Who Should I Start? Irv Smith Jr. or Sam LaPorta

Sunday, September 10, 9:53 PM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Irv Smith Jr. recorded three catches for 17 yards during the loss to the Browns on Sunday. Surprisingly, the former Viking was one of the Bengals' top producers in Week 1. However, considering Cincy accumulated only three points in this one, that's not saying much. Fantasy managers should at least be glad Smith got five targets from Joe Burrow. While he probably won't be a reliable fantasy option moving ahead, he may have a few decent performances this season. That said, Smith is undoubtedly a risky fantasy option in Week 2 versus the Baltimore Ravens.

Thursday, September 21, 2:16 PM

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta has hauled in 10 of his 11 targets for 102 yards in his first two games as a pro. The Iowa product is the No. 5 tight end in total fantasy points (PPR) through two weeks, so he carries another TE1 outlook into Week 3. Amon-Ra St. Brown (toe) and Josh Reynolds (groin) are banged up this week and turned in limited practices. If one or both of those two wideouts are out for Week 3, LaPorta's ceiling would be even higher. If they both play, he's still becoming a virtual must-start at the always-scarce tight end spot in fantasy football. Start him with confidence against the Atlanta Falcons.