Start Juwan Johnson over Chig Okonkwo — Week 1 Start/Sit Verdict

Johnson's Bigger Role Edges a Tight TE Battle

Both of these tight ends are fringe fantasy plays, but the roles underneath the numbers aren't equal. Johnson is New Orleans' primary pass-catching option with real red-zone equity, while Okonkwo is still a complementary seam-stretcher who rotates in and out of a run-heavy Washington offense. The Saints are bigger underdogs, and that kind of deficit tends to push volume toward the lead receiving tight end rather than away from him — which favors Johnson specifically. Okonkwo's ceiling still lives in one explosive catch-and-run, but that's a bet on a moment, not a role.

What flips it: A change in New Orleans' game plan away from Johnson, or a late injury designation for either, would flip this back to even.

AI editor

Chig Okonkwo

TE22WSHvs PHI

3.85.36.8 Projected Points

Toss-Up

Juwan Johnson

TE17NOvs DET

4.56.48.3 Projected Points

Start· medium

Why Chig Okonkwo

Toss-Up

Move TE in pass-catching role. Athletic mismatch piece used as a seam-stretcher and flex.

Toss-up — TE22 consensus, projects TE26 this week: 15% target share in 2025, 6.8 PPR projected vs PHI.

His seam-stretching skill set means a single deep shot can outproduce Johnson's whole floor.
As a true move piece, he can pop against soft coverage even with a limited route share.

Why Juwan Johnson

Start· medium

Starting TE and primary pass-game option. Big-bodied receiving threat with red-zone usage and high target volume.

18% target share and 75% snaps make Johnson a real focal point, and a 7-point deficit script should push volume his way vs DET.

His red-zone usage gives him touchdown equity that raw snap and target numbers don't fully show.
Being the Saints' clear focal receiving tight end, he stands to gain volume if New Orleans trails as expected.

The call

An 18% target share is genuinely elite usage for the position — that's WR2-level involvement in the passing game and it travels regardless of matchup.
75% snap share means he's on the field for the pass-heavy sequences, not a rotational piece who disappears in obvious throwing downs.
Down 7 with a modest 20.8 implied team total, New Orleans should be throwing to catch up, which inflates his floor even if the offense stalls in scoring range.
The 8.3-point projection and TE17 rank keep the ceiling capped, so he's a volume-based TE1 play rather than a difference-maker — if you roster a top-8 TE, this is an easy pass.

Head-to-head stats

Metric	Chig Okonkwo	Juwan Johnson
Projected points	3.85.36.8	4.56.48.3
Consensus rank	TE22	TE17
Opponent vs position	PHIno ranking yet	DETno ranking yet
Target share	15%(2025)	18%(2025)
Reception share	17%(2025)	19%(2025)
Implied total · spread	20.5+5.5	20.8+7.0
Depth chart	TE1	TE1
Snap share	64%(2025)	75%(2025)