Who Should I Start? Jordan Akins or Donald Parham

Friday, November 22, 11:10 AM

Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Akins brought in three of his four targets for 38 yards in their victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday evening. Akins has now seen at least four targets in each contest with Jameis Winston under center. Despite operating as the No. 2 tight end behind David Njoku, Akins is still showing some fantasy relevance, even in a reserve role. His longest reception of the evening came for 18 yards. Fantasy managers in deeper 14+ team formats should continue monitoring Akins' usage down the stretch, as he could be a viable bench option if the Cleveland offense continues to grow. For now, fantasy managers should not rely on Akins as a starter heading into his Week 13 tilt against a tough Denver Broncos defense.

Monday, August 12, 8:26 PM

As things currently stand in training camp, The Athletic's Daniel Popper lists Los Angeles Chargers tight ends Will Dissly, Hayden Hurst and Stone Smartt as the three TEs he thinks will make the final roster. Donald Parham Jr. and Ben Mason have missed significant practice time with injuries, and when Parham has been on the field, he has been working with the second and third teams. His blocking also remains a weakness. Zach Heins and Luke Benson have flashed at times, but they don't seem deserving of a roster spot over one of the other team's receivers. Smartt has improved as a blocker, which is why Popper thinks he'll earn a 53-man roster spot for a run-heavy Greg Roman offense this year. Parham's fantasy value in dynasty/keeper leagues is quickly evaporating, even though he set career-highs in catches (27), yards (285) and touchdowns (four) in 2023.