Who Should I Start? Payne Durham or Julian Hill

Friday, August 29, 8:14 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Payne Durham could potentially see a larger role in the offense to begin the regular season. The Bucs are uncertain if starting tight end Cade Otton (leg) is going to be ready to play during the season opener. The team will likely wait and see how Otton progresses throughout next week before making a final decision. If he misses time, Payne Durham and Devin Culp figure to split up time as the starting tight end. Durham didn't see a ton of action last season, but played well when Otton missed time late in the season. When Otton was out, Durham hauled in nine receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns as the starter. There's not a lot of value here, but maybe Durham is a dart throw if Otton is unable to go in Week 1.

Saturday, October 11, 6:34 AM

Miami Dolphins tight end Julian Hill started the first three games of the season while Darren Waller (hip) was out, but he only had one catch for one target in those three games, despite a large snap share. Even with Waller back and Hill's playing time shrinking, he posted his best offensive game of the season in Week 5 against the Panthers, and he'll look to build on that success in Week 6 against the Chargers. Hill caught four of his five targets in Week 5 for 22 yards, setting a season-high in targets, catches, and yards. He only played 53% of snaps, and that number could drop even more if Waller is healthy and ready for more snaps. Hill could struggle to keep contributing, which is why he's the TE51 in RotoBaller's rankings and well off the radar as a starting option this week. However, it is worth noting that he started to get some attention from Tua Tagovailoa last week, which could make him fantasy-relevant if Waller gets banged up again.