Who Should I Start? DeMario Douglas or Jayden Higgins

Saturday, September 6, 9:47 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas is not a worthwhile fantasy starter in Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Not only did the Raiders allow the 11th-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers last year, but Douglas is likely headed for a smaller role than last season now that Stefon Diggs has joined the offense. While Douglas does have experience being a low-yardage target machine, he was still inconsistent in 2024 and could become even less dependable with reduced volume in 2025. Plus, while he projects as a potential streamer later this season, he's not worth starting right now when there are no bye weeks and most top receivers are still healthy.

Friday, September 5, 10:48 PM

Houston Texans Wide Receiver Jayden Higgins could be called upon as the team's second receiver in his NFL debut since Christian Kirk (hamstring) has been ruled out. Higgins was listed on the team's unofficial depth chart as starting next to Kirk and Nico Collins, but with Kirk out, he could draw even more targets against a tough Rams' defense. Higgins was impressive in training camp and finished with five catches on seven targets for 40 yards in the preseason. The No. 34 overall pick in last year's draft is viewed as a carbon copy of Collins' skill set, and he could be very involved right away. He's the WR58 in RotoBaller's Week 1 rankings, so he's still a long-shot starter, but he could be a FLEX flier worth considering in deep leagues. He's definitely an important rookie to watch in Week 1 to evaluate how ready he is to contribute moving forward.