Who Should I Start? James Mitchell or Luke Schoonmaker

Friday, January 12, 9:37 PM

Detroit Lions tight end James Mitchell (hand) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's Wild-Card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Mitchell was limited in practice on Thursday, but ended up missing Friday's session. The Lions have decided to rule him out for this contest, which normally doesn't mean too much. However, Sam LaPorta (knee) has been banged up, but he was able to get through a full practice on Friday. Fellow tight end Brock Wright appears ready to play, so the absence of Mitchell won't make much of an impact.

Tuesday, March 26, 10:51 PM

Dallas Cowboys tight end Luke Schoonmaker (shoulder) had shoulder surgery recently but is "all systems go" for training camp this summer, according to a person familiar with the situation. Schoonmaker played in all 17 regular-season games in his rookie season in 2023 after being taken in the second round out of Michigan, but he didn't do much behind Jake Ferguson, catching only eight of 15 targets for 65 yards and two touchdowns. However, his shoulder injury may have been partially to blame. The 25-year-old could have a bigger role in his sophomore campaign in Dallas, but as long as Ferguson stays healthy, it's hard to envision Schoonmaker being very attractive for fantasy managers on a weekly basis. As long as Ferguson is healthy, Schoonmaker will be a blocker over a receiver.