Start Brenton Strange over Greg Dulcich — Week 1 Start/Sit Verdict

Strange's Snaps and Game Script Outweigh Dulcich's Matchup Edge

Strange is the every-down seam threat in an offense favored by a touchdown and expected to score often, and that kind of role rarely shows up at TE. Dulcich's raw matchup number looks shinier, but it's built on zero games of sample and he's playing in a lower-scoring script as a road underdog with barely half the snaps. The points gap between them is smaller than it looks, but the volume gap is not — Strange is on the field for almost double the offense's plays. The risk with Strange is touchdown-dependent volatility on a route-runner who still isn't commanding a huge target share, but he's in far better shape to get there.

What flips it: A Friday role bump for Dulcich or a snap-share cut for Strange in Jacksonville's rotation.

AI editor

Brenton Strange

TE21JAXvs CLE

4.96.58.1 Projected Points

Start

Greg Dulcich

TE24MIAvs LV

4.15.67.1 Projected Points

Toss-Up

Why Brenton Strange

Start

Starting TE and ascending pass-catcher. Athletic seam target with adequate in-line blocking.

Start — TE21 by consensus and projection: CLE is the 9th-toughest matchup vs TEs, 24.0 implied team total.

An every-down role in a plus game script gives him more paths to points beyond raw target share.
Blocking competence keeps him on the field on early downs, which is where his snap share advantage compounds.

Why Greg Dulcich

Toss-Up

TE1 in receiving role. Seam-stretching athlete with injury-marked career arc and limited blocking value.

Toss-up — TE24 by consensus and projection: LV is the 5th-toughest matchup vs TEs, 14% target share in 2025.

If Miami leans on him in a negative game script, garbage-time volume could spike beyond his season role.
His receiving-only usage means almost every snap he takes is a route, unlike Strange's blocking reps.

Head-to-head stats

Metric	Brenton Strange	Greg Dulcich
Projected points	4.96.58.1	4.15.67.1
Consensus rank	TE21	TE24
Opponent vs position	CLE · 9 of 320-game sample	LV · 5 of 320-game sample
Receptions	10 of 32	3 of 32
Receiving Yards	15 of 32	3 of 32
Receiving TDs	1 of 32	9 of 32
Targets	13 of 32	3 of 32
Anytime TD	5 of 32	9 of 32
Target share	16%(2025)	14%(2025)
Reception share	19%(2025)	15%(2025)
Implied total · spread	24.0-7.5	19.3+3.0
Depth chart	TE1	TE1
Snap share	75%(2025)	44%(2025)