Who Should I Start? Connor Heyward or Mason Taylor

Friday, November 3, 12:12 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Connor Heyward caught two of his three targets for 16 yards in the team's 20-16 win over the visiting Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football. Meanwhile, fellow tight end Darnell Washington caught his only target for a seven-yard gain. Heyward caught a season-high five passes (six targets) for 24 yards in last week's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars with Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) on Injured Reserve, but he couldn't keep up that elevated production in Week 9. Freiermuth will miss at least two more games, but fantasy managers just won't be able to trust Heyward for consistent production in one of the weaker offenses in the league. The 24-year-old has just 14 receptions for 105 yards and no touchdowns in eight games in 2023.

Tuesday, September 16, 11:54 AM

As expected, New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor is far and away the team's TE1, although it hasn't amounted to much on the stat sheet. After leading teammates Jeremy Ruckert and Andrew Beck in snaps by a wide margin in their loss to the Steelers in Week 1, the same was true in their outing with the Buffalo Bills. Ruckert (17) again played half as much as Taylor (34), with Beck mixing in minimally (one). However, Taylor and Ruckert mimicked each other's production with a one-catch, five-yard line - the only difference being that the former accrued one more target (two) and the latter a touchdown. The favorable bet seems to be that the rookie continues to lead this room in playing time. He'll have a chance to carve out a role in the passing game, considering the Jets' skill players don't offer much behind wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall. Still, fantasy managers can't take the LSU product seriously for starting purposes until he averages more than one catch per appearance. He'll face the hosting Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday.