Who Should I Start? Allen Lazard or Jahan Dotson

Thursday, July 25, 9:20 AM

New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard signed a four-year, $44 million contract to join his longtime quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the organization last offseason, but after Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles on the first drive of the year, Lazard had a disastrous campaign. The former undrafted free agent caught just 23 passes for 311 yards and one touchdown in 14 games. With Rodgers back, Jets reporter Rich Cimini labeled Lazard as a potential bounce-back candidate. "Lazard was one of the standouts in the Jets' first practice, making two nifty catches on passes from quarterback Aaron Rodgers," Cimini wrote. "One good practice doesn't equate to a full comeback, but it should do wonders for his confidence. Privately, some in the organization felt he suffered from a confidence problem last season, his first in New York after signing a big free agent deal." With Mike Williams (knee) on the PUP list, Lazard will see extra reps with the first-team offense. Additionally, there's no guarantee that third-round rookie Malachi Corley will start the season ahead of Lazard in the target pecking order. While it's tough to get excited about Lazard's fantasy prospects, his cost outside the top 100 wide receivers makes him worth a dart throw in deep leagues. After all, he has the most chemistry with Rodgers, who is known for being a stickler on familiarly.

Wednesday, July 3, 7:41 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson has raised eyebrows this spring as he hopes to have a big bounce-back season. According to John Keim of ESPN the Penn State product has looked quite well against press coverage, which was an area he struggled in last season. Dotson caught seven scores in his rookie campaign in 2022 and gained 20 or more yards on 28.6% of his catchers. However, he experienced a significant sophomore slump where he caught only four touchdowns and gained 20 or more yards on a much lower 10.2% mark. In addition, his average air yards per target dropped from 14.35 in his first season to 9.25 last fall. Wide receivers coach Bobby Engram has also expressed the importance of improving his press releases, which will, in turn, get him downfield and provide him with more opportunities to make a big play. The 24-year-old currently sits with an ADP of 154.6 in standard leagues, but he could be a steal as the newly revamped Washington offense with Jayden Daniels at the helm can get Dotson's career back on track.