Fantasy Alert: TE OJ Howard out vs. Titans with Injury; Cameron Brate to Start

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans due to a hamstring injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The 2019 season has not been kind to Howard, who found himself in new head coach Bruce Arians' doghouse by Week 2.

When asked why Howard had just four catches for 32 yards in his first two games, Arians said the following:

“You'd probably have to ask him,” Arians told reporters. “He has so much talent. He can play a heck of a lot better than he's playing.”

The 24-year-old has just 13 receptions for 176 yards and zero touchdowns.

The former Alabama tight end is one of the more talented players at his position when healthy, but he has yet to enjoy a full 16-game regular season.

An ankle injury put Howard on the injured reserve with two games remaining in 2017, and foot and ankle injuries ended his 2018 season after Week 11.

Howard still put up impressive numbers in 10 games last year, catching 34 passes for 565 yards and five touchdowns despite playing only 39.01 percent of his team's 2018 offensive snaps, per Pro Football Reference.

Cameron Brate figures to get the majority of snaps at tight end with Howard out. The 28-year-old has 12 catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns. He has a nose for the end zone, catching 20 scores from 2016-2018.

Howard is a unique talent with a habit of making game-breaking plays, like his 75-yard touchdown catch in a 27-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles last season. He led all tight ends with 16.6 yards per reception, a full yard ahead of the San Francisco 49ers‘ George Kittle.

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Although this season has not gone as planned, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Howard return to his old form when healthy.

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