Who Should I Start? Brenden Rice or Jordan Whittington

Tuesday, August 27, 7:41 PM

The Los Angeles Chargers announced on Tuesday that rookie wide receiver Brenden Rice and safeties Tony Jefferson and JT Woods were among the players that made the final 53-man roster heading into the 2024 regular season. Rice made the final cut after impressive during training camp and the preseason. The 22-year-old son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice was taken in the seventh round of April's NFL draft out of USC. He might be worth stashing in deep dynasty/keeper leagues, but for his rookie season, he'll merely be a depth option for the Bolts behind Joshua Palmer, DJ Chark, rookie Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Simi Fehoko and Derius Davis. Rice excels with his route-running and also plays with a physical style on contested catches down the field. Initially, he might be a red-zone weapon for a new-look Chargers offense in 2024.

Saturday, January 11, 7:58 PM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington showcased some big-play potential last week in the regular season finale, and the Rams may need to be more aggressive in this week's matchup against the Vikings on Monday Night Football of the Wild Card Round. The sixth-round pick from Texas was involved early in the season when Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp were injured. He had a combined 13 catches for 151 receiving yards in Week 4 and Week 5 but then sustained a shoulder injury that kept him limited for several weeks. Whittington stepped back in last week while the starters rested and caught three of his four targets for a team-high 86 receiving yards while also adding 12 rushing yards on two carries. Whittington does bring some sizzle and upside to the Rams' passing game, but his role is uncertain since the Rams rotate receivers behind the tandem of Nacua and Kupp. He's a dart throw play with upside for DFS contests on Monday.