Who Should I Start? Evan Engram or Brock Bowers

Tuesday, October 21, 12:27 PM

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram got off to an inauspicious start to his Broncos tenure this year with four catches for only 33 yards in the first two weeks, and then he missed the Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers with a back injury. Head coach Sean Payton kept talking up Engram in the offseason as a key weapon in the offense, but there was no evidence to back that up early on. The 31-year-old might be starting to come around for fantasy managers, though, as he has back-to-back five-catch, 42-yard performances in Weeks 6 and 7, and he also scored for the first time in Week 5 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Right now, Engram is only rostered in 57% of Yahoo fantasy leagues. With six teams on bye in Week 8, he should be on your radar this week if you're in need of a TE, especially in a matchup this Sunday against a Dallas Cowboys defense that has been friendly to opposing passing attacks this year.

Monday, October 20, 3:00 PM

Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers (knee) has missed the last three games as he recovers from the bone bruise and PCL injury he sustained in the season opener, but according to head coach Pete Carroll, he's expected to return to the field following the team's Week 8 bye. The Raiders are coming off one of the worst offensive performances in recent history, managing fewer than 100 total yards in a 31-0 shellacking from the Kansas City Chiefs, so for multiple reasons, the bye week comes at a good time. Bowers caught five of eight targets for 103 yards in Week 1, but was clearly limited in his next three outings, lacking his trademark explosiveness as he played with a knee brace. Rather than risk further injury, the team made the decision to shut him down until he's fully healthy, and he is now in line to play in Week 9 against the Jaguars. While he may need to work himself back into game shape, he should still be inserted right back into starting lineups, as the upside he offers at the position is practically unmatched across the league.