Who Should I Start? T.J. Hockenson or Dalton Kincaid

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 8, 4:01 PM

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) was limited again in practice on Thursday. Kincaid should be ready to go for the Wild-Card playoff tilt on Sunday against the hosting Jacksonville Jaguars. The 26-year-old missed some time due to injury in 2025, but he was still the team's second-leading receiver with 571 yards in 12 games, and he led the Bills with five touchdown grabs. Kincaid is coming off a three-catch, 48-yard game in the regular-season finale against the New York Jets in a game in which quarterback Josh Allen didn't play behind the first snap. He should be considered firmly in the TE1 mix for fantasy managers competing in playoff leagues while going up against a Jaguars defense that allowed the 10th-most half-PPR points per game to opposing TEs. Kincaid was tied for 11th at the position this year with 8.9 half-PPR fantasy points per game.