Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Cedric Tillman

Monday, September 8, 3:32 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith was a mixed bag in his debut with the team in the wild 34-32 win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Smith led the team with five receptions on six targets and found the end zone for the first time in 2025, but he accounted for only 15 receiving yards and averaged a paltry three yards per reception. The 30-year-old played in 66 percent of the offensive snaps compared to 50% for fellow TE Pat Freiermuth, who caught all three of his targets for 28 yards. It's good news that quarterback Aaron Rodgers looked Smith's way six times (tied for second on the team), but he's certainly not going to be anywhere close to his 88-884-8 line in a breakout season with Miami last year. As long as Freiermuth stays healthy, fantasy managers should consider Smith a touchdown-dependent TE2.

Monday, September 8, 12:24 PM

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman caught 5-of-8 targets for 52 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 17-16 loss to their division rival, the Cincinnati Bengals. The University of Tennessee product tied rookie running back Dylan Sampson and fellow wideout Jerry Jeudy for the second-most targets on the team, but arguably was the most productive pass-catcher, scoring their lone touchdown through the air. Tillman displayed his explosiveness for a brief stretch mid-way through last season before a concussion forced him to miss Weeks 13-18. While Joe Flacco's days as Cleveland's starter are all but numbered, the 25-year-old should be a viable fantasy asset with him at the helm. The Browns will get a stiff test next Sunday when the Baltimore Ravens come to town.