Head to Head

Updated June 3, 2026 from live stats

Cole Kmet vs Harold Fannin Jr.Who should you start in 2026 fantasy football?

Harold Fannin Jr. is the better fantasy start for 2026, averaging 9.4 PPG to Cole Kmet's 4.0 in 2025. Full head to head breakdown below.

The Bottom Line

Harold Fannin Jr. is the better fantasy play this season.

Harold Fannin Jr. is clearly the better fantasy option heading into 2026. With 9.4 PPG and 744 total yards in 2025, the production separation is too wide to overcome on matchup alone. Cole Kmet (4.0 PPG) is a hold, not a sell, but roster Harold Fannin Jr. as the starter and Cole Kmet as depth.

High confidence: stats strongly favor the leader, and the gap is unlikely to close on matchup alone.

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TEChicago Bears#99

Cole Kmet

PPG

4.0

Games

Rec

Rec Yds

347

Rec TDs

Targets

Bye

Week 7

TECleveland Browns#9PPG LEADER

Harold Fannin Jr.

PPG

9.4

Games

Rec

Rec Yds

731

Rec TDs

Targets

107

Bye

Week 11

The Edge Chart

Cole Kmet

Harold Fannin Jr.

Head to Head

4.0 PPG9.4 PPG

16 GP16 GP

Bye: Week 7Bye: Week 11

Fantasy Tiers

Cole Kmet: Tier 5 (Deep League) TE (ranked #99 at the position). Harold Fannin Jr.: Tier 2 (Strong Starter) TE (ranked #9 at the position). Among the top 30 tight ends this season, Cole Kmet is producing at 18% of elite pace and Harold Fannin Jr. at 43%. That ranking gap means Harold Fannin Jr. carries more trade value and a higher draft cost in 2026.

Cole Kmet vs Harold Fannin Jr.: The Full Breakdown

Cole Kmet and Harold Fannin Jr. are both viable fantasy tight ends heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Cole Kmet averaged 4.0 PPG across 16 games with the Chicago Bears, while Harold Fannin Jr. posted 9.4 PPG in 16 appearances for the Cleveland Browns.

A 5.4-PPG gap gives Harold Fannin Jr. the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.

Harold Fannin Jr. is the volume tight end in this matchup with 72 receptions for 731 yards, while Cole Kmet profiles as a more touchdown-dependent spike play (2 scores on 30 catches). In weeks where Cole Kmet finds the end zone he out-scores Harold Fannin Jr., but the floor gap is real.

Bye weeks matter for roster construction: Cole Kmet sits Week 7 while Harold Fannin Jr. is off Week 11. If you are deciding between the two as a season-long roster hold, the staggered byes actually work in your favor.

Trade Value + Dynasty Outlook

If you can acquire Harold Fannin Jr. at a discount because your league-mates undervalue tight end production, do it. Cole Kmet is a reasonable sell-high candidate if his recent games have spiked above his season average. Dynasty outlook: Cole Kmet (age 27) is in the middle of his productive window. Stable dynasty value. Harold Fannin Jr. (age 21) has years of prime production ahead. Buy-and-hold dynasty asset.

Did You Know?

•Harold Fannin Jr. outscored Cole Kmet by a projected 92 total fantasy points over a full 17-game season.
•Harold Fannin Jr. scored 7 total touchdowns in 2025 (0.4 per game), making him one of the more reliable scoring options at tight end.
•Harold Fannin Jr. saw 107 targets in 2025. Target volume is the single strongest predictor of weekly PPR production at the tight end position.
•Harold Fannin Jr. is 6 years younger than Cole Kmet (21 vs 27), which significantly impacts dynasty league trade value.

Detailed Stat Breakdown

Cole Kmet vs Harold Fannin Jr.: 2025 fantasy football stat comparison in the half-PPR scoring format.
Stat	Cole Kmet	Harold Fannin Jr.
PPG (Half-PPR)	4.0	9.4
Games Played	16	16
Total Fantasy Pts (est.)	64	150
Receptions	30	72
Rec/Game	1.9	4.5
Receiving Yards	347	731
Rec Yds/Game	21.7	45.7
Receiving TDs	2	6
Targets	48	107
Target Share/Game	3.0	6.7
Age	27	21
Experience	6 yrs	-
Bye Week	Week 7	Week 11

Summary

Harold Fannin Jr. outscored Cole Kmet by 5.4 PPG in 2025 (9.4 to 4.0). That production gap is the baseline, but weekly context shifts the answer. DraftCall analyzes matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and health data to deliver a clear start or sit recommendation backed by real reasoning.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Should I start Cole Kmet or Harold Fannin Jr. in fantasy football?▾

Based on 2025 season averages, Harold Fannin Jr. has the edge at 9.4 PPG compared to Cole Kmet's 4.0 PPG. However, the best start depends on weekly matchup, recent form, and injury status. DraftCall's app provides real-time AI-powered verdicts that factor in all of these variables.

How many fantasy points did Cole Kmet and Harold Fannin Jr. average in 2025?▾

Cole Kmet averaged 4.0 fantasy points per game (half-PPR) across 16 games in 2025. Harold Fannin Jr. averaged 9.4 PPG over 16 games. That is a difference of 5.4 points per game.

When are Cole Kmet and Harold Fannin Jr.'s bye weeks in 2026?▾

Cole Kmet (CHI) has a bye in Week 7, and Harold Fannin Jr. (CLE) has a bye in Week 11. Plan your roster accordingly if you are carrying both players.

Is Cole Kmet or Harold Fannin Jr. a better fantasy tight end in 2026?▾

Harold Fannin Jr. outscored Cole Kmet by 5.4 PPG in 2025, which gives him the edge heading into 2026. For a week-by-week verdict, DraftCall's AI analyzes matchup quality and recent trends in real time.