Who Should I Start? Irv Smith Jr. or Jelani Woods

Tuesday, August 26, 11:41 AM

Houston Texans tight end Irv Smith Jr. (ankle) has suffered an ankle sprain that could lead to him being placed on injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. The Texans already lost some talent at the position earlier this summer when Brevin Jordan (knee) went down with a serious knee injury. Without Smith Jr. and Jordan, 2024 fourth-rounder Cade Stover and recent trade acquisition Harrison Bryant make up the depth behind top tight end Dalton Schultz. Schultz is a low-upside TE2 in fantasy, but his playing time in Houston may be a bit more secure now than it was when the preseason began.

Wednesday, August 27, 1:31 PM

The New York Jets claimed tight end Jelani Woods off waivers on Wednesday from the Indianapolis Colts, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Woods did not make the Colts' final 53-man roster heading into the 2025 season, and now he'll look to make his return to NFL action with the Jets for the first time since 2022. The 26-year-old will be competing for TE2 duties with Jeremy Ruckert in New York behind rookie first-rounder Mason Taylor. Woods, a former third-round pick (73rd overall) in 2022, caught 25 of 40 targets for 312 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games (two starts) in his rookie season with Indy. However, a serious hamstring injury caused him to miss each of the last two years, causing the Colts to move on. Woods would only be worth a look on the waiver wire in fantasy this year if Taylor misses time with an injury.