Who Should I Start? Ian Thomas or Jake Tonges

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.

Saturday, October 11, 6:24 AM

San Francisco 49ers tight end Jake Tonges tied wide receiver Kendrick Bourne for a team-high 11 targets in Week 5. Tonges turned his looks into seven catches for 41 yards and a touchdown in San Francisco's 26-23 win over the Rams. The tight end was afforded extra opportunities with Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs) inactive due to injuries. In Week 6, Pearsall will again be out, and Jennings is listed as questionable on the 49ers' final injury report. Tonges hasn't been compiling much yardage while standing in for George Kittle (hamstring), but he has scored in three separate games. On Sunday, San Francisco will face the Buccaneers, who allowed two touchdowns each to Dallas Goedert and AJ Barner in their last two games. Tonges has high-end TE2 potential for the contest, so long as Mac Jones (knee, oblique) is able to suit up.