Who Should I Start? T.J. Hockenson or Kyle Pitts Sr.

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.

Sunday, January 4, 11:50 AM

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. (knee) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the New Orleans Saints. He had been listed as questionable after practicing in a limited capacity this week. Pitts has frequently appeared on the injury report this year, but he never ended up missing a game. He has officially been active for all 17 games for the third season in a row. Pitts has been playing at an elite level ever since Kirk Cousins took over at quarterback, and it has allowed him to rank as the overall TE2 in full-PPR leagues to this point. He'll look to cap off his strong second half of the season in a competitive game against the Saints on Sunday. As it stands, he ranks as a top-five fantasy tight end.