Who Should I Start? Darren Waller or Jonnu Smith

Saturday, November 29, 2:32 PM

Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller (pectoral) is being activated off Injured Reserve and will play in his team's Week 13 matchup against the New Orleans Saints, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Waller has been sidelined by a pectoral injury since Week 7. Across four games before getting injured, the 33-year-old recorded 10 catches for 117 yards and four touchdowns on 12 targets. Waller was emerging as a favorite end-zone target of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and he played a season-high 69% of Miami's offensive snaps in Week 6, his final full game before getting injured. Entering Week 13, the Saints rank in the bottom ten among all NFL teams in passing touchdowns allowed (20). Waller profiles as a borderline top-12 fantasy tight end in his matchup on Sunday against New Orleans.

Friday, November 21, 8:41 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith failed to catch a single pass in Week 11, marking his first game without a reception since Week 4 of last season. Though the matchup against the Chicago Bears is favorable, there is little reason to expect Smith to bounce back to fantasy relevance in Week 12. The Steelers remain unpredictable in how they deploy their tight ends, with Smith, Pat Freiermuth, and Darnell Washington all playing significant snaps. It is clear, however, that Smith's fantasy value is entirely touchdown-dependent, as he has topped 20 receiving yards just four times this year. As the TE29 in RotoBaller's Week 12 rankings, fantasy managers should look elsewhere for a streaming option.