Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Eli Stowers

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Jonnu Smith News

Packers Signing Tight End Jonnu Smith to One-Year Deal

Thursday, August 27, 8:16 AM

The Green Bay Packers are signing former Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith to an undisclosed one-year deal on Thursday, sources told Jordan Schultz. Smith is one of the league's most respected veterans, and he has recorded 345 career catches and 30 touchdowns in his nine years in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Packers will be Smith's fourth different team in the last four years. The former third-rounder in 2017 by the Titans out of Florida International had a career year in Miami in 2024, catching 88 of 111 targets for 884 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games, but he cratered to a 38-222-2 line in 17 regular-season games last year in Pittsburgh while sharing work with Pat Freiermuth. With Luke Musgrave (neck) on the Physically Unable to Perform list, the 31-year-old should become Green Bay's TE2 behind Tucker Kraft (knee), who is coming off a torn ACL last year. Smith is unlikely to have standalone fantasy value with the Packers unless Kraft misses more time with an injury, but his presence is not great news for Kraft's potential breakout in 2026.

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
3.3 0.1 0.0 1.4 14.5 0.1

Eli Stowers News

Eli Stowers Likely to be a Game-Day Inactive

Wednesday, August 26, 7:24 AM

Philadelphia Eagles rookie tight end Eli Stowers is athletic and versatile at 6-foot-4 and 239 pounds, which is undersized for a tight end. He was a high school quarterback, but he shifted to TE at Vanderbilt and lined up all over the formation to create mismatches against slower linebackers and smaller defensive backs. The downside is that Stowers was a big receiver coming out of college and would need to become a better blocker to develop into a well-rounded NFL tight end. Throughout training camp, Stowers has not "shown much to get excited about as a receiver or as a blocker." He has not exhibited explosive traits, and he has "sometimes looked tentative as a blocker." The hope is that Stowers will eventually catch up and begin playing fast, but Kempski says Stowers is "unplayable" right now and will "likely be a game-day inactive." He is also currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, which is not helping his cause. With all that said, Kempski does not believe that Stowers will be a "redshirt" IR candidate in 2026 after they used a valuable second-round pick on him.

Jonnu Smith vs. Eli Stowers

Still trying to decide between Smith and Stowers? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Jonnu Smith is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Eli Stowers is projected to score 3.3 points.