Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or T.J. Hockenson

Thursday, March 7, 7:31 PM

The Miami Dolphins and tight end Jonnu Smith agreed upon a two-year, $10 million contract on Thursday according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport. Smith was released by the Atlanta Falcons earlier in the offseason but wasn't looking for work for very long as he will now join an explosive Miami offense. The tight end position has not been heavily targeted since Mike McDaniel took over as the team's head coach but the Dolphins invested a significant amount of money to bring him to town, so Smith should open the year as the team's clear-cut starter. He can be tentatively considered a low-end TE2 heading into 2024.

Tuesday, December 26, 4:18 PM

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) suffered a torn ACL and MCL in the Week 16 loss to the Detroit Lions. He is expected to be placed on injured reserve and will miss the rest of the season. Given the late-season injury, the 26-year-old could start the 2024 season on the PUP list. The former first-round pick signed a four-year, $66 million contract this offseason with Minnesota. Hockenson had career-highs in receptions, receiving, yards, and targets during his first entire season with the Vikings. He caught 95 of 127 targets for 965 yards and five touchdowns over 15 games in 2023. Hockenson will likely undergo surgery in the next few weeks and looks to recover fully in 2024. Josh Oliver is expected to be Minnesota's top tight end with Hockenson sidelined. Fantasy managers searching for tight end help or a replacement for Hockenson can look to add Oliver in most league formats.