Who Should I Start? Darnell Washington or Jake Ferguson

Thursday, December 11, 10:15 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington (concussion) was a limited participant in practice on Thursday, and he remains in concussion protocol ahead of Sunday's Week 15 contest against the Miami Dolphins. Washington exited last week's game early after catching just one pass for 12 yards. He had looked solid in his nine previous contests, though, totaling 22 catches, 276 yards, and one touchdown during that span. The 24-year-old has quietly passed Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth in terms of snap count, but his fantasy production has still left a lot to be desired. He can be dropped in redraft leagues and stashed in deeper dynasty formats.

Friday, December 12, 7:51 PM

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (calf) carries a questionable tag into Sunday night's contest against the Minnesota Vikings and would be viewed as a low-end TE1 if cleared for action. Ferguson opened the week as a limited participant but was downgraded to a non-participant on Thursday, putting his availability in jeopardy. However, on Friday, the veteran tight end was able to practice in a limited capacity, which keeps him in play to suit up. Additionally, Todd Archer of ESPN reported that HC Brian Schottenheimer said he is "relieved" that Ferguson was able to "answer the bell" on Friday, suggesting he should be in a good position to play. From Weeks 1 through 7, Ferguson was on pace to compete for the overall TE1, as he averaged an elite 17.2 PPR points per game and found the back of the end zone six times. However, since Week 8, Ferguson's production has dropped considerably, averaging only 8.7 PPR points per game. During this stretch, he has scored just one touchdown. Even though Ferguson's production has continued to decline, managers should still view him as a reliable low-end TE1 given his elite offensive environment. He should be primed for a bounce-back in a projected high-scoring affair (O/U 48.5) against the Vikings on Sunday evening.