Who Should I Start? Tanner Hudson or Irv Smith Jr.

Friday, August 8, 10:25 AM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tanner Hudson played well in Thursday's preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The 30-year-old caught six of eight targets for 62 yards. He also scored twice, finding the end zone off a 12-yard pass from Joe Burrow on the opening drive before capping off his night with another touchdown in the fourth quarter. After making stops in Tampa Bay and New York (Giants) to begin his career, he appeared in 23 regular-season contests for the Bengals in the last two years. While Hudson had a few productive showings during that span, he has never been a consistent fantasy contributor. That's not expected to change in 2025 even if he continues to produce in the team's final two preseason games, considering Cincinnati has Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample, and Noah Fant on the roster. With a loss in the books, the Bengals will look to get on track versus the Washington Commanders on August 18.

Tuesday, August 26, 11:41 AM

Houston Texans tight end Irv Smith Jr. (ankle) has suffered an ankle sprain that could lead to him being placed on injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. The Texans already lost some talent at the position earlier this summer when Brevin Jordan (knee) went down with a serious knee injury. Without Smith Jr. and Jordan, 2024 fourth-rounder Cade Stover and recent trade acquisition Harrison Bryant make up the depth behind top tight end Dalton Schultz. Schultz is a low-upside TE2 in fantasy, but his playing time in Houston may be a bit more secure now than it was when the preseason began.