Who Should I Start? T.J. Hockenson or Elijah Arroyo

Friday, October 31, 4:34 PM

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson should be viewed as a TE2 option when he takes on his former team, the Detroit Lions, in Week 9. It's been a disappointing season so far for Hockenson, who hasn't quite looked the same since an ACL tear in late 2023 and now ranks as the No. 22 fantasy tight end at the halfway point of this season. None of the Vikings played well in a Week 8 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, but Hockenson had just three targets, two catches, and 26 yards receiving. The veteran tight end and the Vikings will now turn back to second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who missed the past five games with an ankle injury. In McCarthy's two starts this year, Hockenson had just four catches for 27 yards, and both of those took place before receiver Jordan Addison returned from a suspension. With the Vikings struggling and Hockenson set to be the team's third option, at best, he should be played only in formats that start two tight ends.

Tuesday, October 21, 9:21 PM

Seattle Seahawks rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo recorded four catches for 42 yards on five targets in his team's Week 7 win over the Houston Texans. That marked just the second time Arroyo has eclipsed 40 receiving yards in a game this season. Overall, he's recorded 11 catches for 140 yards on 17 targets across the first seven games of his NFL career. Arroyo appears to be firmly behind AJ Barner on the Seahawks' tight end depth chart, as his snap counts have been closer to Seattle TE3 Eric Saubert's than Barner's. As long as that continues, Arroyo is unlikely to be a consistently fantasy-relevant player.