Who Should I Start? Kyle Pitts or AJ Barner

Thursday, July 24, 1:31 PM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. started his training camp press conference on Thursday making sure that everyone noticed how they got tight end Kyle Pitts involved at practice. "See we got KP the ball? Gonna be a lot of that," Penix said. Pitts missed offseason work this spring due to a foot injury, but he's been cleared at training camp and worked with the team on Thursday. Fantasy managers that have burned by Pitts before are probably rolling their eyes and will want to see it to believe it in 2025. The 24-year-old former fourth overall pick in 2021 out of Florida had a 1,000-yard season but only one touchdown in his rookie campaign but hasn't gone over 667 yards in the last three years. Pitts is healthy now, and the Falcons expect big things from him, but Penix targeted him just 10 times in his three starts to close out 2024. Target Pitts as a TE2 in fantasy with the possibility of a bounce back.

Sunday, January 5, 8:18 PM

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner scored his fourth touchdown of the season in a Week 18 win over the Los Angeles Rams. The rookie out of Michigan has proven to be a solid contributor all season. He will finish the year with 245 yards on 30 receptions in addition to the touchdowns. Barner has a chance to become a more integral part of Seattle's offense in 2025. He has already displayed solid pass-catching chops and solid run after catch ability this season. He also started several games in place of tight end Noah Fant this season. He displayed that he has what it takes to be a potential starting tight end in this league. Barner is worth monitoring throughout the offseason to see what kind of buzz he generates in camp. He is also worth a roster spot in dynasty should he have a full second-year breakout. The future looks like it could be bright for this kid.