Who Should I Start? Josh Oliver or AJ Barner

Sunday, January 4, 3:00 PM

Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver (ankle) has been ruled out for the remainder of his team's Week 18 matchup against the Green Bay Packers after suffering an ankle injury. Oliver recorded two catches for 29 yards on two targets before exiting the game. The 28-year-old will finish the 2025 season with 15 catches for 160 yards and four touchdowns on 19 targets across 15 games played. Minnesota entered the game already without tight end T.J. Hockenson (shoulder), so the team is now working without its top two players at the position. Without Hockenson and Oliver, the Vikings will likely rely on tight ends Ben Yurosek and Ben Sims for the remainder of Week 18.

Friday, January 23, 9:28 PM

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner put up a donut in the Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers despite the team scoring 41 points. Barner was the TE14 overall in half-PPR points during the regular season, catching 52 of his 68 targets for 519 yards and six touchdowns as Seattle's primary tight end. Seattle didn't really need to throw the ball much last weekend, though, with quarterback Sam Darnold attempting only 17 passes. The 23-year-old second-year TE will most likely need to get involved on Sunday in the NFC Championship if they are going to keep up with the high-scoring Los Angeles Rams. Barner is poised to bounce back, but he'll also become more volatile with rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo (knee) returning from Injured Reserve. It's worth noting that Barner looked good in both previous games against the Rams, combining for 14 receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown on a healthy 17 targets.