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.

Friday, January 2, 10:41 AM

San Francisco 49ers tight end Jake Tonges had a big game in Week 17, recording seven catches for 60 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. Tonges benefited from the absence of star 49ers tight end George Kittle (ankle), who was sidelined by an ankle injury. Across the six games Kittle has missed this season, Tonges has racked up 29 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns on 40 targets. However, recent reporting indicates that Kittle is trending towards returning for the 49ers' Week 18 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Tonges has been far less productive across the 10 games where Kittle has been active in 2025, hauling in five receptions for 24 yards and two scores on just six targets. If Kittle is indeed active for Week 18, Tonges should be avoided by fantasy managers.