Who Should I Start? Lawrence Cager or Jake Tonges

Wednesday, August 7, 1:51 PM

The New York Giants have tons of opportunity at the tight end position this year after Darren Waller's retirement. They are looking to fill the void left by Waller with some combination of Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager (hamstring) and rookie Theo Johnson. Bellinger is likely to be the starter, but Cager or Johnson are likely to be the team's primary pass-catching tight end. Cager started out training camp strong, and head coach Brian Daboll called him one of the standouts in the spring, but a hamstring injury has limited him recently. Johnson has returned after starting camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list with a hip problem. ESPN's Jordan Raanan says it's anyone's job to win this summer. None of the trio of TE options in New York are particularly attractive from a fantasy perspective, but Johnson probably has the most upside if he has a big enough role.

Tuesday, October 14, 10:25 AM

San Francisco 49ers tight end Jake Tonges has done a great job filling in for George Kittle (hamstring), who is still on IR and has not had his practice window opened yet. Tonges grabbed a season-high seven catches for 41 yards and a touchdown in Week 5's overtime win and followed that up with six catches for 58 yards in Week 6's loss to the Bucs. With so many receiver injuries, Tonges could stay involved even after Kittle returns, but at least until then, he's a strong option to snag from the waiver wire if you need help at tight end. The Niners host the Falcons on Sunday Night Football this week before going on the road for games in Houston and New York. When Kittle returns, Tonges' playing time and value will be much shakier, but keep a close eye on the team's practice reports to see if Tonges will get at least one more week of filling in and being fantasy relevant.