Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or Josh Jacobs

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.

Monday, August 4, 12:23 PM

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs looked like the best player on the field at training camp the day he visited, and "his explosion suggests another heavy workload is coming." Jacobs had 301 carries in his first year in Green Bay in 2024 and has averaged 18.6 carries per game since 2022. Fowler doesn't see Jacobs' carries declining, and that could especially be true if MarShawn Lloyd (groin) cannot stay healthy. The 27-year-old's open-field cuts have looked really sharp this summer. If you decide to wait a little bit on your RB1 in fantasy drafts this year, Jacobs represents a high-floor, low-end RB1 target going into his second season with the Packers. The three-time Pro Bowler had 1,329 rushing yards and a career-best 15 touchdowns on 301 carries last year. He's still the centerpiece of this offense.