Who Should I Start? Darnell Washington or Payne Durham

Sunday, December 7, 2:43 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington (concussion) has officially been ruled out for the remainder of his team's Week 14 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens due to a concussion. The 24-year-old hauled in one catch for 12 yards on one target before exiting the game. Entering the week, Washington had recorded 22 receptions for 276 yards and a touchdown on 32 targets across 12 games played in 2025. With Washington sidelined, Steelers tight ends Jonnu Smith, Pat Freiermuth, and Connor Heyward will all likely see an uptick in playing time for the remainder of Week 14. Both Smith and Freiermuth could be more appealing streaming options for fantasy managers in future weeks if Washington remains out beyond Sunday.

Friday, August 29, 8:14 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Payne Durham could potentially see a larger role in the offense to begin the regular season. The Bucs are uncertain if starting tight end Cade Otton (leg) is going to be ready to play during the season opener. The team will likely wait and see how Otton progresses throughout next week before making a final decision. If he misses time, Payne Durham and Devin Culp figure to split up time as the starting tight end. Durham didn't see a ton of action last season, but played well when Otton missed time late in the season. When Otton was out, Durham hauled in nine receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns as the starter. There's not a lot of value here, but maybe Durham is a dart throw if Otton is unable to go in Week 1.