Who Should I Start? Theo Johnson or Mason Taylor

Saturday, October 18, 2:55 AM

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson is a risky, touchdown-dependent TE2 for Week 7 due to an extremely difficult road matchup against the stout Denver Broncos defense. Johnson has been a red-zone weapon for rookie QB Jaxson Dart, accounting for all three of Dart's career passing touchdowns, but the Broncos are the 4th-ranked fantasy defense against tight ends, allowing a paltry 4.6 Fantasy Points Per Game. Denver's overall defense ranks 2nd in the NFL, giving up only 15.8 points per game, and they are especially brutal in the red zone, ranking 1st with a 28.6% Defense Red Zone TD Rate. With an average of only 7.4 yards per reception this season and coming off a mere 27-yard performance in Week 6, Johnson needs a fourth touchdown since Dart took over just to provide value.

Friday, October 17, 8:51 PM

New York Jets rookie tight end Mason Taylor is poised to see a more significant target share this weekend when his team squares off with the Carolina Panthers. The LSU alum's usage was trending in the right direction over the previous few weeks, but his production bottomed out in a tough matchup with the Broncos in London. Although that isn't prescriptive moving forward, it's a firm reminder of the floor of the Jets' passing offense. Taylor will look to put last weekend's performance in the past, and figures to absorb a few extra looks with the news that wide receiver Garrett Wilson (knee) might miss Sunday's contest. If that comes to fruition, it wouldn't be surprising to see the 21-year-old make a sizable impact. Even if Wilson suits up, it's likely he does so at less than 100%, giving Taylor a slightly higher fantasy floor. He's a high-end TE2 and, officially, RotoBaller's PPR TE16 for his outing with the Panthers.