Who Should I Start? Curtis Samuel or Kalif Raymond

Friday, September 5, 1:53 PM

Wide receiver Curtis Samuel was a top-50 fantasy WR from 2022-23 with the Washington Commanders, but he fell off a cliff in his first year with the Buffalo Bills last season. After dealing with a nagging toe injury and managing just 31 catches, 253 receiving yards, and one touchdown in 14 games, Samuel will open 2025 against a high-end Baltimore Ravens defense on Sunday. Samuel is worth avoiding this week, especially after a hamstring issue shelved him for most of the summer. The 29-year-old is not on the injury report heading into Week 1, and considering his respectable track record, Samuel could get back on the fantasy radar if he starts this season looking more like he did in Washington. He came around a bit at the end of last season with two TD grabs in three playoff games, including a 55-yarder in a wild-card round win over the Denver Broncos.

Friday, September 5, 6:07 PM

Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond is entering his fifth season in Detroit and appears to be the team's WR4 behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Isaac TeSlaa. Still, the 31-year-old brings a vertical element to the offense with his speed and has consistently found the field in his time in Detroit, albeit in a limited capacity. In eight career games against the Packers, Raymond has recorded 20 catches for 302 yards and a touchdown. He may eat into the Week 1 snap share of TeSlaa, who is playing on Sunday, but was limited in practice early in the week with an illness. Raymond should not be on the radar of fantasy managers, but he should be expected to see some work in Week 1 against Green Bay.