Who Should I Start? Darren Waller or George Kittle

Saturday, October 11, 6:28 AM

Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller has been extremely productive since returning from his hip injury two weeks ago, and he'll be a solid starting option in Week 6 against the Chargers. Waller retired and did not play last year, and was sidelined by a hip issue for the first three weeks of 2025. He returned in Week 4 with two touchdowns and 27 yards against the Jets, and he built on that last week by hauling in all five of his targets for 78 yards and a third touchdown. His snap count doubled from 16 in Week 4 to 32 in Week 5, and he was a key contributor even at just a 58% snap share. If that number grows again this week, he should continue to progress and remain one of the focuses of the Dolphins' offense, which is now operating without Tyreek Hill (knee), leaving targets available from Tua Tagovailoa. Tua has looked Waller's way often and had great success, so Waller is the TE8 this week in RotoBaller's rankings and can be a very solid starter in standard-sized leagues.

Thursday, October 9, 9:21 AM

The San Fransisco 49ers will spend at least one more week without star tight end George Kittle (hamstring), which opens the door for backup Jake Tonges to continue being a streaming option with his team set for a plus matchup against the Tampa Bay Bucs. The fourth-year man from Cal hasn't been an exact 1:1 replacement for Kittle's do-it-all skill set, but he's done well as a pass catcher, ranking in the top 10 among fantasy tight ends thanks to 19 receptions and three touchdowns in five weeks. Though Tonges' workload is going to decrease as soon as Kittle comes back, Tonges tied for the team lead in targets last week. He'll carry lineup appeal into Week 6, especially in formats that play more than one tight end.