Who Should I Start? Irvin Charles or Efton Chism III

Friday, March 28, 9:10 PM

The New York Jets re-signed exclusive-rights free-agent wide receiver Irvin Charles (knee) to an undisclosed deal on Friday. Charles will return to the Jets in 2025, although it's highly unlikely he'll be ready for training camp this summer or the start of the regular season after tearing his ACL in Week 14 of last year. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent appeared in 13 games (no starts) in 2024 and was unable to catch his only target on offense. In his two NFL seasons, he has yet to catch a pass on just two targets over 25 games (no starts), mainly contributing on special teams. Charles logged 212 special-teams snaps last year and will likely resume a similar role at some point next year when he's cleared from his knee injury. He's nowhere near the fantasy radar.

Monday, September 1, 11:19 PM

New England Patriots rookie wide receiver Efton Chism III made the 53-man roster after a terrific preseason, and he could carve out a role as a physical pass-catching option over the middle of the field with the ability to rack up yards after the catch. However, he'll still need to earn opportunities in the Patriots' offense, and it could be difficult for him to obtain fantasy relevance if he's stuck behind players like Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, and even Hunter Henry. His best chance at sneaking onto the fantasy radar would be through injuries to any of those receivers ahead of him. Chism certainly has the trust of the front office, coaching staff, and quarterback Drake Maye. However, as an undrafted free agent, he still has a lot of work to do before becoming a consistent fantasy option week in and week out. For now, he's a low-end speculative stash in dynasty leagues, but he should be avoided altogether in redraft formats.