Who Should I Start? Dillon Gabriel or Tucker Kraft

Monday, October 6, 11:35 AM

Despite taking a loss, Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel did not look overmatched in his NFL debut against a tough Brian Flores defense. The Vikings' coordinator is notorious for giving even veteran QBs trouble with his unit's exotic looks and pressures. Gabriel did an excellent job of protecting the ball and, for the most part, played smart, mistake-free football. Cleveland leaned on their ground game until late in the contest, understandably, as they'll aim to win many of their games with a strong rushing attack and solid defense. While the 24-year-old still has a way to go before becoming a suggested option in single quarterback leagues, he's an intriguing pickup in superflex formats and a decent stash in dynasty. Gabriel will get another tough matchup in Week 6 when his team takes on the hosting Pittsburgh Steelers.

Tuesday, October 7, 4:18 PM

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft has had a solid start to his second season as the full-time starting tight end for the Packers, but is he a bit overrated for fantasy football? In Week 4, when Jordan Love had 43 pass attempts, Kraft could only manage five targets with five receptions for 56 yards. Kraft has been fine this season and perhaps has been propped up by his monster 6-124-1 game in Week 2. Besides that game, Kraft has averaged just four targets, three receptions, 34 yards outside of Week 2. What's additionally concerning is that his per-route metrics are starting to slide. In Week 1, Kraft earned a target on 22.2 percent of his routes run, but that percentage has slipped to 21 percent, 17 percent, and in Week 4, 13 percent. Kraft is what he is: a volatile boom-or-bust option with an inconsistent target-earning profile. You can start Kraft in good fantasy matchups and hope he gets into the end zone in bad matchups. This week is a good matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, so Kraft is a fine start. Just know that while the ceiling is very high, Kraft's fantasy points floor is shockingly low.