Who Should I Start? Mark Andrews or Theo Johnson

Saturday, October 4, 2:44 PM

After recording just two catches over the first two weeks of the season, Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews has 13 receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns across his last two games. Unfortunately for Andrews, he'll be catching passes from backup quarterback Cooper Rush instead of Lamar Jackson (hamstring), who will miss Week 5 with a hamstring injury. The Ravens also have a tough matchup against the Houston Texans, whose defense has allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards (790) and second-fewest number of passing touchdowns (three) in the NFL. Finally, there's the possibility that Andrews will lose playing time with Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely getting closer to full strength after missing the first three weeks of the season. In Likely's first game in the lineup in Week 4, Andrews played 56% of Baltimore's offensive snaps after playing at least 75% of the snaps in each of the first three weeks. Andrews should be avoided by fantasy managers in Week 5.

Tuesday, October 7, 10:26 PM

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson is a risky, touchdown-dependent stream for the Thursday night matchup, despite his emergence as a key red-zone weapon. Johnson, the TE16 in fantasy with 7.08 fantasy points per game, has found the end zone three times this year, a figure made remarkable by the fact that rookie QB Jaxson Dart's only career touchdown passes have all gone to the tight end. This connection is vital, as Johnson operates with a high 75.4% snap share on his 15 receptions and 22 targets, but the Philadelphia Eagles present a brutal challenge. They rank as the 4th toughest fantasy defense against tight ends, allowing just 7.82 points against per game. Furthermore, the Eagles' elite 3rd-ranked red zone defense, which boasts a 42.9% Defense Red Zone TD Rate, significantly lowers the odds of Johnson continuing his unsustainable touchdown pace, making him a desperation play.