Who Should I Start? Josh Oliver or Luke Farrell

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 16, 12:19 PM

San Francisco 49ers tight end Luke Farrell drew the start in George Kittle's (hamstring) absence in Week 2. He caught two of his three targets for 15 yards and a touchdown in the team's 26-21 over the New Orleans Saints. Farrell may have had the start and the score on Sunday, but his 59% snap share paled compared to Tonges' 78% and was on par with his 58% share from Week 1. With Kittle on injured reserve for at least another three games, there is an opportunity for one of his stand-ins to step up. However, with an apparent timeshare in the works, it's anyone's guess as to who might stand out in Week 3, limiting the fantasy value of both Farrell and Tonges.