Who Should I Start? Robert Tonyan or Jake Tonges

Friday, August 29, 8:53 AM

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Robert Tonyan has been signed from the practice squad to the active roster on Thursday. Tonyan was cut by the team on Tuesday, but joined the practice squad a day later. Now, the 31-year-old makes the 53-man roster heading into Week 1. He'll serve as depth behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray to start the season. Tonyan hasn't been fantasy relevant in a few seasons, but did haul in 53 receptions in 2022. He also produced an 11-touchdown season during his time with the Green Bay Packers. Tonyan has shown he's capable of making big plays in the NFL. However, Tonyan won't have fantasy value to begin the season as the projected third string.

Tuesday, September 9, 2:50 PM

With the San Francisco 49ers placing All-Pro tight end George Kittle (hamstring) on the IR on Tuesday, the team is left with only Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges at the position. While fullback Kyle Juszczyk could be asked to handle an expanded role, it was the fourth-year tight end Tonges who stepped in on Sunday following Kittle's departure due to a hamstring injury. Tonges made the first three catches of his NFL career, including a 4-yard TD pass with under two minutes to play. With quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder, toe) and wide receiver Jauan Jennings (shoulder) also banged up, the 49ers' offense may look entirely different heading into Week 2. While the gameplan will continue to be funneled directly through Christian McCaffrey, the team will be looking for contributions wherever they can get them, and Tonges could be in line for his first career start. While his effectiveness could be capped in a Mac Jones offense, desperate managers can throw a waiver dart in hopes of volume by necessity.