Who Should I Start? Adam Trautman or Darnell Washington

Monday, September 22, 10:42 AM

Denver Broncos tight end Adam Trautman was not targeted by quarterback Bo Nix during his team's 23-20 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3. Trautman recorded three catches for 10 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 and profiled as a desperation streaming option at tight end heading into Week 3 with top Broncos tight end Evan Engram (back) sidelined for the game. Instead, it was Broncos tight end Lucas Krull who found the end zone on Sunday, finishing with one catch for nine yards and a score. Trautman has four catches for 15 yards and a touchdown through the first three games of the season and should not be trusted by fantasy managers even if Engram remains sidelined for Week 4.

Tuesday, September 30, 4:17 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington snagged all three of his targets for 20 yards in a 24-21 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The third-year pro was held without a catch through his first three games this season but emerged as the most productive tight end on the team in Week 4. In addition to his fantasy output, Washington saw the field for 48 of a possible 53 snaps, far exceeding the snap shares of Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith. At 6'7", Washington is incredibly effective as a blocker, and his utilization resulted in a successful day on the ground for running back Kenneth Gainwell. While Washington isn't likely to earn a significant role as a pass-catcher, it was promising to see him get on the same page as quarterback Aaron Rodgers last week. He remains off the fantasy radar for now, but Washington will be a name to monitor when Pittsburgh returns from its Week 5 bye.