Jake Ferguson vs T.J. Hockenson: Who Should You Start?
Jake Ferguson and T.J. Hockenson are both viable fantasy tight ends heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Jake Ferguson averaged 8.7 PPG across 17 games with the Dallas Cowboys, while T.J. Hockenson posted 5.8 PPG in 15 appearances for the Minnesota Vikings.
A 2.9-PPG gap gives Jake Ferguson 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.
Jake Ferguson is the volume tight end in this matchup with 82 receptions for 600 yards, while T.J. Hockenson profiles as a more touchdown-dependent spike play (3 scores on 51 catches). In weeks where T.J. Hockenson finds the end zone he out-scores Jake Ferguson, but the floor gap is real.
Jake Ferguson has his bye in Week 7, and T.J. Hockenson rests in Week 6. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at tight end for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
