Who Should I Start? Jalen Nailor or Jalen Royals

Tuesday, August 5, 5:08 PM

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor is in a position to see an elevated workload early in the 2025 season with fellow wideout Jordan Addison set to serve a three-game suspension. While Addison won't be prohibited from practice or even preseason games, this sets the stage for Nailor to garner a stronger rapport with second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The 26-year-old was a training camp standout in 2024 and made a few highlight plays early in the campaign before tailing off as the season wore on. It's unknown how the Vikings offense will look with McCarthy at the helm, though Minnesota seems to be all in on him, and that counts for something. If he's the real deal, Nailor could have some sneaky low-end WR3 value in PPR formats -- at least for the first few weeks. He's currently an afterthought in drafts.

Friday, July 25, 1:10 PM

Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals continues to impress early in training camp and had one of the best days on the field during practice on Friday, according to Jesse Newell of The Kansas City Star. Royals had an impressive back-shoulder sideline catch on a pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes as he continues to work in with the starting offensive unit. The 22-year-old fourth-round selection also turned heads in Wednesday's practice while working alongside Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown, almost of his time with the first-team offense has come when Rashee Rice hasn't been on the field. It's notable because of the fact that Rice could be suspended three or four games to start the 2025 season, so Royals could have a role early on for the Chiefs. When Rice is available, though, Royals will face an uphill battle for consistent playing time, especially with KC using a lot of two-TE formations.