Who Should I Start? Ian Thomas or Hunter Long


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.8 0.0 0.0 0.4 3.7 0.0

Ian Thomas News

Raiders Add Tight End Ian Thomas

Tuesday, March 25, 1:32 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Tuesday that they signed free-agent tight end Ian Thomas (calf) to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday. Thomas will head to the AFC West after spending the first seven years of his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers after they selected him in the fourth round (101st overall) in the 2018 NFL draft out of Indiana. The 28-year-old never really established himself as a fantasy asset in Carolina, with his best season coming in his rookie campaign with a 36-333-2 line on 49 targets in 16 games (six starts). Thomas landed on Injured Reserve in 2024 with a calf injury and only caught three of six targets for seven yards in five games (two starts). He scored four touchdowns in his first three seasons but hasn't found the end zone since. In Vegas, he'll provide TE depth behind Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer and will remain off the fantasy radar.


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.


Ian Thomas vs. Hunter Long

Still trying to decide between Thomas and Long? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Ian Thomas is projected to score 0.8 points this week while Hunter Long is projected to score 1.1 points.