Who Should I Start? Jordan Akins or Drew Sample

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, March 11, 4:49 PM

The Cincinnati Bengals re-signed tight end Drew Sample to a three-year, $10.5 million contract extension on Monday, according to a source. Sample will receive $3.5 million in 2024. In his fifth year with the Bengals in 2023, Sample had 22 catches on 27 targets for 163 yards and a career-high two touchdowns in 17 games (10 starts). Tanner Hudson, Mitchell Wilcox and Irv Smith Jr. are all free agents, but one or more of them could be retained or the Bengals could add competition at the position through the NFL draft. The 27-year-old Sample has accumulated just 80 receptions (103 targets) for 621 yards and three touchdowns in his five years in the NFL with Cincy, so it would be unrealistic to expect the Bengals to utilize him as their unquestioned No. 1 pass-catching TE in 2024.