Who Should I Start? Noah Fant or Drew Sample

Friday, December 20, 7:30 PM

Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (knee) has had a solid floor this season. However, there is not much ceiling with this player. That is unlikely to change in Week 16 against the Minnesota Vikings. Fant's one saving grace is that he receives decent target volume relative to the Seahawks' passing game volume. He received seven targets in Week 15 and four in the two games before that. Unfortunately, that volume does not translate to yards. Fant has only exceeded 26 yards on three occasions this season. With the Seahawks passing less and less this season and not throwing many touchdowns, Fant has fallen into fantasy-irrelevance. He is better left to the waiver wire while you pursue a win in the fantasy football playoffs this week.

Monday, March 11, 4:49 PM

The Cincinnati Bengals re-signed tight end Drew Sample to a three-year, $10.5 million contract extension on Monday, according to a source. Sample will receive $3.5 million in 2024. In his fifth year with the Bengals in 2023, Sample had 22 catches on 27 targets for 163 yards and a career-high two touchdowns in 17 games (10 starts). Tanner Hudson, Mitchell Wilcox and Irv Smith Jr. are all free agents, but one or more of them could be retained or the Bengals could add competition at the position through the NFL draft. The 27-year-old Sample has accumulated just 80 receptions (103 targets) for 621 yards and three touchdowns in his five years in the NFL with Cincy, so it would be unrealistic to expect the Bengals to utilize him as their unquestioned No. 1 pass-catching TE in 2024.