Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Theo Johnson

Sunday, January 11, 12:12 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith (glute) was a full participant in practice on Saturday and was cleared from the final injury report, according to Adam Caplan of Sirius XM NFL Radio. Smith will be active for the Wild-Card matchup against the visiting Houston Texans on Monday night. Even though Darnell Washington (forearm) is done for the year due to injury, Smith is a hard sell for starting fantasy football lineups in playoff formats, especially with receiver DK Metcalf returning from a two-game suspension. The 30-year-old Smith had only one catch on two targets for two yards in the team's Week 18 regular-season finale against the Baltimore Ravens, and he caught only 38 passes during the regular season for 222 yards and two touchdowns. If you are going to use a TE from Pittsburgh this weekend, it should be Pat Freiermuth.

Thursday, February 5, 12:00 PM

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson established himself as the team's clear top option at the position in his second NFL season in 2025. Across 15 games played, the 24-year-old hauled in 45 receptions for 528 yards and five touchdowns on 74 targets. Johnson played at least 80% of the Giants' offensive snaps in 12 out of the 15 games he was active for. Additionally, all five of his touchdown grabs came from Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, an encouraging sign for the chemistry between two young pieces in the New York offense who should be able to grow together in the coming years. Heading into 2026, the Giants should be getting star wideout Malik Nabers (knee) back from the knee injury that sidelined him for the majority of 2025, which will take some targets away from Johnson. Still, New York's offense profiles as an improving unit as a whole, which should only help Johnson's overall production. He may not have a superstar ceiling, but Johnson profiles as a tight end whose stock is on the rise in dynasty fantasy formats.