Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Chig Okonkwo

Thursday, July 24, 4:31 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith (undisclosed) is considered day-to-day with an unspecified injury, according to head coach Mike Tomlin. The 2024 Pro Bowler participated in individual drills on Thursday but was held out of team drills. Given his limited practice participation, this should not be viewed with much concern by fantasy managers. Smith was traded to the Steelers from the Miami Dolphins for a late-round pick swap following the most productive season of his career. Smith tallied career highs in receptions (88), receiving yards (884), and touchdowns (eight) in 17 games a season ago. Now in Pittsburgh and back with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, the 29-year-old is unlikely to replicate his fantasy TE1 season in 2025. The Steelers project to have a low-volume passing offense led by an aging Aaron Rodgers.

Wednesday, July 9, 3:01 PM

Tennessee Titans Chig Okonkwo has flashed on occasion during his three-year NFL career, but tight ends often take time to develop, and Tennessee's offense has been well below league-average since the start of the 2022 campaign. The former fourth-round pick out of Maryland has tallied 138 receptions (193 targets) for 1,457 yards and six touchdowns in 51 career games. Heading into Year 4, Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt believes he is "poised" for his best season as a pro. He now has valuable experience, and he'll enter the year with momentum after finishing the 2024 season on a roll." Wyatt wrote. "Okonkwo finished the year third on the team with 52 catches for 479 yards and two scores. The Titans are counting on big things from Okonkwo after a solid offseason, when I charted him with a team-high 13 catches during the five open practices." While it's tough to get too excited about a mid-level tight end catching passes from a rookie quarterback, there is a low bar for Cam Ward to have the best season of any Tennessee signal callers since Okonkwo arrived in Nashville. At his TE26 cost in preseason fantasy drafts, he's worth a dart throw given the lack of target competition behind Calvin Ridley.