Who Should I Start? Luke Musgrave or Mason Taylor

Wednesday, November 5, 10:01 AM

Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave is set to step up as the team's new TE1 with the unfortunate injury to Tucker Kraft (knee) in Week 9. Kraft is out for the season, and Musgrave becomes the next man up. Musgrave is also not a nobody; he was actually drafted ahead of Kraft in the 2023 NFL draft. Musgrave was the starter for most of his rookie season until an injury opened the door for Kraft. For a team looking for a replacement at the tight end spot after Kraft's injury, Musgrave is a likely candidate and worth the pick-up. However, fantasy managers should temper their expectations, as Jayden Reed (collarbone, foot) is set to return soon, and the Packers' pass-catchers still include Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Matthew Golden, and now Musgrave. The point being, there are a lot of mouths to feed, and what made Kraft so special was his ability to create yards after catch (15.3 yards per reception). Moving forward, fantasy managers should view Musgrave as a touchdown-dependent TE2.

Tuesday, November 4, 8:35 AM

New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor is one of the best waiver wire pickups available this week, as he and the Jets return from their bye week. The second-round rookie went into the off week on a high note by snagging the game-winning pass (from RB Breece Hall) against the Bengals to secure the team's first win of the year. Taylor had five catches on eight targets in that game for 34 yards. He had at least three catches in five of his last six games before the bye, and posted over 60 yards in two of those games as well. The Jets could get Garrett Wilson (knee) back after a two-game absence, but even if that costs Taylor some targets, it raises the overall ceiling of the offense enough to still be a good thing for Taylor. While his quarterback play from Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor has held him back, he's getting enough volume to be a good waiver wire add ahead of a stretch of favorable matchups against the Browns, Patriots, and Ravens in the next three weeks. He also has good fantasy football playoff matchups against the Dolphins, Jaguars, Saints, and Patriots for the final four games of the season.