Who Should I Start? Darnell Washington or Mason Taylor

Tuesday, October 21, 9:35 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington came through with his first touchdown of the season in Week 7 but was otherwise quiet with three receptions for just two yards in the loss. Though he did see five targets, Washington was out-snapped and outperformed by Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith, both of whom had underwhelmed early in the year. In Week 8, Washington will face the Green Bay Packers, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends. This matchup makes Washington an intriguing DFS dart throw or deep-league flier, but it remains difficult to predict how opportunities will be distributed among Pittsburgh's tight ends in Arthur Smith's offense, keeping him off the fantasy radar in most redraft formats.

Thursday, October 23, 4:59 PM

New York Jets rookie tight end Mason Taylor (quad) missed his team's Thursday practice due to a quad injury, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Taylor is a new addition to the injury report, which is a concerning sign for his availability in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Taylor has recorded 24 catches for 208 yards on 34 targets through the first seven games of his NFL career. With star Jets wideout Garrett Wilson (knee) also questionable to play in Week 8, Taylor has a chance to be the team's number one option in the passing game against Cincinnati if healthy. Additionally, the Bengals have been one of the easiest matchups for opposing tight ends in fantasy so far this season. If Taylor can play, he profiles as a low-end fantasy starter in Week 8. If he's unable to go, Jeremy Ruckert, Stone Smartt (quad), and Jelani Woods are the likely candidates to log tight end snaps for the Jets against Cincinnati.