Who Should I Start? Bryce Oliver or Tez Johnson

Monday, August 26, 12:07 PM

Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Bryce Oliver hauled in three passes for 52 yards and two touchdowns in the last preseason win over New Orleans. It was a mini breakout for the undrafted pass-catcher out of Youngstown State, who was having a quiet game until quarterback Malik Willis started looking his way in the fourth quarter, which led to two scores, along with the game-winner with 1:25 remaining. Oliver was not expected to compete for an active roster spot, but this performance definitely gives general manager Ran Carthon something to think about. Even so, with Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks, Tyler Boyd, Kyle Philips, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine having locked up roster spots at WR, it's tough to see a situation in which Oliver ends up on the active 53-man roster for the Titans. He is nowhere near any fantasy radar heading into the 2024-25 season.

Thursday, September 18, 10:18 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wideout Tez Johnson could finally get his chance to make an impact this week. The former Oregon Duck has seen just one target so far and was a healthy scratch in Week 2, while first-round pick Emeka Egbuka has commanded most of the spotlight in Tampa's passing attack. However, with Egbuka nursing a groin injury and not participating in practice on Wednesday, Johnson may find a path to meaningful snaps. The Buccaneers face the Jets this week, a defense that struggled in Week 1 to contain Pittsburgh's Calvin Austin III, who is another undersized but explosive receiver with a skill set similar to Johnson's. While Johnson remains off the fantasy radar for now, a strong showing could put him back on the map as a rookie to monitor for deeper leagues.