Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Kyle Pitts Sr.

Saturday, August 23, 1:37 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith (knee) is back in uniform at practice on Saturday after missing the entire preseason with a knee injury, according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. This will be Smith's first practice since tweaking his knee on Aug. 5. The 30-year-old should be on track to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the New York Jets. However, after a career year in 2024 with the Miami Dolphins, Smith's fantasy value took a huge hit after being traded to Pittsburgh in the offseason. He should still be involved in offenive coordinator Arthur Smith's system, but he's expected to take a back seat to incumbent Pat Friermuth. In single-TE fantasy formats, managers can avoid Smith on draft day. Outside of his 88-884-8 line last year, Smith's best season was a 50-582-3 line the year prior in Atlanta.

Saturday, August 30, 8:09 AM

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. could be on the move this year, according to the latest report from The Athletic's Jeff Howe. Howe reported that if the Falcons struggle early in the season and Pitts isn't clicking with new quarterback Michael Penix Jr., he could be available before the trade deadline. Pitts is coming into the final year of his huge five-year rookie contract and will earn a hefty $10.878 million salary. While that huge price tag will make a trade tricky, teams have been willing to eat salary to add a playmaker or to add draft capital if the Falcons include a draft pick in the deal. Pitts hauled in 47 catches for 602 yards and a career-high four touchdowns while playing all 17 games last season. He posted over 600 yards in each of the last two years, but he hasn't consistently delivered on the upside that he promised as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. A change of scenery would be interesting for Pitts and his fantasy value as a fringe TE1 before he hits the free agent market after this season.