Who Should I Start? Gunnar Helm or Elijah Arroyo

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.

Friday, May 2, 11:55 PM

Seattle Seahawks rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo (knee) said that the knee injury that slowed him down during the pre-draft process is behind him. Arroyo didn't run the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine in February or at his Pro Day due to his knee injury, but the Seahawks estimated that the 6-foot-5, 254-pounder would run a 4.52-second 40 based on his GPS speeds. Despite his knee issue, the Seahawks selected the 22-year-old former Miami product in the second round (50th overall) in last week's draft. Seattle still has Noah Fant, who caught 48 passes for 500 yards and a touchdown on 64 targets in 14 games in 2024, but Arroyo has a shot to carve out a significant role in his rookie season, especially as a red-zone target for quarterback Sam Darnold. Arroyo can probably be ignored in standard redraft leagues this fall but will be an intriguing dynasty/keeper prospect long-term.