Noah Fant vs Trey McBride: Who Should You Start?
Trey McBride and Noah Fant are at different tiers heading into 2026. The Arizona Cardinals tight end averaged 14.9 PPG in 2025, a full 10.5 points per game ahead of Noah Fant's 4.4 with the Cincinnati Bengals. That kind of gap doesn't close on matchup alone.
The per-game difference of 10.5 points favors Trey McBride, though savvy managers know that gap can shrink or widen depending on the weekly slate. Defensive matchup, recent scoring trends, and health status all shift the calculus from one tight end to the other.
Trey McBride is the volume tight end in this matchup with 126 receptions for 1239 yards, while Noah Fant profiles as a more touchdown-dependent spike play (3 scores on 34 catches). In weeks where Noah Fant finds the end zone he out-scores Trey McBride, but the floor gap is real.
Noah Fant has his bye in Week 10, and Trey McBride rests in Week 8. 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.
