Start T.J. Hockenson or Dalton Kincaid? Week 8

Our Week 8 call

Start Dalton Kincaid over T.J. Hockenson in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Dalton Kincaid at 12.2 points and T.J. Hockenson at 9.9, a gap of 2.3. No player market is posted for Dalton Kincaid this week yet, so his 12.2 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5 and 6 (12.4 and 12.0); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Dalton Kincaid at ADP 158 and T.J. Hockenson at 224.

What the market projects

No Week 8 player market is posted for Dalton Kincaid yet. His market-based projections were 12.4 and 12.0 points in Weeks 5 and 6, an average of 12.2, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

The market-based projection for Dalton Kincaid is 0.4 touchdowns (7 market sources).

Player markets imply 9.9 fantasy points for T.J. Hockenson, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market-based projection for T.J. Hockenson is 37 receiving yards, 4-5 receptions and 0.3 touchdowns (10, 8 and 12 market sources).

That puts Dalton Kincaid 2.3 points ahead of T.J. Hockenson on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

Dalton Kincaid and BUF host BAL on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

BAL allowed 12.3 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 13th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 39 yards and 0.7 touchdowns a game against BAL.

T.J. Hockenson and MIN visit DET on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

DET allowed 29.4 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 100 yards and 1.7 touchdowns a game against DET.

By points allowed to the position, T.J. Hockenson has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Dalton Kincaid is listed as questionable with a ribs injury.

T.J. Hockenson is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 6, Dalton Kincaid played 68 percent of BUF snaps, drew 18 percent of the targets, earned 18 percent of the air yards and had 8 percent of the red zone chances.

Dalton Kincaid, Week 3 against LAC: 44 of 66 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 38 yards.

Dalton Kincaid, Week 4 against NE: 35 of 59 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 7 yards.

Dalton Kincaid, Week 5 against LAR: 45 of 64 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 7 yards.

Dalton Kincaid, Week 6 against LV: 49 of 68 snaps, 8 targets and 7 catches for 38 yards.

Through Week 7, T.J. Hockenson played 63 percent of MIN snaps, drew 21 percent of the targets, earned 19 percent of the air yards and had 18 percent of the red zone chances.

T.J. Hockenson, Week 3 against TB: 50 of 59 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 11 yards.

T.J. Hockenson, Week 4 against MIA: 65 of 78 snaps, 13 targets and 13 catches for 119 yards.

T.J. Hockenson, Week 5 against NO: 2 of 71 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 7 yards.

T.J. Hockenson, Week 7 against IND: 45 of 59 snaps, 5 targets and 4 catches for 35 yards, 1 touchdown.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Dalton Kincaid played 12 games for BUF and scored 126.1 PPR points, 10.5 a game, finishing TE20.

He caught 39 of 49 targets for 571 yards and 5 touchdowns, with 6 red zone targets and 312 air yards.

He was on the field for 40 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, T.J. Hockenson played 15 games for MIN and scored 112.8 PPR points, 7.5 a game, finishing TE26.

He caught 51 of 66 targets for 438 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 11 red zone targets and 224 air yards.

He was on the field for 79 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 8 calls

• Start Brock Bowers over Dalton Kincaid.
• Start Colston Loveland over Dalton Kincaid.
• Start Dallas Goedert over Dalton Kincaid.
• Start T.J. Hockenson over Brenton Strange.
• Start Brock Bowers over T.J. Hockenson.
• Start T.J. Hockenson over Cade Otton.