Who Should I Start? T.J. Hockenson or Theo Johnson

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.

Thursday, November 6, 5:32 PM

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson (shoulder) was upgraded to a full practice participant on Thursday after he was limited in practice on Wednesday, according to Dan Salomone of Giants.com. Johnson apparently injured his shoulder in the Week 9 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but a return to a full practice on Thursday means he should be ready to roll for a Week 10 contest this Sunday on the road against the Chicago Bears. The 24-year-old scored his fifth touchdown of the season in addition to three catches for 27 yards on six targets last week with Daniel Bellinger (neck) sidelined. Johnson should remain the Giants' primary pass-catching option at TE, but Bellinger's impending return this weekend takes a little bit of the streaming appeal away. Johnson has caught more than three passes in a game only twice this year, but he can't be ignored as a TE2 streamer with rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart injecting life into the Giants' offense.