Who Should I Start? Jaylin Lane or Arian Smith

Thursday, July 31, 10:13 AM

Washington Commanders rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane has been seeing time with the first team during the early stages of training camp. According to Lynell Willingham of 1067 The Fan, the rookie out of Virginia Tech was being used as a decoy on a jet sweep during Thursday's practice session. The Commanders selected the wide receiver in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the 128th overall pick. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he may be pushed back to a reserve role once Terry McLaurin and the team resolve their contract dispute. During the past two seasons at Virginia Tech, Lane averaged 585 scrimmage yards per season and scored 10 total touchdowns. If Lane were to continue to impress, he could eventually jump Noah Brown and Luke McCaffrey on the depth chart. For now, he remains a stash option in deeper dynasty leagues.

Saturday, July 26, 10:05 PM

New York Jets wide receiver Arian Smith "is catching the eye of his teammates and coaches in training camp." The wideout, selected as the No. 110 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, finished his final collegiate season by amassing 817 yards and four touchdowns off 48 receptions. Since his arrival in New York, Smith has received praise because of his work ethic while having no issues "absorbing information." "He takes a lot of stuff in," said fellow wide receiver Josh Reynolds. "He is a good student and he transfers it to the field." Without question, Garrett Wilson is expected to remain the team's most productive receiver. However, it appears the No. 2 spot is up for grabs. While Smith may not see consistent playing time early on in the 2025 campaign, that could change if he continues to impress throughout training camp and during the season. Granted, Smith doesn't have any value in most redraft formats at the moment, but he's worth grabbing later in rookie drafts by those who can afford to be patient.