Who Should I Start? T.J. Hockenson or Chig Okonkwo

Friday, January 2, 5:19 PM

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (shoulder) will not play in Sunday's Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Green Bay Packers, according to Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press. Hockenson was unable to practice at all this week and will miss a second straight game to close out the 2025 season. The 28-year-old was highly inconsistent this year for fantasy managers as a starting tight end option, primarily because of the inconsistent play that the Vikings got out of quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Going into Week 18, Hockenson ranks as the TE23 overall in half-PPR scoring with 51 catches on 65 targets for 438 yards and only three touchdowns in 15 games played. With Hockenson out again this weekend, Josh Oliver will be the team's TE1, but he'll be a risky, touchdown-dependent TE2 streaming option for fantasy managers with McCarthy returning in Week 18.

Thursday, January 29, 5:26 PM

Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo never really became all that interesting in fantasy football in his fourth year in the NFL in 2025 in a Titans offense that struggled with consistency under rookie quarterback Cameron Ward. Okonkwo played in all 17 games for the fourth straight year and had career-highs in receptions (56), targets (79), and receiving yards (560) while finding the end zone only two times. In addition to the Titans' offense being one of the worst in the league, Okonkwo shared valuable targets with rookie TE Gunnar Helm, who finished his rookie season with 44 catches for 357 yards and two touchdowns on 55 targets. Both of Okonkwo's touchdowns came late in the year, but Helm also saw more involvement in the passing game in the second half of 2025. For fantasy purposes, Okonkwo would be better off going elsewhere in free agency, with Helm likely only becoming more of a factor on offense in Tennessee in 2026.