Who Should I Start? Jaylin Lane or Arian Smith

Friday, October 31, 11:36 PM

Washington Commanders rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane has caught at least one ball in every game this season and has been forced to step up with injuries to Washington's top wide receivers. Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) is out again for Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks, which opens up more routes and targets for Lane, among others. The fourth-round rookie likely had his worst game as a pro in Week 8 against the Chiefs, committing a costly blunder that set the offense up with field position inside their own five-yard line, and then failing to make up for his mistake by dropping a pass on third down on the same drive. Lane has the speed and ball-in-hand ability that Washington's offense needs, but his hands have been unreliable so far. Lane will have the chance to bounce back on Sunday Night Football, along with Luke McCaffrey and Chris Moore vying for targets behind Deebo Samuel Sr.

Saturday, October 25, 4:22 AM

New York Jets wide receiver Arian Smith should again see a substantial uptick in playing time when his team squares off with the hosting Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8. The rookie played a season-high in snap share (92%) last weekend, with fellow wideout Garrett Wilson (knee) tending to injury. However, he failed to net positive yardage on 1-of-3 receiving. Smith will get another chance to make an impact this Sunday, although it's currently difficult to trust any of the Jets' skill position players with the offense failing to perform. Furthermore, head coach Aaron Glenn's refusal to name a starting quarterback muddies the situation further, adding an extra variable. With Wilson set to miss another game, and Josh Reynolds (hip) questionable with an injury of his own, Smith will have a chance to lead New York's WR corps if both are inactive. Even still, he's nothing more than a long shot with New York's offense looking woefully outmatched.