Who Should I Start? Diontae Johnson or DeMario Douglas

Tuesday, June 24, 2:10 PM

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson believes veteran quarterback Kenny Pickett will be the team's starting quarterback following the competition against Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Pickett spent last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, winning his first Super Bowl ring as Jalen Hurts' backup. The 2022 first-round pick out of Pitt struggled to make a positive impact with the Pittsburgh Steelers, throwing for 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 25 career games. He looked competent in limited action with the Eagles, throwing for 291 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. However, that was behind the league's best offensive line and with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Saquon Barkley to throw the ball to. If Pickett wins the starting job in Cleveland, he likely won't offer much fantasy upside and can be ignored in single-QB formats to start the new campaign. If he struggles early, the team could opt to move to Joe Flacco or one of the first-year signal callers.

Tuesday, July 15, 2:00 PM

Patriots.com's Evan Lazar writes that along with wide receiver Stefon Diggs (knee), New England Patriots pass-catchers DeMario Douglas and third-round rookie Kyle Williams are "locks" to make the 53-man roster. Mack Hollins also has a very strong chance of making the team. Douglas, 24, was the highest-rated Patriots receiver in ESPN's receiver score metric, finishing 25th among qualified pass-catchers. He had 66 catches for 621 yards and three touchdowns on 87 targets in his second NFL season and is set to reprise his role in the slot for the Pats in 2025. A lot of Douglas' early-season fantasy value will depend on whether Diggs is ready to start the regular season or not, and if he is, how effective he'll be. Douglas should see enough volume to be worth a late-round PPR flier in deeper leagues, but the Patriots also have much more competition at the position than they did a year ago.