Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or Xavier Worthy

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.

Wednesday, July 30, 12:14 PM

The Kansas City Chiefs are saying that wide receiver Xavier Worthy (concussion) is in the league's concussion protocol after he suffered a head injury during Tuesday's training camp practice. It's unclear how much time Worthy will end up missing, but the good news is he has plenty of time to get cleared before the start of the regular season in early September. Marquise Brown (hamstring) was also injured in Tuesday's practice, so it wasn't a great day for KC's wideouts. Worthy was used as a receiver and running back in his rookie season in 2024 and finished with 59 catches for 638 yards and six touchdowns on 98 targets and added 20 carries for 104 yards and three more TDs on the ground in 17 regular-season games (13 starts). Target competition could be a concern when Rashee Rice and Brown are both on the field, but Worthy remains an intriguing WR2 in fantasy in this offense.