Who Should I Start? Calvin Austin III or Emeka Egbuka

Wednesday, June 11, 5:17 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni likes Calvin Austin III to be the team's No. 2 wideout behind DK Metcalf in 2025 after George Pickens was traded to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason. Azzanni said that Austin is being overlooked and that he is a "legit NFL receiver" that "gets separation all over the field." Roman Wilson and others will be working as a committee behind Metcalf and Austin to open the 2025 regular season. Austin, a former fourth-rounder (138th overall) in 2022 out of Memphis, caught 36 of his 58 targets for 548 yards and four touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (eight starts) in his second season in the NFL last year. He is definitely going to have a bigger role in 2025, but in what is expected to be a run-heavy offense with quarterback Aaron Rodgers likely in the last season of his career, we'd expect Austin to struggle for volume on a week-to-week basis.

Thursday, June 26, 6:52 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie first-round wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is expected to have a big role in the offense in his first year in the NFL, especially with Chris Godwin recovering from ankle surgery, according to ESPN's Jenna Laine. Egbuka is already helping the Bucs stretch the field horizontally and has looked like a running back at times while showing up in the short passing game. However, the 22-year-old from Ohio State has also made big plays down the field during offseason practices. "The thing that sticks out is how cerebral he is," quarterback Baker Mayfield said. "He's so smart. Right now, I think we could plug-and-play him at every [wide] receiver spot; he understands the offense that well. That's just him being a pro already." Egbuka is extremely attractive in dynasty/keeper leagues, but his redraft fantasy value in 2025 could depend on whether injuries in front of him open up more opportunities.