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.

Saturday, November 15, 5:23 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers big-bodied tight end Darnell Washington caught his only touchdown of the season and the second of his career in the first matchup against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 16, but it came on just three catches (five targets) for two yards. Since then, the 6-foot-7, 264-pound unit has caught five passes for 58 yards and no touchdowns on seven targets as the team's TE3 behind Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith. In nine total games in 2025 in his third year in the NFL, Washington has just 14 receptions for 142 yards and one touchdown on 21 targets. His size sets him apart when quarterback Aaron Rodgers is facing pressure and he just needs to throw the ball up to a big target, but otherwise, Washington just isn't seeing enough volume to be anything more than a TE3 in fantasy, even against a Bengals defense that has allowed the most half-PPR points per game to the TE position.