Who Should I Start? Jordan Akins or Irv Smith Jr.

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.

Tuesday, September 17, 10:22 PM

The Houston Texans signed free-agent tight end Irv Smith and former starting center Scott Quessenberry to their practice squad on Tuesday following successful tryouts, according to league sources. Smith, a former second-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings out of Alabama, will give Houston more depth at the TE position behind Dalton Schultz, Brevin Jordan and rookie Cade Stover. He has 109 career receptions for 973 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career with the Vikings, Bengals and Chiefs, but injuries have really held him back from reaching his true ceiling. Texans center Juice Scruggs (groin), who missed the Week 2 win over the Bears on Sunday night, is on track to return this week against the Vikings, but Quessenberry will give the team more depth at the position. Quessenberry started for Houston two seasons ago when Justin Britt stepped away for personal reasons.