Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or Jayden Reed

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.

Thursday, May 15, 1:01 PM

Green Bay Packers passing-game coordinator Jason Vrable said that wide receiver Jayden Reed is up to 199 pounds (up from 185 as a rookie) and has been one of the leaders of the receiver group this offseason. Vrable said that Reed has been "helping Matthew Golden with every single play." The 25-year-old was on pace for his first 1,000-yard season in 2024 in his sophomore campaign in the first half before fading down the stretch and then suffering a dislocated shoulder in the wild-card playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the team adding Golden and Savion Williams in this year's draft, the Packers still view Reed as their "top receiver." However, until we see it, the slot wideout's volume could be volatile, even with Christian Watson (knee) potentially miss half the season. Reed has the potential for a breakout, but he should be viewed as a boom/bust WR3/flex.