Who Should I Start? Darren Waller or Theo Johnson

Friday, October 24, 1:09 PM

Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller's pectoral injury is not season-ending, according to head coach Mike McDaniel. Waller suffered a pectoral injury in the Week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns and was placed on Injured Reserve on Wednesday, but he should be able to make it back this season. However, the 33-year-old veteran will need to miss at least four games and will not be eligible to return for Miami until Week 13. In the meantime, the team will have to make due with a combination of Julian Hill (ankle), Tanner Conner, and Greg Dulcich at the position in an offense that already lost star receiver Tyreek Hill (knee) for the year. Fantasy managers should be avoiding Miami's TE situation until Waller can return. Waller, who came out of retirement after not playing at all in 2024, got a late start in 2025 due to another injury, but he scored four touchdowns in his first three games before getting injured in Week 7.

Thursday, November 6, 5:32 PM

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson (shoulder) was upgraded to a full practice participant on Thursday after he was limited in practice on Wednesday, according to Dan Salomone of Giants.com. Johnson apparently injured his shoulder in the Week 9 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but a return to a full practice on Thursday means he should be ready to roll for a Week 10 contest this Sunday on the road against the Chicago Bears. The 24-year-old scored his fifth touchdown of the season in addition to three catches for 27 yards on six targets last week with Daniel Bellinger (neck) sidelined. Johnson should remain the Giants' primary pass-catching option at TE, but Bellinger's impending return this weekend takes a little bit of the streaming appeal away. Johnson has caught more than three passes in a game only twice this year, but he can't be ignored as a TE2 streamer with rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart injecting life into the Giants' offense.