Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Chig Okonkwo

Friday, October 17, 9:35 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith caught three of his six targets for 28 yards and a touchdown in Thursday night's 33-31 loss at Cincinnati. It was Smith's first touchdown since Week 1 and also tied for the most targets in a game since then. Smith didn't have the flashiest night among Pittsburgh tight ends, with Pat Freiermuth exploding for 111 yards and two touchdowns on five catches. They both took advantage of a leaky Bengals defense, and one that struggled against tight ends. Still, the weekly volume isn't high for Smith, and he's reliant on finding the end zone to return fantasy value.

Saturday, October 18, 9:25 AM

Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo has quietly emerged as one of quarterback Cameron Ward's favorite targets, which should benefit him as he looks to maintain low-end fantasy relevance against the New England Patriots in Week 7. The 26-year-old has 10 catches for 94 yards over his last two games, and he ranks as the overall TE21 in scoring so far (PPR). The good news is that he has been a short-range outlet for Ward, but he can still contribute extra yards with his impressive YAC ability. We need to see a little more consistency from Okonkwo before confidently starting him. That could happen this week against the Patriots, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2025.