Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Albert Okwuegbunam

Friday, November 21, 8:41 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith failed to catch a single pass in Week 11, marking his first game without a reception since Week 4 of last season. Though the matchup against the Chicago Bears is favorable, there is little reason to expect Smith to bounce back to fantasy relevance in Week 12. The Steelers remain unpredictable in how they deploy their tight ends, with Smith, Pat Freiermuth, and Darnell Washington all playing significant snaps. It is clear, however, that Smith's fantasy value is entirely touchdown-dependent, as he has topped 20 receiving yards just four times this year. As the TE29 in RotoBaller's Week 12 rankings, fantasy managers should look elsewhere for a streaming option.

Saturday, October 4, 8:41 PM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Albert Okwuegbunam was elevated from the practice squad ahead of Sunday's meeting with the Colts. Michael Mayer (concussion) has already been ruled out, marking his second-straight absence. In addition, Brock Bowers (knee) is "trending toward not playing." If Bowers ends up missing the Week 4 matchup versus Indianapolis, Ian Thomas and Okwuegbunam could see extra looks from Geno Smith. However, neither player can be trusted from a fantasy standpoint, so managers should look in another direction for Bowers' replacement. The same can be said for rookie Carter Runyon, who hasn't done much this season.