Who Should I Start? Allen Lazard or Jaylin Noel

Sunday, September 7, 12:39 PM

New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard is a healthy scratch for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Davante Adams departing for the Los Angeles Rams in the offseason, Lazard was expected to be a starter behind Garrett Wilson in 2025, but that doesn't appear to be the case early on. The 29-year-old was a major disappointment in 2023 after signing a four-year, $44 million deal but bounced back slightly last year by catching 37 passes for 530 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. Josh Reynolds has secured WR2 duties in New York with a strong training camp and preseason, and with Lazard being a healthy scratch in Week 1, it looks like Tyler Johnson will get first crack at WR3 duties in what is expected to be a run-heavy offense under first-year head coach Aaron Glenn.

Friday, September 5, 11:04 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel will make his NFL debut on Sunday against the Rams, and there could be work available since Christian Kirk (hamstring) is out, moving him up the depth chart. While Jayden Higgins and Xavier Hutchinson will likely rotate across from Nico Collins, Noel is a more natural fit in the slot, where Kirk is expected to spend most of his time when healthy. If the Texans choose to keep Collins out wide, Noel could slide into Kirk's spot in the slot. The third-round pick is coming off a 1,000-yard season for the Iowa State Cyclones and will be a very important sleeper to watch in Week 1 to see how ready he is to contribute to Houston's offense if Kirk misses more time. Noel is ranked as just the WR91 in RotoBaller's rankings in Week 1, so he is still a long-shot starter, but definitely a sleeper to monitor.