Who Should I Start? AJ Barner or Mason Taylor

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.

Tuesday, August 12, 3:08 PM

New York Jets rookie tight end Mason Taylor (ankle) has returned to training camp practice and is a full-go, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Taylor has recovered quickly from what was being called a high-ankle sprain. The 21-year-old second-rounder missed the team's preseason opener last week, but now that he's back to full practices, he should be able to suit up for Saturday's second preseason game against the New York Giants. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues are probably going to ignore Taylor in 12-team leagues, but it's worth noting that he's fully expected to open the year as the Jets' top pass-catching tight end. The Jets' offense is expected to lean heavily on the ground game, but quarterback Justin Fields won't have many weapons to throw to outside of WR1 Garrett Wilson. Taylor should be a TE3 with upside for more.