Who Should I Start? Kyle Pitts Sr. or Tyler Warren

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 3, 3:08 PM

Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren didn't disappoint after the Colts took him 14th overall in last year's NFL Draft out of Penn State. The 23-year-old immediately became Indy's No. 1 pass-catching tight end, and he finished his first year in the NFL as the Colts' No. 2 receiver, behind only Alec Pierce. Warren was the TE6 in half-PPR scoring with 76 receptions on 112 targets for 817 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games played. His 112 targets were third among all TEs, behind only Trey McBride and Kyle Pitts Sr. Warren wasn't quite as productive down the stretch for fantasy managers after starting quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Still, his overall numbers were impressive, and with Jones expected to return to the Colts, Warren will have true breakout potential as a top-five fantasy TE going into Year 2 in 2026.