Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Brenton Strange

Tuesday, August 12, 6:05 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that wide receiver Calvin Austin III (abdomen) and tight end Jonnu Smith (knee) are considered day-to-day. "Hopefully they're back sooner rather than later," Tomlin said. The head coach categorized Smith's injury as knee soreness, while Austin is working through a minor abdominal issue. It remains to be seen if either play will suit up for the second preseason game on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but even if they don't, they should be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener in early September. Austin has the inside track to be the WR2 behind DK Metcalf this year, but that role is still unlikely to give the 26-year-old enough volume to make him an every-week starter in fantasy. Meanwhile, Smith lost most of his fantasy appeal in the offseason trade from Miami to Pittsburgh.

Thursday, August 7, 6:51 PM

ESPN's Michael DiRocco writes that Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange has been one of the team's "most consistent offensive performers throughout camp." Strange has also shown plenty of chemistry with quarterback Trevor Lawrence so far this summer. The 24-year-old was a second-rounder (61st overall) in 2023 out of Penn State. He had just five catches for 35 yards and a score in his first NFL season before posting a 40-411-2 line in 17 games (10 starts) in 2024. Strange will be Jacksonville's No. 1 pass-catching tight end in his third year now that Evan Engram is out of town. Fantasy managers in standard leagues can ignore Strange for now, but he might be worth a waiver-wire pickup later in the year if he takes advantage of his opportunities and continues to build chemistry with Lawrence. He's RotoBaller's No. 21 fantasy TE.