Who Should I Start? T.J. Hockenson or Pat Freiermuth

Tuesday, December 26, 4:18 PM

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) suffered a torn ACL and MCL in the Week 16 loss to the Detroit Lions. He is expected to be placed on injured reserve and will miss the rest of the season. Given the late-season injury, the 26-year-old could start the 2024 season on the PUP list. The former first-round pick signed a four-year, $66 million contract this offseason with Minnesota. Hockenson had career-highs in receptions, receiving, yards, and targets during his first entire season with the Vikings. He caught 95 of 127 targets for 965 yards and five touchdowns over 15 games in 2023. Hockenson will likely undergo surgery in the next few weeks and looks to recover fully in 2024. Josh Oliver is expected to be Minnesota's top tight end with Hockenson sidelined. Fantasy managers searching for tight end help or a replacement for Hockenson can look to add Oliver in most league formats.

Thursday, April 4, 2:16 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth said on the Around the 412 podcast on Wednesday that he wants "to be in Pittsburgh for the rest of my career" as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract in 2024. He missed five games in 2023 due to a hamstring injury, but overall his numbers declined from the previous two seasons. Subpar quarterback play didn't help, and the 25-year-old former second-round pick in 2021 out of Penn State caught a career-low 32 passes for 308 yards and only two touchdowns in 12 regular season games (nine starts). In new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's offense, Freiermuth could have a bounce-back campaign in 2024 and will be a nice sleeper target in fantasy drafts this fall.