Who Should I Start? Chig Okonkwo or Colston Loveland

Wednesday, July 9, 3:01 PM

Tennessee Titans Chig Okonkwo has flashed on occasion during his three-year NFL career, but tight ends often take time to develop, and Tennessee's offense has been well below league-average since the start of the 2022 campaign. The former fourth-round pick out of Maryland has tallied 138 receptions (193 targets) for 1,457 yards and six touchdowns in 51 career games. Heading into Year 4, Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt believes he is "poised" for his best season as a pro. He now has valuable experience, and he'll enter the year with momentum after finishing the 2024 season on a roll." Wyatt wrote. "Okonkwo finished the year third on the team with 52 catches for 479 yards and two scores. The Titans are counting on big things from Okonkwo after a solid offseason, when I charted him with a team-high 13 catches during the five open practices." While it's tough to get too excited about a mid-level tight end catching passes from a rookie quarterback, there is a low bar for Cam Ward to have the best season of any Tennessee signal callers since Okonkwo arrived in Nashville. At his TE26 cost in preseason fantasy drafts, he's worth a dart throw given the lack of target competition behind Calvin Ridley.

Tuesday, July 22, 2:46 PM

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles says that rookie tight end Colston Loveland (shoulder) is "ready to go," according to Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times. Lieser notes that there could be a gradual ramp-up period for Loveland as he recovers from the shoulder surgery he underwent in January. The Bears drafted Loveland in the first round of the 2025 draft out of Michigan. In 10 games last season for the Wolverines, he recorded 56 catches for 582 yards and five touchdowns. Chicago has an established tight end to pair with Loveland in Cole Kmet, so the rookie won't need to be leaned on too heavily right away. Loveland is a borderline TE1 for fantasy, but a healthy and productive preseason could improve his outlook.