Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the weekly NFL matchups and how they'll affect your fantasy football team. Sleeper alert features an under-the-radar player who could produce good numbers. Owners beware features a regular fantasy starter who could fail to meet expectations based on the strength of his opponent. Obvious fantasy starters like Aaron Rodgers and Adrian Peterson will not be featured. For your final lineup decisions, check our lineup rankings.
Byes:Charles Clay, Tony Gonzalez
Start of the week
Julius Thomas vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: If you were one of the fortunate fantasy owners who grabbed Thomas off the waiver wire, pat yourself on the back. He is the second-ranked fantasy tight end, and this week's game against the Jaguars is favorable -- their defense allows an average of over 10 fantasy points per game to tight ends. (Maximum value: High TE1)
Start 'em
Vernon Davis vs. Arizona Cardinals: Davis hasn't been consistent in the stat sheets, but he still ranks eighth in fantasy points among tight ends. He's a strong start this week against the Cardinals and a defense that has allowed an average of close to 13 fantasy points per game to tight ends. That's the fourth-highest in the league. (Maximum value: High TE1)
Jermichael Finley at Baltimore Ravens: Finley has not had a strong start to the season, scoring a combined 27.30 fantasy points in the first five weeks. However, he remains a nice option as the Pack head to Baltimore to face the Ravens. Their defense has given up the sixth-most fantasy points to tight ends, so Finley is quite a nice option. (Maximum value: Mid TE1)
Greg Olsen at Minnesota Vikings: Olsen is a bit banged up, so be sure to check out his status before putting him into your starting lineup. Assuming he is active, the veteran out of Miami is a nice option against the Vikings -- no team has allowed more touchdown catches or fantasy points to opposing tight ends after the first five weeks. (Maximum value: Mid TE1)
Sleeper alert -- Garrett Graham vs. St. Louis Rams: The Rams haven't allowed a ton of fantasy points to tight ends, but this is more about opportunities than matchups. And with Owen Daniels out of action for the next several weeks, Graham will become a viable option for fantasy owners. He's still a free agent in over 70 percent of NFL.com leagues. (Maximum value: Low TE1)
Sit of the week
Kyle Rudolph vs. Carolina Panthers: Rudolph has not performed well in the stat sheets with just 103 yards and one touchdown (16.30 fantasy points) in his first four games. His fortunes aren't very likely to improve against the Panthers, who have allowed one touchdown catch and the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season. (Maximum value: Mid TE2)
Sit 'em
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Jared Cook at Houston Texans: Cook started the season on a high note with 24.10 fantasy points. Since then, he has totaled 125 yards with no touchdowns and averaged a mere 3.12 points in standard fantasy leagues. He needs to be sidelined against the Texans, who have allowed an average of fewer than four fantasy points to tight ends at home. (Maximum value: Mid TE2)
Brandon Pettigrew at Cleveland Browns: Pettigrew led the Lions in receiving yards last week, but that was with Calvin Johnson on the sidelines. Assuming Megatron is back in action, Pettigrew's stock is likely to fall against an improved Browns defense. After five weeks, only three teams are allowing fewer fantasy points to opposing tight ends. (Maximum value: Mid TE2)
Jermaine Gresham at Buffalo Bills: A low-end No. 1 tight end last season, Gresham's value has taken a major hit in 2013. In fact, he's just 27th in fantasy points at his position after five weeks and is losing targets to rookie Tyler Eifert. The Bills have been very tough on tight ends, so Gresham will be hard pressed to rebound this weekend. (Maximum value: Low TE2)
Owners beware - Heath Miller at New York Jets: Miller is a tight end to target off the waiver wire this week, but he's not someone to start against the Jets. New York has allowed an average of just seven fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, so Miller could find it tough to navigate the middle of the football field in this AFC battle. (Maximum value: Low TE1)
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
