Who Should I Start? Josh Oliver or Cole Kmet

Tuesday, June 10, 1:52 PM

The Minnesota Vikings signed tight end Josh Oliver to a three-year, $23.25 million contract extension on Tuesday with a maximum value of $27.5 million, according to Athletes First's Andrew Kessler. The deal includes $11.9 million in new guarantees and $19.5 million in total guarantees. With T.J. Hockenson missing time due to injury in 2024, Oliver had 22 receptions on 28 targets for a career-high 258 yards and three touchdowns in 15 regular-season games (12 starts), but it still wasn't enough to move the fantasy needle. The 28-year-old former third-rounder (69th overall) by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2019 NFL draft out of San Jose State excels as a run-blocker and will primarily be used in that role again in 2025. And now that Hockenson will be ready for the start of this season, we'd expect Oliver to be less involved as a pass-catcher.

Tuesday, September 23, 9:19 PM

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet was targeted just once in his team's Week 3 win over the Dallas Cowboys, but he made it count with a 10-yard touchdown grab. Kmet now has four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown on seven targets through the first three games of 2025. Perhaps most importantly for Kmet's fantasy outlook, Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland (hip) suffered a hip injury in Week 3. Loveland's injury is not considered serious, and he reportedly has a chance to play in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Still, Kmet could be a low-end streaming option in deep leagues in Week 4 if Loveland is sidelined.