Who Should I Start? Josh Oliver or Mitchell Wilcox

Thursday, November 21, 3:36 PM

Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver (ankle) missed a second straight day of practice this week on Thursday due to a sprained left ankle that he suffered in the Week 11 victory over the Tennessee Titans. Oliver is likely going to need to practice in some fashion on Friday in order to have a shot at playing in Week 12 against the division-rival Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday. The 27-year-old does have a career-high three touchdowns in 10 starts in 2024, but he hasn't been a reliable fantasy asset, even at the weak TE position, catching 19 of his 22 targets for 216 yards. If Oliver is inactive this weekend, it should give T.J. Hockenson a slightly higher fantasy ceiling after he disappointed with two catches for 13 yards in his third game off Injured Reserve.

Monday, April 22, 4:39 PM

The New England Patriots signed free-agent tight end Mitchell Wilcox on Monday, the team announced on X. Originally undrafted out of the 2020 class, Wilcox has spent the last four years with the Cincinnati Bengals. In 48 career games, the South Florida product has hauled in 29 of his 35 targets for 211 yards and one touchdown. The Patriots re-signed Hunter Henry to a three-year, $27 million deal this offseason, so the TE1 role is occupied in Foxborough. Wilcox could have the chance to compete with Austin Hooper for the TE2 job, but Hooper is likely the favorite to back up Henry. That said, Wilcox can be ignored in fantasy football.