Who Should I Start? Luke Musgrave or AJ Barner

Wednesday, February 25, 10:34 AM

Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave is heading into the fourth year of his rookie contract and failed to take advantage of starting opportunities in 2025 after fellow tight end Tucker Kraft (knee) went down for the season in Week 9. From Week 10 on, Musgrave saw just a 47% snap share and averaged only 2.3 targets per game. The 25-year-old tight end out of Oregon State finished the regular season with 24 catches for 252 yards and no touchdowns, and added one reception for nine yards in the Wild Card game against the Chicago Bears. Fantasy managers need to look back to Musgrave's rookie year in 2023, when he tallied four top-12 tight end performances over his 11 games played, to justify holding him in dynasty leagues going into the 2026 season.

Wednesday, February 18, 11:01 AM

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner broke out as the overall TE14 in PPR leagues during his second pro season in 2025. Fully healthy for all 17 games, he racked up 52 catches, 519 yards, and six touchdowns in a Seahawks offense that ultimately won Super Bowl LX. Most importantly, he fended off rookie Elijah Arroyo. Before the year, it seemed like Arroyo might push to be the No. 1 tight end, but that never happened because Barner contributed at such a high level. Arroyo will get a little more involved in 2026, but we expect that Barner will remain the top tight end target for Sam Darnold, especially around the goal line. Not only is he trending up in dynasty leagues, but he's also an intriguing option in redraft leagues, especially for managers waiting to take their primary tight end until the later round of fantasy drafts. He'll likely open 2026 draft rankings just outside the top 12 tight ends, but he has top-10 upside.