Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Tucker Kraft

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, 11:18 AM

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (knee) suffered a torn ACL in Week 9 of the 2025 season, putting an early end to a promising breakout campaign. Across his eight games played before getting hurt, the 25-year-old recorded 32 receptions for 489 yards and six touchdowns on 44 targets. Even with the injury, recent reporting indicates that the Packers have begun extension negotiations with Kraft, signaling that the young tight end remains a big piece in the team's plans. Green Bay traditionally spreads the ball around to a multitude of pass catchers, which limits Kraft's volume-related production. However, he has proven the ability to be highly efficient on a low number of targets. For his career, Kraft is averaging 13.7 yards per reception and has hauled in 15 touchdown grabs on just 154 total targets. Given the timing of his injury, Kraft has a chance to be ready for the start of the 2026 season. Despite the unfortunate injury setback, Kraft remains a high-end tight end option for dynasty fantasy managers coming out of 2025.