Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Ian Thomas

Saturday, October 25, 1:46 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith found the end zone last week and should stay involved when facing the Green Bay Packers in Week 8. Despite the return of wide receiver Calvin Austin III (shoulder), Smith carries some upside as a pass-catcher in this matchup, with Green Bay surrendering the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends. Still, both Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington also played well in Week 7, making it difficult to rely on any of the three for fantasy purposes. Smith is the best bet to produce, however, as the team leader in targets and snaps at the position. While he can be started in a pinch, the veteran is best viewed as a middling TE2 this week.

Tuesday, March 25, 1:32 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Tuesday that they signed free-agent tight end Ian Thomas (calf) to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday. Thomas will head to the AFC West after spending the first seven years of his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers after they selected him in the fourth round (101st overall) in the 2018 NFL draft out of Indiana. The 28-year-old never really established himself as a fantasy asset in Carolina, with his best season coming in his rookie campaign with a 36-333-2 line on 49 targets in 16 games (six starts). Thomas landed on Injured Reserve in 2024 with a calf injury and only caught three of six targets for seven yards in five games (two starts). He scored four touchdowns in his first three seasons but hasn't found the end zone since. In Vegas, he'll provide TE depth behind Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer and will remain off the fantasy radar.