Who Should I Start? Casey Washington or Jaylin Noel

Saturday, September 13, 10:09 PM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Casey Washington (concussion) did not pass the league's concussion protocol and will be inactive on Sunday against the Vikings. The 24-year-old had his best game in the NFL last week, hauling in three of his six targets for 33 yards, but suffered a concussion during the fourth quarter of the contest. The University of Illinois product's six targets were fourth-most on the team and more than veteran Ray-Ray McCloud III's five targets, potentially signaling a changing of the guard for the third wide receiver spot in the Atlanta offense, but it was likely more a product of Darnell Mooney's absence in Week 1 than anything else. With Mooney expected to play in Week 2 but with Washington out, we'll have to see how things shake out in Week 3 in order to get a better feel for Washington's role in this offense. For now, Washington can be left to the waiver wire in fantasy leagues.

Tuesday, October 7, 9:59 PM

Houston Texans rookie wide receiver Jaylin Noel had the best game of his young NFL career in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens, recording two catches for 13 yards and a touchdown on three targets. Noel has played a limited role so far this season, logging just five catches for 23 yards and a score on seven targets across five games. Noel has also yet to play more than 31% of the Texans' offensive snaps in any games and currently appears buried on the wide receiver depth chart behind Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, Jayden Higgins, and Christian Kirk. The 23-year-old Noel has some long-term appeal and could be a stash candidate in deep redraft leagues. Still, in the short term, he's a long shot to provide consistent fantasy production.