Who Should I Start? Allen Lazard or Quentin Johnston

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.

Thursday, May 16, 2:18 PM

The Los Angeles Chargers passed on drafting a wide receiver with the No. 5 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, which puts second-year wideout and former first-rounder Quentin Johnston in a spot to be the team's No. 1 entering the 2024 campaign. "We believe in it. He's a great kid, he's a great worker. Everyone here has a high opinion of him. I believe he's really going to launch. I really do. His skill set is great. We're gonna work with him, make him better and better," general manager Joe Hortiz said. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams left this offseason, leaving Johnson, who struggled with 38 catches on 67 targets for 431 yards and two touchdowns in his first NFL season, with a much larger role in 2024. Johnston is certainly going to have more opportunities to produce for the Chargers and fantasy managers, but the 22-year-old is going to need to gain more separation and clear up his issues with drops.