Who Should I Start? T.J. Hockenson or Trey McBride

Saturday, September 6, 3:40 PM

With the Minnesota Vikings going through changes at wide receiver, tight end T.J. Hockenson is a starting-caliber option as his team prepares to take on the Chicago Bears in Week 1. The veteran tight end figures to be a key part of Minnesota's passing game with wide receiver Jordan Addison (suspension) set to miss the first three games, and could very well be the team's second option behind superstar receiver Justin Jefferson. Hockenson started only nine times last season while recovering from an ACL injury the year prior, and figures to see a natural boost nearly two years post-surgery. He caught 95 passes in 2023 despite the Vikings playing half the season with backup quarterbacks, which bodes well for managers who drafted him as Minnesota breaks in first-time starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy in 2025.

Saturday, September 6, 11:05 AM

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride has improved his numbers each year over the first three seasons of his career. Last season, he finished with 111 receptions for 1,146 yards and two touchdowns on 147 targets. He finished as the TE2, despite having the fewest touchdowns among the top 11 at his position. A positive regression seems to be plausible when it comes to that department, and given good health, he should be able to produce 100 catches and over a thousand yards yet again. In Week 1, RotoBaller has him projected to score 13.1 fantasy points, which would leave him second to only Brock Bowers. As long as he's on the field, McBride is a must-start in all fantasy formats.