Who Should I Start? Chig Okonkwo or AJ Barner


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
7.7 0.0 0.0 3.2 34.0 0.2

Chig Okonkwo News

Chig Okonkwo Sitting Out With Rest of Starters

Friday, August 14, 2:32 PM

Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo is not suiting up for Friday's preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins, according to The Athletic's Ben Standig. Okonkwo will have to wait at least another week before potentially making his debut with the Commanders after they signed him to a three-year, $27 million deal in free agency earlier this year. In his four seasons in Tennessee with the Titans, the 26-year-old had a total of 194 receptions for 2,017 yards and eight touchdowns on 272 targets across 68 games played. He had a career-high 560 receiving yards and a career-high 56 catches a year ago, despite sharing valuable playing time with rookie Gunnar Helm. The former fourth-rounder from the University of Maryland will have a much higher ceiling in Washington as long as QB Jayden Daniels can stay healthy, and he could be the team's No. 3 target behind receivers Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs. If you decide to wait on the TE position in fantasy drafts, Okonkwo is a nice sleeper to target later on.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
7.1 0.8 0.0 2.8 27.8 0.2

AJ Barner News

AJ Barner an "Ascending" Tight End

Tuesday, August 11, 6:33 AM

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner is an "ascending" TE who "should come into his own in Year 3." Barner is finally healthy after multiple offseason surgeries, and new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury's scheme "should accelerate his progress." Fowler adds that Barner "can do a little bit of everything." The Seahawks will have two tight ends on the field "very, very often," according to Barner. The 24-year-old former fourth-rounder in 2024 from the University of Michigan took a step forward last year in his second season, catching 52 of 68 targets for 519 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games after posting a 30-245-4 line as a rookie. However, with second-year player Elijah Arroyo expected to be a much bigger part of Seattle's passing attack, Barner's fantasy value will likely come with a low ceiling as more of a touchdown-dependent TE2 streamer as long as Arroyo stays healthy. RotoBaller currently has Barner ranked as the No. 29 fantasy TE for the 2026 season, right behind Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton.


Chig Okonkwo vs. AJ Barner

Still trying to decide between Okonkwo and Barner? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Chig Okonkwo is projected to score 7.7 points this week while AJ Barner is projected to score 7.1 points.