Who Should I Start? Drew Sample or Gunnar Helm

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.

Wednesday, May 7, 3:12 PM

Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Elic Ayomanor and tight end Gunnar Helm were both fourth-round selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. While fourth-round picks are not guaranteed to make an impact right away, the Stanford and Texas products, respectively, "should have a path to contributing early," according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Many draft analysts had a Round 2 or Round 3 grade on Ayomanor, who posted 1,844 yards and 12 touchdowns in two collegiate seasons. The Titans' wide receiver group behind Calvin Ridley and the aging Tyler Lockett is underwhelming, so don't be surprised if Ayomanor is starting at the X-WR spot early in his rookie campaign. Meanwhile, Chig Okonkwo is still slotted in as the starter at tight end, but Helm, who caught 60 passes and scored seven touchdowns last season, could eat into his snaps and become a factor in 12-personnel. Neither pass-catcher is likely to be a consistent fantasy producer in an offense led by rookie quarterback Cam Ward, but they should be monitored throughout the season as potential waiver wire targets in deeper setups.