Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Theo Johnson

Friday, November 21, 8:41 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith failed to catch a single pass in Week 11, marking his first game without a reception since Week 4 of last season. Though the matchup against the Chicago Bears is favorable, there is little reason to expect Smith to bounce back to fantasy relevance in Week 12. The Steelers remain unpredictable in how they deploy their tight ends, with Smith, Pat Freiermuth, and Darnell Washington all playing significant snaps. It is clear, however, that Smith's fantasy value is entirely touchdown-dependent, as he has topped 20 receiving yards just four times this year. As the TE29 in RotoBaller's Week 12 rankings, fantasy managers should look elsewhere for a streaming option.

Monday, November 24, 10:12 PM

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson recorded three catches for 77 yards on three targets in his team's Week 12 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions. Across 12 games this season, the 24-year-old has hauled in 39 receptions for 427 yards and five touchdowns on 60 targets. While Johnson's numbers don't jump off the page, he's been extremely consistent. In his last six games, Johnson has recorded exactly three receptions five times. The Giants may be getting starting quarterback Jaxson Dart (concussion) back in Week 13 after he's missed each of their last two games due to a concussion. Across Dart's last four games before getting injured, he targeted Johnson 25 times. He lacks explosive upside, but Johnson has proven to be a high-floor fantasy tight end option who should be a waiver-wire target in leagues with 12 or more teams heading into a Week 13 matchup against the New England Patriots.