Who Should I Start? Irv Smith Jr. or Mitchell Evans

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.

Sunday, August 31, 12:49 PM

Carolina Panthers tight end Mitchell Evans was listed on the team's initial 53-man roster released earlier this week. While second-year pro Ja'Tavion Sanders is expected to operate as the starter and primary pass-catcher at the position, Evans could still carve out a role for himself on offense. The fifth-round NFL Draft selection currently sits third on the depth chart behind Sanders and Tommy Tremble (back), but the latter was recently activated from the PUP list and hasn't made much of an impact through his first four campaigns. Evans is unlikely to provide fantasy value as a rookie, but he is worth a flyer as a deep-league dynasty stash.