Who Should I Start? Tanner Hudson or Drew Sample

Thursday, October 16, 1:06 AM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tanner Hudson (concussion) was ruled out for Thursday Night Football against the Steelers, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports. Hudson suffered a concussion in the Week 6 loss to the Packers and wasn't able to clear concussion protocol on a short week. Fellow tight end Mike Gesicki (pectoral) was also injured during the game and will miss time. Noah Fant and Drew Sample will be lined up for more opportunities, with Fant as likely as the top pass-catching option. Fant has been productive in a limited sample so far this season, hauling in 16 of his 18 targets for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Saturday, September 27, 2:08 PM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Drew Sample has only three catches this season, with one resulting in a trip to the end zone. The 29-year-old has logged more snaps than Mike Gesicki and Noah Fant (foot) through the first three weeks of the 2025 campaign. However, both have received more attention from quarterbacks Joe Burrow (toe) and Jake Browning. The Bengals offense is a mess, which has been a surprise to most. As a result, it's hard to trust anyone on that side of the ball. Granted, Sample should continue to lead the position in snaps, especially with his abilities as a blocker. Still, while he will likely add a few more scores to his resume before the end of the season, he's not consistent enough to be considered a starting fantasy option in any format in Week 4 versus the Broncos.