Who Should I Start? Cole Kmet or Julian Hill

Friday, September 12, 11:25 PM

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet had a quiet season opener, catching just one of four targets for 31 yards in the 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. His lone grab came on the final drive, a highlight-worthy one-handed diving catch over the middle. While rookie Colston Loveland has entered the rotation, Kmet still dominated usage, logging 90% of the snaps compared to Loveland's 56%, and handling 77% of one-tight-end sets versus Loveland's 23%. The volume and role remain encouraging, but the matchup is a major concern in Week 2. The Bears face a Detroit Lions defense that allowed the fewest fantasy points to tight ends in 2024. With a difficult opponent and a reduced ceiling due to Loveland's presence, Kmet is better left on fantasy benches this week.

Friday, September 12, 9:38 PM

Miami Dolphins tight end Julian Hill will be atop the depth chart for a second straight week with Daren Waller (hip) ruled out against the Patriots. In Week 1, the third-year tight end split snaps right down the middle with Tanner Conner, each playing 28 snaps in Waller's absence. While he did not get a single target in Week 1, he did catch a two-point conversion. It doesn't count as an official reception, but the conversion did give his fantasy managers something to show for Week 1. Hill will probably play plenty of snaps again in Week 2, but he is not involved enough in the offense to be a fantasy factor. He can be left on the waiver wire in all formats at this point and is the TE43 in RotoBaller's Week 2 rankings.