Who Should I Start? Ian Thomas or Noah Fant

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.

Sunday, December 28, 12:03 PM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Noah Fant (ankle) is officially active on Sunday to face the visiting Arizona Cardinals in Week 17. Fant will return to action this weekend in a meaningless game after missing last week's blowout win over the Miami Dolphins due to an ankle injury. Even in a plus matchup against the Cardinals, fantasy managers should have much better TE2 streaming options to choose from in Week 17, even in deeper leagues. The 28-year-old Fant just won't have enough opportunities while continuing to work behind Mike Gesicki at the position in Cincy. Fant has a total of 33 catches for 283 yards and three touchdowns on 39 targets in 13 games (six starts) in his first year with the Bengals. He hasn't had more than one catch in a game since Nov. 16, and he has not gone over 44 receiving yards in a single contest in 2025.