Who Should I Start? James Washington or Allen Lazard

Sunday, August 18, 6:18 PM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver James Washington has been released by the organization on Sunday. It looks like Washington was the odd man out as the Falcons needed to cut someone to add safety Justin Simmons to the roster. At this point, Washington is nothing more than depth on any NFL roster. His best season came in 2019 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Washington recorded 44 receptions, 735 receiving yards and three touchdowns during that season. Since then, Washington has regressed appears to be nothing more than a back-end depth option. He could land elsewhere before the season begins, but Washington is unlikely to make a big impact anywhere.

Saturday, December 14, 12:40 PM

New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard made his return from Injured Reserve due to a chest injury in the Week 14 overtime loss to the division-rival Miami Dolphins and caught his only target for an 18-yard pickup. Lazard did play 78 percent of the offensive snaps, but as expected, he was the clear WR3 behind Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams. There's no discounting the 29-year-old's rapport with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and he should see more involvement down the stretch as he gets further away from his chest injury. However, it's going to be hard to count on him for consistent fantasy production as long as Wilson and Adams stay healthy. In Week 14, Wilson and Adams combined for 223 yards and a score on 21 targets, with Lazard seeing just the lone target. Lazard should be on the waiver wire in 12-team fantasy leagues and should be benched in Week 15 in deeper formats against the Jaguars.