Who Should I Start? Jalen Royals or Jaylin Noel

Wednesday, August 27, 1:05 PM

Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals (knee) is currently banged up and missed practice on Tuesday, but FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz says he's a name to watch during Rashee Rice's six-game suspension to begin the 2025 season. Wideout Tyquan Thornton is another name to watch after he had an exceptional training camp to earn himself a 53-man roster spot. Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown and tight end Travis Kelce should be quarterback Patrick Mahomes' top aerial targets through the first six games with Rice suspended, but both Royals and Thornton could also get involved. The 22-year-old Royals is currently battling knee tendinitis that caused him to miss the preseason finale, and his availability for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil on Friday, Sept. 5, is in question. JuJu Smith-Schuster is another receiver who could benefit from Rice's suspension.

Sunday, August 24, 3:49 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel finished his preseason with a quiet stat line of three catches for 18 yards and no touchdowns. Despite the limited production, the rookie third-round pick from Iowa State has garnered significant praise from quarterback C.J. Stroud, who told beat writer Jared Koch that the young wideout "looks great" and is "making plays out here every day." While Noel currently sits behind veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk on the depth chart, Kirk is entering his eighth season and is coming off an injury. Given that his Iowa State teammate, Jayden Higgins, appears to have earned a starting role, Noel could also see the field a fair amount this season. Noel is a solid late-round fantasy flier, especially for managers who believe Kirk may be on the downslope of his career.