Trey McBride hopes to stay sizzling for Arizona, Kyle Pitts settles in as the Falcons’ only weapon, and Tyler Warren goes big game hunting in Kansas City.

Other positions: Quarterback | Running Back | Receiver

Week 12 Tight Ends

TE Notes: For the second time this season, Michael Penix Jr. (knee) and Drake London (knee) are both sidelined for the Falcons. The first time it happened in Week 8, Kirk Cousins targeted Kyle Pitts nine times, with the seam man going 9/59/0. That was and remains Pitts’ second most targets of the season. It’s a formula shoring up what was beginning to look like shaky TE1 status. … Dalton Schultz is the TE5 by total PPR points and TE8 by average points since Davis Mills started filling in for C.J. Stroud three games ago. There is zero reason to believe the Texans can curtail their passing-game volume against the Bills, though it must be said Buffalo is currently permitting the fewest TE fantasy points. … With the Bears slowly moving on from their veteran pass-catching riff raff, Colston Loveland has quietly reached 38 yards in four straight contests. Arbitrary, etc. but the greater involvement has had him north of 50 yards twice heading into a matchup with the Steelers’ bottom-basement pass defense.

Theo Johnson keeps furnishing a nice floor, catching at least three balls in seven of his past eight appearances. Might it finally be time for some ceiling? NYG/DET is vying for the week’s highest game total, and Jaxon Dart is back under center for the Giants. He found Johnson for a season-best 7/75 his last time out. You are given permission to go big-game hunting. … Cade Otton had what was probably a long-overdue dud in Week 11, but he’s not yet worth burying for one bad game. … AJ Barner finally spiked a week, finishing as the TE4 against the Rams even without a touchdown. It was fueled by a 44-attempt outburst for Sam Darnold, which was 10 more passes than he had previously thrown all season. The Seahawks will undoubtedly hope to avoid a repeat in Week 12, or any week for that matter. The Titans are a plus matchup, but one where Barner would likely need a score to get home in fantasy. … Brock Wright, Dawson Knox and Luke Musgrave are all decent-enough touchdown dart throws with zero-catch floors.

Mike Gesicki (pec) is suddenly practicing in full, complicating the outlook for Noah Fant in Ja’Marr Chase’s (suspension) absence and Joe Burrow’s (toe) return. He will be the preferred TE2 play over Gesicki, either way, but both his floor and ceiling odds take a big hit if Gesicki suits up, as is currently looking likely. … Mason Taylor finally has a quarterback in Tyrod Taylor who will at least be asked to pass the ball. Taylor came close to establishing a TE2 floor even with scattershot Justin Fields under center. He could become a “surprise” asset for the fantasy stretch run and postseason. … Although the Browns will presumably try to scare up some easy completions for an overmatched Shedeur Sanders in his starting debut, the quarterback change is bad news for Harold Fannin, “easy” target though he is. No one in this offense has a Week 12 floor, to say nothing of the ceiling. … Ja’Tavion Sanders was one of a plethora of Panthers to have one of his better games of the season in Week 11 against the Falcons. Maybe he can keep it going against a paper-tiger 49ers pass defense.

Week 12 Kickers

Week 12 Defense/Special Teams