Who Should I Start? Theo Johnson or Dalton Kincaid

Friday, January 2, 3:59 PM

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson (illness) has officially been ruled out for the team's Week 18 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys due to an illness. The 24-year-old also missed New York's Week 17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders due to illness, so he's apparently dealing with a relatively serious ailment. The 3-13 Giants also have little reason to push Johnson before he's fully healthy, which could be a factor in his absence as well. Across 16 games played in 2025, Johnson recorded 45 receptions for 528 yards and five touchdowns on 74 targets. Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger saw a significant increase in playing time in Johnson's absence in Week 17, lining up for 97% of New York's offensive snaps. However, Bellinger hauled in just two receptions for 11 yards on three targets and remains difficult for fantasy managers to trust in Week 18.

Thursday, January 8, 4:01 PM

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) was limited again in practice on Thursday. Kincaid should be ready to go for the Wild-Card playoff tilt on Sunday against the hosting Jacksonville Jaguars. The 26-year-old missed some time due to injury in 2025, but he was still the team's second-leading receiver with 571 yards in 12 games, and he led the Bills with five touchdown grabs. Kincaid is coming off a three-catch, 48-yard game in the regular-season finale against the New York Jets in a game in which quarterback Josh Allen didn't play behind the first snap. He should be considered firmly in the TE1 mix for fantasy managers competing in playoff leagues while going up against a Jaguars defense that allowed the 10th-most half-PPR points per game to opposing TEs. Kincaid was tied for 11th at the position this year with 8.9 half-PPR fantasy points per game.