Who Should I Start? Darren Waller or Noah Fant

Monday, September 15, 6:31 PM

Although Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller (hip) is not expected to make his debut with the team in Week 3 on Thursday night against the division-rival Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins listed him as limited on Monday's practice estimation. Waller has yet to practice this year and has been inactive for the first two weeks, so his limited status on Monday doesn't mean a whole lot on a short week. The 33-year-old was focusing on his conditioning for all of training camp and the preseason before suffering a hip injury right before Week 1. Whenever he is finally cleared to make his 2025 debut after coming out of retirement, the Dolphins will likely limit his snaps, making him one to avoid in starting fantasy lineups. The Dolphins are expected to move forward with Julian Hill and Tanner Conner at the position on Thursday, but neither TE is a realistic fantasy play.

Saturday, September 13, 3:21 PM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Noah Fant had a team-high four catches in Sunday's win over the Browns. While he only accumulated 26 yards, he was the only Bengal besides Chase Brown to score a touchdown. Most assumed Mike Gesicki would see more work than Fant throughout the 2025 campaign. While that could still happen moving forward, that wasn't the case in Week 1, with Fant logging 26 snaps and Gesicki finishing with 16. The veteran still has a way to go before earning the trust of fantasy managers, especially since Gesicki likely isn't going away, considering his on-field relationship with quarterback Joe Burrow. Still, Fant can be utilized for streaming purposes in multi-tight end setups for the Week 2 meeting with the Jags. Fantasy managers should just be aware of the risk.