Who Should I Start? Drew Sample or Elijah Arroyo

Sunday, January 5, 7:40 AM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Drew Sample caught all four of his targets for 14 yards on Saturday in his team's 19-17 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Though the yardage total wasn't anything to write home about, the veteran tight end tied a season high in catches. More importantly, Cincinnati's offense did just enough to earn a fifth straight victory that kept its playoff hopes alive for another day. Whether Sample and the Bengals get a shot in the Wild Card round will come down to Week 18, when Cincy needs both Denver and Miami to lose.

Thursday, May 22, 3:46 PM

Seattle Seahawks rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo was the No. 50 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after securing 35 receptions for 590 yards and seven touchdowns in his final campaign at Miami. The 22-year-old led the Hurricanes in yards per reception (16.9) while catching passes from Cam Ward. So far at OTAs, Seahawks brass is impressed with his ability and versatility. "This guy can run an extensive route tree," head coach Mike Macdonald said. "To have to account for a tight end body on the field and him also to be able to split out wide, do X receiver type of things, bigger body than we probably have right now on our roster, just provides a ton of value." While tight ends often take time to develop in the NFL, Arroyo could operate as a downfield threat for Sam Darnold. Wideouts Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp operate in the short to intermediate parts of the field, so there's room for Arroyo to make splash plays. Arroyo is unlikely to be a consistent fantasy producer in traditional formats, but he could be worth a late-round dart throw in best ball drafts.