Who Should I Start? Josh Oliver or Luke Schoonmaker

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.

Friday, November 29, 10:18 AM

Dallas Cowboys tight end Luke Schoonmaker caught five of six targets for 33 yards during Thursday's Week 13 win over the New York Giants. Schoonmaker established himself early in the contest as four of his five catches came within the first 32 minutes of the game. The 26-year-old has been playing quite admirably in the absence of Jake Ferguson (concussion). Over the last three games, he has 14 catches, 144 yards, one touchdown, and 34.4 fantasy points (PPR). Schoonmaker projects to drop off the fantasy radar as soon as Ferguson returns. However, if Ferguson can't play in Week 14, Schoonmaker would remain an intriguing low-end TE1 option.