Who Should I Start? Darren Waller or Jonnu Smith

Thursday, December 18, 11:46 AM

Despite having to deal with a new quarterback in Week 16, Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller (knee, rest) is expected to maintain a critical role in the team's passing game when they line up with the Cincinnati Bengals at home. The 33-year-old is fresh off his best outing of the campaign, hauling in a season-high seven passes and two more touchdowns, giving him six scores in seven appearances. Unfortunately for Waller, any rapport he'd built up with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa won't translate when rookie signal-caller Quinn Ewers takes the field for his first NFL start. With the current state of Miami's offense, there's little reason to believe the veteran's role would shrink, although it's fair to expect diminished production. Favorably, Cincinnati's defense has allowed the most fantasy points per game to TEs (22.66), leaving Waller as a back-end TE1 for the outing.

Saturday, December 13, 1:48 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith has just five receptions over his past five games but will look to get more involved against his former team, the Miami Dolphins, in Week 15. This is an enticing matchup for Smith, as Miami has surrendered the third-most fantasy points per contest to opposing tight ends this season. While Smith's biggest concern remains his inconsistent utilization, he could draw additional looks on Monday night if fellow tight end Darnell Washington (concussion) is ruled out. The potential for cold temperatures and strong winds also works in Smith's favor, as he primarily operates near the line of scrimmage and generates yards after the catch. He's far from a reliable fantasy starter, but the 30-year-old could surprise in this revenge game and has some appeal as a streaming option in deeper leagues.