Who Should I Start? Tanner Hudson or Payne Durham

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.

Friday, August 29, 8:14 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Payne Durham could potentially see a larger role in the offense to begin the regular season. The Bucs are uncertain if starting tight end Cade Otton (leg) is going to be ready to play during the season opener. The team will likely wait and see how Otton progresses throughout next week before making a final decision. If he misses time, Payne Durham and Devin Culp figure to split up time as the starting tight end. Durham didn't see a ton of action last season, but played well when Otton missed time late in the season. When Otton was out, Durham hauled in nine receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns as the starter. There's not a lot of value here, but maybe Durham is a dart throw if Otton is unable to go in Week 1.