Who Should I Start? Ian Thomas or T.J. Hockenson

Saturday, September 7, 1:42 PM

The Carolina Panthers placed tight end Ian Thomas (calf) on Injured Reserve on Saturday after already ruling him out for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday against the division-rival New Orleans Saints. In addition to putting Thomas on IR, the team also waived cornerback Keenan Isaac and signed tight end Feleipe Franks and defensive tackle Jayden Peevy to the active 53-man roster from the practice squad. Thomas will now miss at least the first four weeks of the 2024 season after being sidelined since early in training camp with a calf injury. Tommy Tremble (back, hamstring) has already been ruled out for Week 1 as well, so Carolina is entering the regular season already thin at the TE position, meaning rookie Ja'Tavion Sanders will mostly likely be thrust into the top pass-catching role right away.

Wednesday, October 30, 6:16 PM

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) is expected to play a full allotment of snaps in Week 9 in his first game back from a torn ACL and MCL. Hockenson has been practicing with the team for a couple of weeks and will finally make his long-anticipated season debut when the Vikings host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football. Hockenson logged a full practice on Wednesday. His practice activity over the last couple of weeks should put him in a good position to succeed immediately. Hockenson's return will be a welcome one for fantasy managers who have stashed him all year. He was a stud in 2023 when he racked up 960 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 15 games. Hockenson has been an excellent vertical threat throughout his career and will look to step right back into that role. His presence will undoubtedly help wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in the passing game because Hockenson will give defenses one more weapon to cover. Expect Hockenson to take a couple of weeks to get back into the swing of a regular season game. However, he should begin to produce TE1 numbers before long.