-year-old is roaring to begin 2026 and has now entered "lineup lock" territory. Leave him on your bench at your own peril. The Buffalo Bills dominated last week in their home opener and now, with a significant rest advantage, host the Chargers, one of the most disappointing teams so far.
Kincaid ran 22 routes on 32 dropbacks by Josh Allen in Week 1 and followed it up with 26 routes on 31 dropbacks in Week 2. That's a route participation above 70%, a big jump from the 44.2% he averaged last season. The fantasy goodness will continue if he's on the field this often with Josh Allen. He paced the position in receiving yards after one week with 130 against a tough Texans defense and followed it up with seven receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown. Count on Kincaid again.
Fantasy football sit 'em: Week 3 TEs
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars vs Patriots
Trevor Lawrence and Strange connected on two of three targets for 23 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 but there hasn't been much else to garner enough confidence to have the Jacksonville tight end in lineups in leagues of up to 16 teams.
New England has allowed just 52 yards and zero scores to opposing tight ends through two weeks. Lawrence has plenty of mouths to feed with a trio of wide receivers in Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers and Brian Thomas Jr., which pushes Strange further down the pecking order. He had just two targets for 17 yards last week. He's fighting for scraps in this offense and is too touchdown-dependent for our liking.
Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys vs Ravens
Ferguson’s two-touchdown performance last week makes him tempting, but the matchup with Baltimore is a major concern. Ferguson is the third option in Dallas’ passing game behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and that showed up in target totals over the past two weeks: Lamb leads the team (17), Pickens is second (14) and Ferguson (six) trails both and even running back Javonte Williams (nine) and third wide receiver Ryan Flournoy (10) despite finding the end zone twice last Sunday.
That lack of volume becomes especially problematic against Baltimore. The Ravens have a defense built to limit tight ends, with Kyle Hamilton as the versatile defender capable of covering, tackling and disrupting routes. This game will be played in Brazil, adding the potential for fatigue after a ten-hour flight.
Ferguson’s touchdowns were great in Week 2, but the matchup and target share make him a risky Week 3 start.
Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'ems, Week 3
Looking for more fantasy football advice? USA TODAY Sports has you covered:
→ Need an edge under center? Here are the best quarterback options to start and to sit in Week 3.
→ A good running back makes all the difference. A bad running back can cost you. Here's who to start and who to sit in Week 3.
→ The wide receiver position is one of the deepest each season. Set yourself up for success in Week 3 with start 'em, sit 'em advice for wideouts.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em tight ends for Week 3 fantasy football
