Brenton Strange or Gunnar Helm: Who Should You Start?

2026 Week 1 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Strange's bigger role clears a thin field of TE streamers

Both are low-end tight end streamers this week, and the box score gap between them is smaller than it looks — a point and a spot in the rankings. What actually separates them is opportunity: Strange is playing nearly a full game's worth of snaps and pulling more of his offense's targets, while Helm is still working in a rotation that caps his ceiling even in a good matchup. The DvP matchup numbers on both sides carry zero confidence from a lack of game history, so lean on role and game script instead — Jacksonville's plus team total gives Strange more scoring plays to work with than Tennessee's tighter number gives Helm. The Yahoo report confirms Helm's job is safe, but a locked-in QB2 role isn't the same as more volume arriving this week.

What flips it: A jump in Helm's snap or target share this week, or a second-half script for Jacksonville that shelves its passing game.

Sources: Yahoo Sports (Titans Wire) · Aug 30, 2026

AI editor

Brenton Strange

Brenton Strange

TE21JAXvs CLE

Projected Points

Start
Gunnar Helm

Gunnar Helm

TE23TENvs NYJ

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.

  • His snap rate says he's playing nearly every offensive down, which is the separator here, not the matchup grade.
  • A plus-7.5-point implied total for Jacksonville means more scoring opportunities funnel through his seam role.

Why Gunnar Helm

Toss-Up

Starting TE and volume underneath target. Reliable seam and checkdown option with developing in-line blocking.

Toss-up — TE23 by consensus and projection: 11% target share in 2025, 7.5 PPR projected vs NYJ.

  • He's a bigger part of the passing-down rotation than the raw target share suggests, per his locked-in TE1 job.
  • Tennessee's tighter spread means more competitive snaps for their offense instead of a blowout removing pass volume.

Latest on Helm

Verified
RoleHelm is listed as the Titans' starting tight end on the initial 53-man roster, with Daniel Bellinger, David Martin-Robinson and Kylen Granson behind him.Yahoo Sports (Titans Wire) · Aug 30, 2026

Head-to-head stats

MetricBrenton StrangeGunnar Helm
Projected points
Consensus rankTE21TE23
Opponent vs positionCLE · 9 of 320-game sampleNYJ · 20 of 320-game sample
Receptions10 of 3217 of 32
Receiving Yards15 of 3217 of 32
Receiving TDs1 of 3226 of 32
Targets13 of 3216 of 32
Anytime TD5 of 3226 of 32
Target share16%(2025)11%(2025)
Reception share19%(2025)14%(2025)
Implied total · spread24.0-7.521.3-3.0
Depth chartTE1TE1
Snap share75%(2025)53%(2025)

Signal breakdown

  • 8.1 vs 7.5 projected PPR pointsBrenton Strange +
  • Rank 21 vs 23Brenton Strange +
  • Opponent DvP rank 9 vs 20 (32 = softest)even
  • Implied 24.0 vs 21.3 team pointsBrenton Strange +
  • No injury designationseven
  • 75% vs 53% snap shareBrenton Strange +

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