Luther Burden III or Tucker Kraft: Who Should You Start?
2026 Week 3 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.
Start Kraft — the consensus rank and game script edges are too wide to ignore.
Tucker Kraft is the higher consensus play (TE9 to WR27) and plays in the better game script (27.0 implied team points to 24.0). Burden's edge is the projection, 11.2 to 10.3. The gap is comfortable.
Luther Burden III
6.68.911.2 Projected Points
Tucker Kraft
6.38.310.3 Projected Points
Luther Burden III’s market
Tucker Kraft’s market
Why Luther Burden III
Toss-UpWR2 and outside starter opposite Rome Odunze. Explosive yards-after-catch threat with manufactured-touch usage.
Toss-up — WR27 consensus, projects WR37 this week: PHI is the 11th-toughest matchup vs WRs, 24.0 implied team total.
- PHI ranks 11 of 32 against WRs (one of the tougher matchups, 2-game sample).
- Vegas implies 24.0 team points as 1.5-point favorites.
- Listed WR-2 on the latest depth chart with a 65% snap share.
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.
- ATL ranks 24 of 32 against TEs (one of the softer matchups, 2-game sample).
- Vegas implies 27.0 team points as 7.5-point favorites.
- Listed TE on the latest depth chart with a 82% snap share.
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 | Luther Burden III | Tucker Kraft |
|---|---|---|
| Projected points | 6.68.911.2 | 6.38.310.3 |
| Consensus rank | WR27 | TE9 |
| Opponent vs position | PHI · 11 of 322-game sample | ATL · 24 of 322-game sample |
| Receptions | 7 of 32 | 22 of 32 |
| Receiving Yards | 13 of 32 | 22 of 32 |
| Receiving TDs | 15 of 32 | 30 of 32 |
| Targets | 7 of 32 | 17 of 32 |
| Anytime TD | 15 of 32 | 30 of 32 |
| Target share | 21% | 13% |
| Reception share | 20% | 14% |
| Implied total · spread | 24.0-1.5 | 27.0-7.5 |
| Depth chart | WR2 | TE1 |
| Snap share | 65% | 82% |
| Start/Sit record | 0–1 | 0–2 |
Recent form
Luther Burden III — last 2 weeks
| Week 2 | vs MIN | 3.24.76.2 |
| Week 1 | vs CAR | 4.57.09.5 |
Tucker Kraft — last 2 weeks
| Week 2 | vs NYJ | 1.52.53.5 |
| Week 1 | vs MIN | 6.58.09.5 |
Signal breakdown
- 11.2 vs 10.3 projected PPR pointsLuther Burden III +
- Rank 27 vs 9Tucker Kraft +
- Opponent DvP rank 11 vs 24 (32 = softest)even
- Implied 24.0 vs 27.0 team pointsTucker Kraft +
- No injury designationseven
- 65% vs 82% snap shareTucker Kraft +
Compare different players
Every fantasy-relevant player this week — search or filter by position.
More Burden comparisons
- L. Burden IIILuther Burden IIIWRCHIvs PHIJ. WilliamsJameson WilliamsWRDETvs NYJ
- L. Burden IIILuther Burden IIIWRCHIvs PHIR. OdunzeRome OdunzeWRCHIvs PHI
- L. Burden IIILuther Burden IIIWRCHIvs PHIC. TateCarnell TateWRTENvs NYG
- L. Burden IIILuther Burden IIIWRCHIvs PHIM. Harrison Jr.Marvin Harrison Jr.WRARIvs SF
More Kraft comparisons
This week’s toughest calls
- K. Walker IIIKenneth Walker IIIRBKCvs MIA
K. WilliamsKyren WilliamsRBLARvs DEN
- K. WilliamsKyren WilliamsRBLARvs DENQ. JudkinsQuinshon JudkinsRBCLEvs CAR
- Q. JudkinsQuinshon JudkinsRBCLEvs CARC. SkatteboCam SkatteboRBNYGvs TEN
- C. SkatteboCam SkatteboRBNYGvs TEND. SwiftD'Andre SwiftRBCHIvs PHI
- D. SwiftD'Andre SwiftRBCHIvs PHIB. TutenBhayshul TutenRBJAXvs NE
- B. TutenBhayshul TutenRBJAXvs NEB. IrvingBucky IrvingRBTBvs MIN
- T. HigginsTee HigginsWRCINvs PIT
D. AdamsDavante AdamsWRLARvs DEN
- D. AdamsDavante AdamsWRLARvs DENM. EvansMike EvansWRSFvs ARI
- M. EvansMike EvansWRSFvs ARIC. WatsonChristian WatsonWRGBvs ATL
- C. WatsonChristian WatsonWRGBvs ATLP. WashingtonParker WashingtonWRJAXvs NE
- P. WashingtonParker WashingtonWRJAXvs NEM. GoldenMatthew GoldenWRGBvs ATL
- M. GoldenMatthew GoldenWRGBvs ATLQ. JohnstonQuentin JohnstonWRLACvs BUF
- K. Pitts Sr.Kyle Pitts Sr.TEATLvs GB
G. KittleGeorge KittleTESFvs ARI
- G. KittleGeorge KittleTESFvs ARIS. LaPortaSam LaPortaTEDETvs NYJ
- S. LaPortaSam LaPortaTEDETvs NYJT. KraftTucker KraftTEGBvs ATL
- T. KraftTucker KraftTEGBvs ATLT. KelceTravis KelceTEKCvs MIA
- T. KelceTravis KelceTEKCvs MIAJ. FergusonJake FergusonTEDALvs BAL
- J. FergusonJake FergusonTEDALvs BALI. LikelyIsaiah LikelyTENYGvs TEN
- D. PrescottDak PrescottQBDALvs BAL
J. HerbertJustin HerbertQBLACvs BUF
- J. HerbertJustin HerbertQBLACvs BUFT. LawrenceTrevor LawrenceQBJAXvs NE
- T. LawrenceTrevor LawrenceQBJAXvs NEB. PurdyBrock PurdyQBSFvs ARI
- B. PurdyBrock PurdyQBSFvs ARIP. MahomesPatrick MahomesQBKCvs MIA
- P. MahomesPatrick MahomesQBKCvs MIAB. NixBo NixQBDENvs LAR
- B. NixBo NixQBDENvs LARM. StaffordMatthew StaffordQBLARvs DEN
- E. PineiroEddy PineiroKSFvs ARI
J. BatesJake BatesKDETvs NYJ
- J. BatesJake BatesKDETvs NYJH. ButkerHarrison ButkerKKCvs MIA
- H. ButkerHarrison ButkerKKCvs MIAT. LoopTyler LoopKBALvs DAL
- T. LoopTyler LoopKBALvs DALW. ReichardWill ReichardKMINvs TB
- W. ReichardWill ReichardKMINvs TBC. BoswellChris BoswellKPITvs CIN
- C. BoswellChris BoswellKPITvs CINC. McLaughlinChase McLaughlinKTBvs MIN
- 49ers D/ST49ers D/STDSTSFvs ARI
Lions D/STLions D/STDSTDETvs NYJ
- Lions D/STLions D/STDSTDETvs NYJGiants D/STGiants D/STDSTNYGvs TEN
- Giants D/STGiants D/STDSTNYGvs TENSaints D/STSaints D/STDSTNOvs LV
- Saints D/STSaints D/STDSTNOvs LVChiefs D/STChiefs D/STDSTKCvs MIA
- Chiefs D/STChiefs D/STDSTKCvs MIATitans D/STTitans D/STDSTTENvs NYG
- Titans D/STTitans D/STDSTTENvs NYGBills D/STBills D/STDSTBUFvs LAC
- D. AdamsDavante AdamsWRLARvs DENB. IrvingBucky IrvingRBTBvs MIN
- B. IrvingBucky IrvingRBTBvs MINP. WashingtonParker WashingtonWRJAXvs NE
- P. WashingtonParker WashingtonWRJAXvs NEJ. WarrenJaylen WarrenRBPITvs CIN
- C. HubbardChuba HubbardRBCARvs CLE
C. WatsonChristian WatsonWRGBvs ATL - C. WatsonChristian WatsonWRGBvs ATLC. SkatteboCam SkatteboRBNYGvs TEN
- C. SkatteboCam SkatteboRBNYGvs TENJ. CokerJalen CokerWRCARvs CLE
- J. CokerJalen CokerWRCARvs CLEQ. JudkinsQuinshon JudkinsRBCLEvs CAR
- D. SwiftD'Andre SwiftRBCHIvs PHIT. HigginsTee HigginsWRCINvs PIT
Get a Start/Sit call on your whole roster →
Save your team once and see a Start, Sit, or Toss-Up verdict on every player, every week — with the matchup, usage and game-script evidence behind each call.
Add to My Team — freeOr browse this week’s NFL games or NFL player props.