Who Should I Start? T.J. Hockenson or Tucker Kraft

Friday, October 3, 4:13 PM

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson is a mid-range TE2 heading into his team's Week 5 meeting against the strong defense of the Cleveland Browns. The veteran tight end has picked up the pace during the past two weeks, going for 11 targets, nine catches, 88 yards, and a touchdown with backup quarterback Carson Wentz under center, but Minnesota has bigger issues on Sunday. The Vikings have ruled out three of five starters on the offensive line, hampering an offense that was already without starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) and running back Aaron Jones (hamstring). Against a Browns defense with one of the top defensive lines in the game, the Vikings are facing a tall task that could limit the number of opportunities for offensive players like Hockenson.

Friday, October 10, 4:26 PM

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft has had a solid start to his second season as the full-time starting tight end for the Packers and looks to come off the team's Week 5 bye on the right foot when the Packers host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6. In Week 4, Kraft could only manage five targets with five receptions for 56 yards against the Cowboys in Green Bay's 40-40 tie. Kraft has been one of the best pass-catchers on the team this season, but even he is not immune to some of the things that plague the Packers' offense, like a lack of target concentration and pass volume concerns. Those factors bog down the upside case of the top Packers' pass-catchers and render the secondary pass-catchers irrelevant in most weeks. Kraft is a volatile boom-or-bust option with an inconsistent target-earning profile, but Week 6 represents a good matchup against the Bengals. Kraft is a fine start for fantasy purposes.