Who Should I Start? Drew Sample or Chig Okonkwo

Saturday, September 27, 2:08 PM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Drew Sample has only three catches this season, with one resulting in a trip to the end zone. The 29-year-old has logged more snaps than Mike Gesicki and Noah Fant (foot) through the first three weeks of the 2025 campaign. However, both have received more attention from quarterbacks Joe Burrow (toe) and Jake Browning. The Bengals offense is a mess, which has been a surprise to most. As a result, it's hard to trust anyone on that side of the ball. Granted, Sample should continue to lead the position in snaps, especially with his abilities as a blocker. Still, while he will likely add a few more scores to his resume before the end of the season, he's not consistent enough to be considered a starting fantasy option in any format in Week 4 versus the Broncos.

Friday, October 31, 1:53 PM

Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo (foot) was able to return to the practice field on Friday, giving him a chance to play this Sunday when the team takes on the visiting Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9, according to Turron Davenport of ESPN. Okonkwo was limited in Wednesday's practice with his foot injury, but he was then downgraded to out on Thursday, raising questions about his availability this weekend. It's unclear what the 26-year-old's official status is for Week 9, but he's likely to be questionable to play. If Okonkwo is out or limited at all against the Bolts, it would open the door for rookie Gunnar Helm to be a legitimate streaming option for fantasy managers at the tight end position. Okonkwo has 27 catches on the year for 271 yards and no touchdowns, which has made him a low-end TE2 option, at best.