Who Should I Start? Darnell Washington or Julian Hill

Tuesday, December 30, 1:20 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington (forearm) had surgery on his broken forearm on Tuesday morning and will not play in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. Head coach Mike Tomlin said he has "some level of optimism for everyone else." The expectation was that Washington would not play after he broke his arm in the Week 17 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Not only will the 24-year-old not be available for the winner-take-all game this Sunday night against the Ravens, but Washington is unlikely to be able to return for the playoffs if the Steelers take care of business this weekend. It means that Pat Freiermuth will become a slightly more attractive TE streamer in fantasy, as will Jonnu Smith. Washington's third season in the NFL will finish with 31 catches for 364 yards and a touchdown in 16 games.

Friday, November 14, 12:05 PM

Miami Dolphins tight end Julian Hill (ankle) upgraded to a full practice on Friday and has been removed from the final Week 11 injury report, meaning he'll make his return on Sunday against the Washington Commanders in Madrid, Spain. Hill will put an end to a three-game absence due to an ankle injury, but fantasy managers can continue to look elsewhere. Darren Waller (pectoral) remains on Injured Reserve, but the 25-year-old Hill will be battling for limited targets with Greg Dulcich against Washington. Before his ankle injury, Hill had only 10 catches on 13 targets for 77 yards and no touchdowns. He is still looking for his first NFL touchdown after debuting for the Dolphins in 2023. Fantasy managers desperate at the TE position should be able to find better options on the waiver wire.