Who Should I Start? Christian Watson or Troy Franklin

Wednesday, July 23, 3:45 PM

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (knee), who suffered a torn ACL near the end of last season, is recovering well, according to general manager Brian Gutekunst. Gutekunst said his rehab is going "great," and the former North Dakota State speedster did a test run earlier in the week. "It's an ACL, so we're going to take our time with him," Gutekunst said. "But he's pressing to get out there." Watson has missed 13 games through the first three seasons of his pro career since being selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Overall, he has hauled in 98 of his 172 targets for 1,653 yards and 14 touchdowns. It's a positive sign that he is recovering quickly, but his fantasy prospects are tough to believe in based on what we've seen thus far and the addition of Texas wideout Matthew Golden in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Thursday, June 12, 9:28 PM

Denver Broncos second-year wide receiver Troy Franklin has had a good offseason, has looked more explosive and added about five pounds, according to head coach Sean Payton. The Broncos took the Oregon product in the fourth round (102nd overall) in last year's draft to pair him with college teammate and quarterback Bo Nix. The slim pass-catcher's chemistry with Nix didn't really translate in Year 1 in the NFL, as he finished with 28 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns on 53 targets over 16 regular-season games (six starts). The No. 2 role behind Courtland Sutton is up for grabs in Denver, with Franklin competing with Marvin Mims Jr., Devaughn Vele and rookie Pat Bryant for a bigger role in 2025. The addition of pass-catching tight end Evan Engram won't help. Franklin is worth keeping an eye on in training camp, but for now, he's outside of RotoBaller's top-100 fantasy receivers.