Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Brock Bowers

Sunday, January 11, 12:12 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith (glute) was a full participant in practice on Saturday and was cleared from the final injury report, according to Adam Caplan of Sirius XM NFL Radio. Smith will be active for the Wild-Card matchup against the visiting Houston Texans on Monday night. Even though Darnell Washington (forearm) is done for the year due to injury, Smith is a hard sell for starting fantasy football lineups in playoff formats, especially with receiver DK Metcalf returning from a two-game suspension. The 30-year-old Smith had only one catch on two targets for two yards in the team's Week 18 regular-season finale against the Baltimore Ravens, and he caught only 38 passes during the regular season for 222 yards and two touchdowns. If you are going to use a TE from Pittsburgh this weekend, it should be Pat Freiermuth.

Friday, February 20, 10:01 AM

After a record-breaking rookie campaign in 2024, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers battled through injury and a less-than-ideal offensive environment in 2025. Across 12 games, Bowers recorded 64 receptions for 680 yards and seven touchdowns on 86 targets. The 23-year-old suffered a knee injury in Week 1 that he battled through for multiple months before finally being shut down and ending the season on Injured Reserve. However, Bowers should be fully healthy for the start of the 2026 season. The Raiders could also have an improved team around him, as the team appears likely to select University of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the number one overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. Las Vegas also made coaching staff changes, bringing in former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their new head coach. With renewed health and a better supporting cast, Bowers should return to elite fantasy tight end status in 2026 and beyond.