Who Should I Start? Cole Kmet or Tanner Conner

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.

Wednesday, September 17, 7:05 PM

Miami Dolphins tight end Tanner Conner has been splitting time almost evenly with starter Julian Hill, as the duo works to replace Darren Waller (hip), who will miss his third straight game when the Dolphins take on the Bills on Thursday Night Football. While Hill is still without a target, Conner had four targets in Week 1, making two catches for 20 yards. He did not have a catch or a target in Week 2, though, as the Dolphins offense continues to not utilize either tight end in a pass-catching role. Conner is the TE43 in the RotoBaller rankings for this week, so you can probably do better than playing him in all formats.