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).

Thursday, September 18, 10:18 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wideout Tez Johnson could finally get his chance to make an impact this week. The former Oregon Duck has seen just one target so far and was a healthy scratch in Week 2, while first-round pick Emeka Egbuka has commanded most of the spotlight in Tampa's passing attack. However, with Egbuka nursing a groin injury and not participating in practice on Wednesday, Johnson may find a path to meaningful snaps. The Buccaneers face the Jets this week, a defense that struggled in Week 1 to contain Pittsburgh's Calvin Austin III, who is another undersized but explosive receiver with a skill set similar to Johnson's. While Johnson remains off the fantasy radar for now, a strong showing could put him back on the map as a rookie to monitor for deeper leagues.