Who Should I Start? Hunter Long or Payne Durham


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.1 0.0 0.0 0.5 4.1 0.0

Hunter Long News

Cardinals Acquire Tight End Hunter Long From the Jaguars

Sunday, August 30, 8:54 AM

The Arizona Cardinals acquired tight end Hunter Long from the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. It is unclear what the Cardinals sent to the Jaguars in return. With the move, Long will join a tight end room in Arizona that includes starter Trey McBride, one of the best pass-catching TEs in the NFL, Elijah Higgins, and Teagan Quitoriano. The 28-year-old former third-rounder by the Miami Dolphins in 2021 from Boston College has primarily been a blocking-first tight end in his five years in the NFL, accumulating just 20 catches on 29 targets for 153 yards and two touchdowns in 46 games played (eight starts) with the Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams, and Jaguars. Long had his best season last year with Jacksonville, catching 12 of 17 targets for 85 yards and two touchdowns in nine regular-season games. He will have a better shot at playing time in Arizona, but Long is still a big long shot for fantasy relevance in 2026.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.4 0.0 0.0 0.4 4.6 0.1

Payne Durham News

Payne Durham Could See Increased Role

Friday, August 29, 8:14 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Payne Durham could potentially see a larger role in the offense to begin the regular season. The Bucs are uncertain if starting tight end Cade Otton (leg) is going to be ready to play during the season opener. The team will likely wait and see how Otton progresses throughout next week before making a final decision. If he misses time, Payne Durham and Devin Culp figure to split up time as the starting tight end. Durham didn't see a ton of action last season, but played well when Otton missed time late in the season. When Otton was out, Durham hauled in nine receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns as the starter. There's not a lot of value here, but maybe Durham is a dart throw if Otton is unable to go in Week 1.


Hunter Long vs. Payne Durham

Still trying to decide between Long and Durham? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Hunter Long is projected to score 1.1 points this week while Payne Durham is projected to score 1.4 points.