Who Should I Start? Darnell Washington or Gunnar Helm

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Week 1 Projections

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Darnell Washington News

Darnell Washington Trending Down in a New-Look Offense?

Tuesday, May 5, 7:23 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington finally seemed like he was getting closer to fantasy relevance in dynasty leagues last season. However, the chances of him getting on the fantasy radar are now declining based on the Steelers' offseason moves. For starters, the team parted ways with head coach Mike Tomlin and brought in Mike McCarthy, who has no connections to the existing roster and presumably won't have the same patience to wait for a Washington breakout. Additionally, McCarthy started to put his own stamp on the tight end room, selecting Riley Nowakowski in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. That's not elite draft capital by any means, but it's presumably enough to give Nowakowski the chance to earn the No. 2 role by the end of the season. That could be problematic for Washington, who is heading into a contract year and is already behind Pat Freiermuth on the depth chart. As of now, it seems unlikely that Washington will be able to replicate his 2025 finish, which included 31 catches, 364 yards, and one touchdown. Additionally, we wouldn't be shocked if he's on a different team in 2027. He finished last year as the TE39 in PPR leagues, and he has already fallen to TE53 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty fantasy football rankings.

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Gunnar Helm News

Gunnar Helm a Clear Breakout Candidate Despite Crowded Offense?

Thursday, May 7, 7:46 AM

Tennessee Titans tight end Gunnar Helm represents an intriguing buy-low option ahead of a potential Year 2 breakout in 2026. Despite missing one game and playing behind Chig Okonkwo last year, Helm managed to catch 44 passes for 357 yards and two touchdowns. Even though he was a rookie and No. 2 on the depth chart, he finished as the overall TE31 in PPR leagues. The Texas product was trending up to end the season, and his dynasty outlook got a major boost as the Titans let Okonkwo depart in free agency. Now, Helm is the clear-cut No. 1 tight end in a Titans offense that could be trending upward. Quarterback Cameron Ward is certainly still developing, but we'd expect him to make a significant leap in his second season. And the state of the offense as a whole is in a very good place with players like Tony Pollard, Wan'Dale Robinson, and Carnell Tate. There are a lot of mouths to feed in the passing game, but the fact that Helm essentially has the tight end position all to himself is a very encouraging sign, especially in an offense led by Brian Daboll. Under the guidance of Daboll, Giants tight end Theo Johnson jumped from TE37 as a rookie to TE18 in his second season. Don't be surprised if Helm follows a similar trajectory. He currently ranks as the TE27 in RotoBaller's dynasty fantasy football rankings, but there is clear top-15 upside here. Dynasty managers would be wise to trade for Helm before the buy-low window closes.

Darnell Washington vs. Gunnar Helm

Still trying to decide between Washington and Helm? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Darnell Washington is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Gunnar Helm is projected to score 0.0 points.