Who Should I Start? Daurice Fountain or Brandon Powell

Thursday, August 1, 9:37 AM

Detroit Lions wide receiver Daurice Fountain has played in just eight games since entering the NFL in 2018 as a fifth-round pick out of North Iowa. He has just two receptions for 23 yards on his resume. However, the 28-year-old got first-team reps last week while third-year wideout Jameson Williams was out of action, and he made the most of his opportunities. "Fountain was one of the standouts of June's minicamp and the lanky wideout has kept the momentum into July," Jeff Risdon of the Lions Wire wrote. "When Jameson Williams wasn't practicing on Friday, Fountain stepped into some of Jamo's first-team reps and played well. His blocking and attention to detail on his routes both received audible praise from WR coach Antwan Randle El." Risdon noted that Fountain didn't have a great day on the first day of pads, but this is still noteworthy considering Fountain is largely unknown. While it would be a surprise if he's on the fantasy football radar in 2024, the team is thin at wide receiver behind superstar Amon-Ra St. Brown and the unproven Williams. He's not worth drafting in leagues of all shapes and sizes right now, but he is worth monitoring as training camp progresses.

Wednesday, August 7, 9:20 AM

Minnesota Vikings wide receivers Jalen Nailor and Brandon Powell were listed as co-starters in the No. 3 role on the team's first unofficial depth chart. The wideout spot behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison is open following the departure of K.J. Osborn, and the pair of pass-catchers are the prime candidates to fill that gap. Nailor, a sixth-round pick out of Michigan State in 2022, has tallied 12 receptions for 208 yards and one touchdown through his first 21 NFL games. Powell, an undrafted free agent in 2018, has hauled in 76 receptions for 678 yards and three touchdowns in 55 games with the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams, and Vikings. It will be interesting to see who comes out of the camp battle victorious, but neither is likely to have much fantasy value in an offense led by Sam Darnold or rookie J.J. McCarthy. However, one of the two wideouts could have deep-league value early in the season if Addison is suspended following his misdemeanor DUI charge, especially since tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) is likely to miss the start of the regular season.