Who Should I Start? Darnell Washington or Trey McBride

Sunday, December 28, 4:27 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington (arm) suffered a broken arm in Sunday's Week 17 loss against the Cleveland Browns, head coach Mike Tomlin announced. Tomlin wouldn't rule out Washington for Week 18 against the Baltimore Ravens, but this diagnosis will presumably shut him down for at least a few weeks, if not the entire playoffs (should Pittsburgh qualify). The 24-year-old had been stepping into a larger role lately, and he caught two passes for 15 yards prior to his departure on Sunday afternoon. Washington is a big, physical, and talented tight end, so his absence will be felt against the Ravens next week. With that said, the Steelers are lucky to have such a deep tight end room, so they will work to fill Washington's void with Jonnu Smith, Pat Freiermuth, and Connor Heyward.

Sunday, December 28, 8:14 PM

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride caught 10 of his 13 targets for 76 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. McBride continues to be the top-scoring tight end in fantasy football this season, and he widened the gap between himself and the rest of the tight end position on Sunday afternoon. Along the way, he also set a new NFL record for most catches by a tight end in a single season. It's safe to say that McBride is the best and most dependable tight end in the league. He should continue to be deployed as a high-end TE1 in a pass-heavy game approach against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18. He also figures to be the first tight end off the board (and a potential first-round pick) in 2026 fantasy football drafts.