Who Should I Start? Allen Lazard or Jordan Whittington

Monday, August 25, 1:18 PM

New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard (shoulder) is on track to be available for Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 7, according to head coach Aaron Glenn. Lazard suffered a shoulder injury in the team's preseason opener on Aug. 9 and didn't play in the final two games. The 29-year-old will probably be on the first official injury report next week, but a long as he doesn't have a setback, he could be out on the field for the season opener. Fantasy managers will be avoiding him if he's active, though, as Lazard is merely competing for a depth role behind WR1 Garrett Wilson in New York with Josh Reynolds and Tyler Johnson. Lazard rebounded somewhat in 2024 in his second year with the team, but he's mostly been a dissapointment for the Jets with 60 catches on 109 targets for 841 yards and seven touchdowns in 26 games (22 starts).

Tuesday, August 5, 8:58 PM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington flashed as a rookie in 2024 when Puka Nacua went down with an injury. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer writes that Whittington is a "tough, strong special-teamer, and has shown an ability to separate in camp." The Rams' top two receivers will be Nacua and veteran Davante Adams, but Whittington is battling for the WR3 role this summer, with Demarcus Robinson and Tut Atwell being his primary competition. The 24-year-old former sixth-rounder was also a standout at last year's camp, only to catch 22 of 28 targets for 293 yards and no touchdowns in 15 regular-season games (three starts). However, he did have 62 or more yards in each of the three games he had over 30 offensive snaps. Whittington is one to watch for now in standard-sized fantasy leagues, but he could quickly become a priority waiver addition if one of Nacua or Adams gets injured.