Who Should I Start? Adam Trautman or AJ Barner

Monday, December 16, 10:51 AM

Denver Broncos tight ends Adam Trautman and Nate Adkins both found the end zone in the team's 31-13 victory over the visiting Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at Empower Field in Week 15. Trautman and Adkins hauled in rookie quarterback Bo Nix's first two touchdown passes of the day in a huge victory that boosts Denver's chances of making the postseason for the first time since they won Super Bowl 50 with Peyton Manning. Trautman finished with two catches on two targets for 20 yards and the score, while Adkins only caught the one TD pass of 15 yards on the day. The Broncos haven't utilized their tight ends much in the offense this year, so neither Trautman nor Adkins should be in consideration for a waiver-wire pickup in the fantasy playoffs. Trautman has 11 catches for 178 yards and two TDs in 14 games, while Adkins has only eight grabs for 65 yards and three scores on the year.

Sunday, August 10, 4:12 PM

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner has looked "very promising" in training camp practices and is "currently the No. 1 tight end," according to Michael-Shawn Duggar of The Athletic. A fourth-round pick out of Michigan in the 2024 draft, Barner recorded 30 catches for 245 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games (six starts) as a rookie. Seattle released veteran tight end Noah Fant last month, which could be an indication of the confidence the organization has in Barner. However, the Seahawks also used a second-round pick in the 2025 draft at the position when they selected Elijah Arroyo, so Barner will still have in-house competition for targets and playing time.