Who Should I Start? Darius Slayton or DeMario Douglas

Thursday, February 12, 7:34 AM

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton has shown flashes of upside plenty of times throughout his career, but he continues to struggle to emerge as a consistent fantasy threat week over week. Part of the difficulty for Slayton has been quarterback play, but that changed in 2025 when rookie Jaxson Dart took the reins of the offense. However, the other part of the problem has been Slayton's role on the depth chart, and the outlook there remains bleak. We did temporarily jump to second on the depth chart behind Wan'Dale Robinson after Malik Nabers (knee) tore his ACL -- resulting in 37 catches, 538 yards, and a touchdown -- he'll drop back to third if Nabers is healthy for the start of 2026. Plus, tight end Theo Johnson will continue to command plenty of targets, and the same can be said about running back Cam Skattebo (ankle). If there's any glimmer of hope for Slayton, it's the fact that Robinson is an impending free agent. However, the Giants have been very outspoken about their plans to bring Robinson back. It seems likely that Slayton will remain the Giants' No. 3 receiver in 2026, leaving his value to hinge on a teammate's injury. He's not worth drafting in typical redraft leagues, and he can be stashed on the bench only in deeper dynasty formats.

Thursday, February 19, 5:04 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas had a disappointing third year in the NFL, even though his team advanced all the way to the Super Bowl. The 25-year-old pass-catcher had career lows in catches (31), targets (46), and receiving yards (447) while scoring just three touchdowns for the second straight season in 17 regular-season games. Quarterback Drake Maye was in the running for MVP honors in his second season, but Douglas just couldn't stand out in a crowded receiving corps that also included Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, and rookie Kyle Williams. His 447 receiving yards were fifth on the team, and he added seven carries for 21 yards on the ground. Douglas will be in a contract year in 2026, but with all of the above-mentioned receivers returning to New England, it's hard to envision Douglas becoming a strong weekly fantasy football option.