Who Should I Start? Dalton Schultz or T.J. Hockenson

Thursday, November 6, 5:37 PM

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz (knee, shoulder) was able to practice in full on Thursday after being limited on Wednesday, according to the team. It's the third straight week that Schultz has been on the team's injury report with knee and shoulder ailments, but the 29-year-old hasn't missed any time. Fantasy managers should expect him to be out there this weekend for a Week 10 divisional clash against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's still searching for his first trip to the end zone in 2025, and the odds of his first touchdown coming this Sunday took a hit when the Texans ruled out starting quarterback C.J. Stroud (concussion) earlier this week. Schultz has seen an uptick in production in the last three games, though, catching 17 of 21 targets for 199 yards. Backup QB Davis Mills could lean on Schultz as a security blanket this weekend, but Schultz will still be no more than a touchdown-dependent TE2 for fantasy managers.

Friday, October 31, 4:34 PM

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson should be viewed as a TE2 option when he takes on his former team, the Detroit Lions, in Week 9. It's been a disappointing season so far for Hockenson, who hasn't quite looked the same since an ACL tear in late 2023 and now ranks as the No. 22 fantasy tight end at the halfway point of this season. None of the Vikings played well in a Week 8 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, but Hockenson had just three targets, two catches, and 26 yards receiving. The veteran tight end and the Vikings will now turn back to second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who missed the past five games with an ankle injury. In McCarthy's two starts this year, Hockenson had just four catches for 27 yards, and both of those took place before receiver Jordan Addison returned from a suspension. With the Vikings struggling and Hockenson set to be the team's third option, at best, he should be played only in formats that start two tight ends.