Who Should I Start? Calvin Austin III or Jalen McMillan

Thursday, July 3, 7:17 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver coach Zach Azzanni noted during the team's minicamp that he believes wide receiver Calvin Austin III is poised to step into the offense's No. 2 pass-catching role. "I think that '2' spot is all Calvin's right now," said Azzanni. The Memphis alum put together his best statistical season in 2024 with a decent 36/548/4 line as the team's third-leading wideout. However, even with the departure of ex-teammate George Pickens vacating 103 targets, it won't be an easy path to fantasy relevance. Pickens was replaced by DK Metcalf, who will garner his fair share of looks, and Austin III will now have to contend with two viable options at tight end in Pat Freiermuth and the newly acquired Jonnu Smith. The 26-year-old offers the most juice on the team, but Pittsburgh's propensity to run and productive teammates will likely limit his fantasy value outside of best ball formats.

Tuesday, July 22, 10:52 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan is still a very large part of the Buccaneers' plans this season, according to new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard. Grizzard was new coach Liam Coen's pass game coordinator last year, and when pressed to give a player who needed to play well for his offense to work this season, he identified McMillan. Grizzard said, "He's in a good spot." The Bucs' receiver room is crowded with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin coming back from injury, and new first-round pick Emeka Egbuka. McMillan made a big impact, though, 37 catches for 461 yards and eight touchdowns. He stepped up after Godwin's injury and had seven touchdowns in his last five games. McMillan is a risky pick with so many options in the offense, but he showed off a high enough ceiling to definitely be a part of starting lineups in standard leagues coming into the season.