Who Should I Start? Josh Oliver or Tanner Conner

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, September 12, 9:47 PM

Miami Dolphins tight end Tanner Conner will be in line for more playing time in Week 2 against the Patriots since Darren Waller (hip) will miss a second straight week. In Week 1, Conner split time evenly with Julian Hill, each playing 58% of snaps. Conner was much more involved as a receiver, though, drawing four targets compared to zero for Hill. Conner only had two catches for 20 yards, though, as the Dolphins' offense sputtered in their loss to the Colts. Conner could be a short-yardage option for the Miami again this week, and the Patriots were a good matchup for tight ends in Week 1. However, he is still a very unproven option in a struggling offense, so he's not a strong play in Week 2. In the RotoBaller rankings, he's TE48.