Who Should I Start? Jacob Cowing or Tez Johnson

Wednesday, August 27, 10:59 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jacob Cowing (hamstring) was placed on the Injured Reserve list on Wednesday, guaranteeing that he will miss at least the first four games of the season. Cowing was battling a hamstring injury for most of training camp and suffered a major setback while trying to return for the team's final preseason game. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan provided a six-week return timeline for Cowing, making his IR placement an easy decision. The 24-year-old would have had a chance to make an early-season impact had he been able to stay healthy, as the 49ers' wide receiver room has been besieged by injuries behind WR1 Ricky Pearsall. With the delayed start, Cowing should be off the radar of fantasy managers for the time being. However, he could be an under-the-radar midseason pickup, depending on the status of currently sidelined 49ers wideouts Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Jauan Jennings (calf).

Friday, November 7, 5:13 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson has become a viable option in this offense over the last few weeks. It took a few injuries for Johnson to get a chance, but the 23-year-old is showing he deserves to stay in this spot on the depth chart. In Week 8, Johnson hauled in five of his six targets for 43 yards in the win over the New Orleans Saints. The Bucs are still without Chris Godwin (leg) and Mike Evans (shoulder) for this weekend, so Johnson should continue seeing a high volume of passes coming his way. The rookie wideout should be able to offer flex value for the upcoming Week 10 matchup against the New England Patriots.