Who Should I Start? Darren Waller or Chig Okonkwo

Wednesday, July 16, 2:58 PM

Miami Dolphins new tight end Darren Waller signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the organization this week. The veteran can earn an additional $3 million in incentives. Waller came out of retirement this offseason after sitting out the 2024 campaign and was dealt to the Dolphins from the New York Giants as part of a late-round NFL Draft pick swap. With Jonnu Smith now in Pittsburgh, Waller won't face much competition from Julian Hill, Pharaoh Brown, or Tanner Conner to secure the clear TE1 role in Miami. Although Waller's last season of at least 60 catches or 700 yards came in 2020, he could enter the fantasy football TE1 radar based on the usage Smith received a season ago. For now, he should be viewed as a mid-range TE2 option, but the former Pro Bowler has at least some intriguing upside as a potential go-to red zone target for Tua Tagovailoa.

Wednesday, July 9, 3:01 PM

Tennessee Titans Chig Okonkwo has flashed on occasion during his three-year NFL career, but tight ends often take time to develop, and Tennessee's offense has been well below league-average since the start of the 2022 campaign. The former fourth-round pick out of Maryland has tallied 138 receptions (193 targets) for 1,457 yards and six touchdowns in 51 career games. Heading into Year 4, Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt believes he is "poised" for his best season as a pro. He now has valuable experience, and he'll enter the year with momentum after finishing the 2024 season on a roll." Wyatt wrote. "Okonkwo finished the year third on the team with 52 catches for 479 yards and two scores. The Titans are counting on big things from Okonkwo after a solid offseason, when I charted him with a team-high 13 catches during the five open practices." While it's tough to get too excited about a mid-level tight end catching passes from a rookie quarterback, there is a low bar for Cam Ward to have the best season of any Tennessee signal callers since Okonkwo arrived in Nashville. At his TE26 cost in preseason fantasy drafts, he's worth a dart throw given the lack of target competition behind Calvin Ridley.