Gunnar Helm vs Kyle Pitts: Who Should You Start?
Gunnar Helm and Kyle Pitts are both viable fantasy tight ends heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Gunnar Helm averaged 4.4 PPG across 16 games with the Tennessee Titans, while Kyle Pitts posted 9.8 PPG in 17 appearances for the Atlanta Falcons.
A 5.4-PPG gap gives Kyle Pitts 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.
Kyle Pitts is the volume tight end in this matchup with 88 receptions for 928 yards, while Gunnar Helm profiles as a more touchdown-dependent spike play (2 scores on 44 catches). In weeks where Gunnar Helm finds the end zone he out-scores Kyle Pitts, but the floor gap is real.
Bye weeks matter for roster construction: Gunnar Helm sits Week 5 while Kyle Pitts is off Week 12. If you are deciding between the two as a season-long roster hold, the staggered byes actually work in your favor.
