Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Jelani Woods

Monday, June 30, 9:36 PM

The Pittsburgh Steelers view new tight end Jonnu Smith as a tight end, a slot wide receiver and a fullback and will use him in a hybrid role in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's offense. Despite already having tight end Pat Freiermuth, the Steelers acquired Smith, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Miami Dolphins on Monday in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-rounder. Smith will reunite with Arthur Smith after posting a 50-582-3 line in 2023 with the Atlanta Falcons. At the time, the 582 receiving yards were a career-high for Smith until he went off for 88 catches, 884 yards and eight TDs with Miami last season. The 29-year-old will now be working with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers in what's expected to be a run-first offense. The move to Pittsburgh is definitely bad news for Smith's fantasy upside as a TE1 in 2025.

Tuesday, August 27, 1:18 PM

The Indianapolis Colts placed tight end Jelani Woods (toe) on season-ending Injured Reserve on Tuesday due to his recent toe surgery, according to a source. It's a tough break for Woods, who also missed all of the 2023 campaign due to hamstring issues. The 25-year-old specifically needed surgery to fix turf toe and won't be able to contribute for the Colts until 2025. The third-round pick in 2022 caught 25 of his 40 targets in his rookie season in 2022 for 312 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games (two starts). Woods was going to have more of a shot at an elevated role in Indy in 2024, but those opportunities will now most likely fall to Kylen Granson. However, Granson isn't really on the TE radar in standard 12-team leagues among a committee approach to the position in Indy that also includes names like Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree and Will Mallory.