Who Should I Start? Kyle Pitts Sr. or Chase Brown

Tuesday, February 24, 1:07 PM

The Atlanta Falcons officially placed the franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. on Tuesday, according to Tori McElhaney of AtlantaFalcons.com. It's just the fourth time in franchise history that the team has used the franchise tag, with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett the last recipient of the tag in 2019. Officially, the tag is a non-exclusive franchise tag, which means Pitts "is free to negotiate with other teams." It buys the Falcons and new general manager Ian Cunningham a little more time to evaluate what they want for the future of Pitts in Atlanta. The projected franchise tag value for TEs in 2026 is around $16 million. The 25-year-old played on a fifth-year option in 2025 and had one of his best seasons to date, finishing second among tight ends in catches (88) and receiving yards (928), and he tied his career high with five touchdowns. The former fourth overall pick was a top-five fantasy TE, but a repeat could be difficult in 2026 if Michael Penix Jr. (knee) isn't ready for the start of the regular season.

Tuesday, February 24, 10:56 AM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown still has one year left on his rookie contract and is hopeful to sign an extension that his representation has been working on since at least late January. Brown stands unchallenged atop the Bengals' running back depth chart, playing in all 17 games in the 2025 season with an average rush share of 70%. While his rushing touches are important, Brown sets himself apart from his peers and is a valuable dynasty asset because of his involvement in Cincinnati's passing game. With quarterback Joe Burrow at the helm from Weeks 13-17, Brown hauled in 25 of his 26 targets and scored three touchdowns through the air. Brown is a young, proven back and, despite some low-scoring weeks early in the 2025 season, earned fantasy managers over 15 PPR points in every game from Weeks 8 through 18. His consistency and potential for RB1 weeks make him a valuable dynasty piece to target in trades or during start-up drafts.