Who Should I Start? Ja'Lynn Polk or Luke McCaffrey

Tuesday, August 12, 12:39 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk (shoulder) was on the outside looking in of beat reporter Chad Graff of The Athletic's latest 53-man roster projection. Graff notes that the shoulder injury Polk suffered in the team's first preseason game on Friday "further hurts his chances at making the team." Polk had a horrible rookie season in 2024, recording 12 catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games (seven starts). Even still, it would be a rapid fall from grace to see him get cut before his second season, given that he was the 37th overall pick of the 2024 draft. Graff has 2024 fourth-rounder Javon Baker making the team as the WR6 ahead of Polk.

Sunday, August 10, 3:17 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (illness) returned to practice on Sunday after playing just one snap in Friday's 48-18 preseason loss to the Patriots. The 24-year-old is battling for a larger role in the Commanders' offense, and he should continue to see an uptick in reps with the first-team offense for as long as Terry McLaurin (ankle/contract) is sidelined. McCaffrey is entering his second season after being a third-round draft pick and had only one catch for negative one yard in the preseason loss. He finished his rookie campaign with a stat line of 18 catches for 168 yards and zero touchdowns. While he is not a significant fantasy contender in standard leagues, McCaffrey could be a late-round flyer in best ball formats and a much higher priority if McLaurin's contract issues linger into the regular season.