Who Should I Start? Calvin Ridley or Christian Kirk

Friday, August 1, 10:31 AM

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley (calf) will sit out Friday's practice. According to head coach Ben Callahan, this is a scheduled maintenance day for Ridley. The 30-year-old exited Wednesday's practice early after experiencing cramps in his right calf and will get Friday off to rest. The buzz around Tennessee is that Ridley has had a strong start to camp and has been building a natural chemistry with No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward since the first practices of Spring. Ridley is the unquestioned alpha in the Titans' receiver room, and he led the league in unrealized air yards last season while catching passes from Will Levis. If he can continue to earn the trust of his young QB and the Titans' passing game finds any semblance of rhythm this year, Ridley represents sneaky good value in the middle rounds in upcoming fantasy drafts.

Wednesday, July 9, 3:34 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk was dealt from the division rival Jacksonville Jaguars for a late-round NFL Draft pick this offseason. The 28-year-old had a fantastic first season with Jacksonville in 2022, but injuries and offensive woes limited his production in 2023 and 2024. Last year, he tallied just 27 receptions for 379 yards and one score in eight games while Brian Thomas Jr. took over the WR1 role. Now in Houston, he is seemingly competing with rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel for the WR2 job behind Nico Collins. ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime believes Kirk might be the favorite to win that job. "The best way to step into the No. 2 or No. 3 role is building chemistry with CJ.. Stroud," Bien-Aime wrote. "And Kirk looked like a potential safety blanket for the third-year signal-caller." While this is promising for Kirk's fantasy prospects, the veteran has eclipsed 800 yards in just two of his seven NFL campaigns, and Houston's acquisitions of Higgins and Noel could suggest they were not comfortable with Kirk in the clear WR2 role. That said, his cost in drafts outside the top 50 WRs makes him an interesting dart throw in all formats.