Bhayshul Tuten or Tucker Kraft: Who Should You Start?
2026 Week 3 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.
Kraft’s every-down role gives him the edge over Tuten
Start Kraft: the sub-point projection gap is noise, but his TE1 workload and Green Bay’s stronger scoring setup give him a steadier path than Tuten’s split backfield. Tuten’s explosive speed is a real counter, yet the Patriots matchup offers no dependable edge from a two-game DvP sample. Kraft’s modest target share leaves him exposed if opportunities stay scarce, as his quiet, fumble-marred Week 2 showed (SI/Packers On SI 2026-09-21).
What flips it: A meaningful rise in Tuten’s share of Jacksonville’s backfield.
Sources: SI/Packers On SI · Sep 21, 2026
AI editor
Bhayshul Tuten
9.310.111.0 Projected Points
Tucker Kraft
6.38.310.3 Projected Points
Bhayshul Tuten’s market
Tucker Kraft’s market
Why Bhayshul Tuten
Toss-Up· lowExplosive RB with elite straight-line speed. Home-run threat splitting carries in the Jacksonville backfield.
RB21 at 11.0 projected with a 50% snap share makes him a flex-level coin flip; the NE matchup at 11 of 32 is a 2-game sample that adds no edge.
- Tuten’s straight-line burst gives him a one-play ceiling that can beat a modest touch count.
- His recent production gives him a credible flex case if Jacksonville’s backfield work tilts his way.
The call
- Role is a split: a 50% snap share and 6% target share (three targets through two games per ESPN) cap his PPR floor. He needs rushing volume or a touchdown to pay off.
- The matchup reads slightly tough at 11 of 32 vs RBs, but it rests on a 2-game sample with 0.00 confidence, so treat NE as roughly neutral.
- Game script is mildly favorable: a 23.5 implied total as a 1.5-point favorite should keep the run game involved without a blowout boost.
- Tipping point: start him over a replacement RB3/flex with a weaker or more uncertain role. Bench him for anyone projected above 11.0 with a firmer workload or a bigger receiving share.
Latest on Tuten
Tuten has a 49% snap share and has drawn three targets through two games.
Facts vs. Feelings: Seven start-sit decisions you might be dreading and the facts to guide you through themESPN · Sep 23, 2026Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.
Why Tucker Kraft
Start· mediumTE1 and primary seam threat. Physical yards-after-catch producer and capable in-line blocker; returning from injury.
TE9 with an 82% snap share on a 27.0 implied total; every-down role outweighs a thin 13% target share in a shallow TE pool.
- Kraft’s physical yards-after-catch ability gives limited targets a chance to become chunk gains.
- His in-line blocking helps keep him on the field even when the passing game does not feature him.
The call
- Role is locked in: 82% snap share over two games, and he played 58 of 59 snaps in Week 2 per Packers On SI. That kind of full-time usage is rare at tight end.
- Game environment is strong. Green Bay's 27.0 implied total and -7.5 spread point to plenty of scoring chances, which raises his touchdown equity.
- Matchup reads favorable at 24 of 32 on DvP, but it's a 2-game sample with 0.00 confidence, so it carries little weight.
- The risk is volume: a 13% target share and a 2-catch, 15-yard Week 2 with a fumble cap his floor. At 10.3 projected points and TE9, he still clears a typical replacement tight end.
Latest on Kraft
Kraft played 58 of 59 offensive snaps in Week 2 (all but one), in line with his prior workload, catching two passes for 15 yards while also fumbling and drawing a holding penalty.
SI/Packers On SI · Sep 21, 2026Odds, bets and analysis to help you bet Falcons-Packers on "Thursday Night Football."
Packers tight end eager to rise to the occasion, win games
General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transaction Saturday
Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.
Head-to-head stats
| Metric | Bhayshul Tuten | Tucker Kraft |
|---|---|---|
| Projected points | 9.310.111.0 | 6.38.310.3 |
| Consensus rank | RB21 | TE9 |
| Opponent vs position | NE · 11 of 322-game sample | ATL · 24 of 322-game sample |
| Rushing Yards | 16 of 32 | — |
| Rushing TDs | 1 of 32 | — |
| Rushing Attempts | 11 of 32 | — |
| Receptions | 11 of 32 | 22 of 32 |
| Receiving Yards | 24 of 32 | 22 of 32 |
| Anytime TD | 1 of 32 | 30 of 32 |
| Receiving TDs | — | 30 of 32 |
| Targets | — | 17 of 32 |
| Target share | 6% | 13% |
| Reception share | 9% | 14% |
| Implied total · spread | 23.5-1.5 | 27.0-7.5 |
| Depth chart | RB1 | TE1 |
| Snap share | 50% | 82% |
| Start/Sit record | 0–0+2 toss-ups | 0–2 |
Recent form
Bhayshul Tuten — last 2 weeks
| Week 2 | vs DEN | 12.213.214.2 |
| Week 1 | vs CLE | 8.89.39.8 |
Tucker Kraft — last 2 weeks
| Week 2 | vs NYJ | 1.52.53.5 |
| Week 1 | vs MIN | 6.58.09.5 |
Signal breakdown
- 11.0 vs 10.3 projected PPR pointsBhayshul Tuten +
- Rank 21 vs 9Tucker Kraft +
- Opponent DvP rank 11 vs 24 (32 = softest)even
- Implied 23.5 vs 27.0 team pointsTucker Kraft +
- No injury designationseven
- 50% vs 82% snap shareTucker Kraft +
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