Who Should I Start? Javon Baker or Jordan Whittington

Thursday, September 12, 2:43 PM

New England Patriots rookie wide receiver Javon Baker was a healthy scratch for the Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. While this is a concern for his future outlook, some first-year players take longer to adjust to the NFL than others. Patriots wide receiver coach Tyler Hughes said, "I think we'll see him more and more as the season goes on." Four Patriots wideouts saw targets in Week 1, including K.J. Osborn (six), Demario Douglas (three), Tyquan Thornton (three), and Ja'Lynn Polk (one). It's worth noting Kendrick Bourne (knee) is on the PUP list, but he could return as soon as Week 5. Fantasy managers should probably expect Baker to have little to no fantasy value in Year 1, but he could make noise later in his career and should continue to be stashed in deep dynasty leagues.

Monday, September 16, 9:50 PM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington looked to be settled in as the fifth or sixth option to start the season. Now, Whittington might find himself with an every week role. The Rams are expected to be without both Puka Nacua (knee) and Cooper Kupp (ankle) for multiple games. That being said, Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson, and Tutu Atwell figure to be the starters heading into Week 3. Whittington figures to be the primary backup receiver and should see some action as well. He hauled in both his targets for 22 yards in the Week 2 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The sixth-round rookie isn't a must-start option, but could be worth holding in deep leagues or dynasty formats with the Rams shorthanded.