Who Should I Start? Chris Blair or Justin Shorter

Saturday, August 16, 11:42 AM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Chris Blair led the team in receiving yards, thanks mostly to a 52-yard catch-and-run down the sideline on an Easton Stick pass in the third quarter of Friday's 23-20 loss to the Titans. In all, the 27-year-old caught three of his five targets for a total of 78 yards. It's the second consecutive week with a touchdown catch after hauling in three passes for 54 yards in the team's 17-10 preseason loss to the Lions last week. The wide receiver corps for the Falcons is pretty much set, with Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and Ray-Ray McCloud the top three, along with fourth wideout KhaDarel Hodge, who has been with the team since 2022. Blair is battling veteran DJ Chark and a host of others for what is probably just one spot available on the roster, although his performance the last two weeks should help give him a leg up on most of them.

Friday, September 5, 2:41 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders have made a series of back-of-roster moves, elevating third-year wide receiver Justin Shorter to the active roster and signing veteran receiver Phillip Dorsett to fill his spot on the practice squad. The Raiders were able to open a roster spot after moving Amari Cooper to the Reserve/Retired list following his unheralded retirement announcement on Thursday. At 6'4" and 227 pounds, Shorter was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2023 but spent his rookie season on injured reserve. He spent 2024 between the Raiders' active roster and practice squad as he transitioned to playing tight end. He made ten regular-season appearances without registering a stat. While the Raiders search for any depth in the wide receiver room, Shorter's signing should have no significance to fantasy managers.