Who Should I Start? Calvin Austin III or DeMario Douglas


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
2.7 0.3 0.0 0.9 12.1 0.1

Calvin Austin III News

What Impact Can Calvin Austin III Make for the Giants in 2026?

Sunday, June 21, 5:25 AM

With the New York Giants having signed or drafted six different wide receivers since the start of the new league year, one of their more under-the-radar additions was veteran Calvin Austin III, who agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal after three seasons with the Steelers. At 5'9" and 162 pounds, he offers a similar body type to free agent departee Wan'Dale Robinson, who led the team with 92 catches in 2025, though their usage has differed, with Austin seeing only about half of his snaps out of the slot over the past two seasons. Deployed more as a field stretcher than a true volume threat during his time in Pittsburgh, Austin has topped 400 receiving yards only once, and in New York, his skill set could overlap significantly with fellow free agent acquisition Darnell Mooney. With no clear picture of exactly how the Giants will utilize their deep group of new pass catchers, the only near certainty is that when healthy, the offense will run through 2024 first-round pick Malik Nabers. Ranked outside of RotoBaller's top 300 players for 2026, Austin is a player who will begin the year on waivers in most leagues and is likely to remain there barring the unforeseen.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
3.2 1.3 0.0 1.1 14.0 0.1

DeMario Douglas News

DeMario Douglas Could Still Struggle to Find a Reliable Role in 2026

Saturday, June 20, 5:25 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas has routinely provided a spark out of the slot, averaging more than 6.2 yards after catch per reception through his first three years in the league, but his waning usage in 2025 led to career lows of 447 yards on only 31 receptions. The arrival of Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator had many calling for a modest breakout based on the past success of slot receivers Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, and Wes Welker in his system, but with the Patriots opting for a bigger, more physical style of play, Douglas often ceded slot work to the 6'4", 221-pound Mack Hollins and saw a sub-30% snap share in 14 of 17 games. McDaniels has spoken about wanting to get Douglas more involved, but most of the moves made by New England this offseason suggest a path toward even more heavy personnel usage, with Douglas now buried on a depth chart topped by new additions A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. Douglas will continue to have his moments in McDaniels' game plan-specific offense, but outside of RotoBaller's top 300, he is not a player who can be trusted in 2026 fantasy leagues, other than deep best-ball formats.


Calvin Austin III vs. DeMario Douglas

Still trying to decide between Austin III and Douglas? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Calvin Austin III is projected to score 2.7 points this week while DeMario Douglas is projected to score 3.2 points.