Who Should I Start? George Kittle or Darnell Washington

Tuesday, October 21, 12:53 PM

San Francisco 49ers tight end Jake Tonges saw just seven snaps in the team's 20-10 win on Sunday Night Football in Week 7. With George Kittle (hamstring) back from injured reserve, the former All-Pro reclaimed his spot at the top of the depth chart, and Tonges fell to third in the pecking order behind Luke Farrell as well. Tonges operated as San Francisco's top tight end while Kittle was on injured reserve after injuring his hamstring in Week 1. Injuries to wide receivers Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs, shoulder) over the subsequent weeks turned Tonges into a streaming candidate. During Kittle's absence, Tonges had three top-12 finishes at his position. Kittle's return tanks Tonges' fantasy value for San Francisco's Week 8 matchup against Houston and beyond. He can be dropped in all leagues.

Tuesday, October 21, 9:35 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington came through with his first touchdown of the season in Week 7 but was otherwise quiet with three receptions for just two yards in the loss. Though he did see five targets, Washington was out-snapped and outperformed by Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith, both of whom had underwhelmed early in the year. In Week 8, Washington will face the Green Bay Packers, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends. This matchup makes Washington an intriguing DFS dart throw or deep-league flier, but it remains difficult to predict how opportunities will be distributed among Pittsburgh's tight ends in Arthur Smith's offense, keeping him off the fantasy radar in most redraft formats.